If you don't validate your data integrity, constraints, relationships etc. at the database level that means it is much easier for anyone with production database access (through any other client including a DB access tool) to mess up your data.

It is great practice to enforce the strictest possible data integrity at the database level. Trust me, this will save you enormous headaches over time in any non-trivial system. You will also pick up application logic errors or business requirement errors and inconsistencies faster if much thought is put into this.

As a side note to this, design your database in a way that is as normalized and atomic as possible. No "God" tables. Spend a lot of effort designing your database to be as simple as possible, ideally with many small tables that are individually very well defined, with a single responsibility and carefully validated on all columns.

If you don't validate your data integrity, constraints, relationships etc. at the database level that means it is much easier for anyone with production database access (through any other client including a DB access tool) to mess up your data.

It is great practice to enforce the strictest possible data integrity at the database level. Trust me, this will save you enormous headaches over time in any non-trivial system. You will also pick up application logic errors or business requirement errors and inconsistencies faster if careful thought is put into this.

As a side note to this, design your database in a way that is as normalized and atomic as possible. No "God" tables. Spend a lot of effort designing your database to be as simple as possible, ideally with many small tables that are individually very well defined, with a single responsibility and carefully validated on all columns. The database is the last guardian of your data integrity. It represents the Keep of the Castle.