Then it would be difficult to add a reference to a specific items somewhere else (or one would even have to duplicate the data). The benefits and disadvantages of normalization vs denormalization are long known and this (denormalization) is possible with classic SQL DBMS too.
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Imagine that every of your items in a warehouse has a unique barcode to track it. In this case you have to keep a record in a database for every item.
You could have a list inside a single document.
And what about tracking item status and location? Another list?
Lists can contain items with complex structures, not just strings.
Then it would be difficult to add a reference to a specific items somewhere else (or one would even have to duplicate the data). The benefits and disadvantages of normalization vs denormalization are long known and this (denormalization) is possible with classic SQL DBMS too.