FlutterDB

FlutterDB is a lightweight, SQLite-based document database for Flutter applications. It provides a MongoDB-like API for managing collections and documents while leveraging the performance benefits of SQLite.

Features

  • Document-oriented database with collections and documents
  • MongoDB-style query syntax and operations
  • Built on top of SQLite for performance and reliability
  • Unique ID generation for documents
  • Support for complex queries, updates, and aggregations
  • Batch operations for better performance

Installation

Add the following dependencies to your pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  flutterdb: ^0.0.2

Getting Started

Import the package:

import 'package:flutterdb/flutterdb.dart';

Initialize the database:

final db = FlutterDB();

Basic Usage

Working with Collections

// Create or get a collection
final users = await db.collection('users');

// List all collections
final collections = await db.listCollections();

// Drop a collection
await db.dropCollection('users');

CRUD Operations

Create

// Insert a single document
final userId = await users.insert({
  'name': 'John Doe',
  'email': 'john@example.com',
  'age': 30
});

// Insert multiple documents
final ids = await users.insertMany([
  {
    'name': 'Jane Smith',
    'email': 'jane@example.com',
    'age': 25
  },
  {
    'name': 'Bob Johnson',
    'email': 'bob@example.com',
    'age': 40
  }
]);

Read

// Find all documents in a collection
final allUsers = await users.find({});

// Find documents with a simple query
final adults = await users.find({'age': {'\$gte': 18}});

// Find a document by ID
final user = await users.findById(userId);

// Count documents
final userCount = await users.count({'age': {'\$gt': 30}});

Update

// Update a document by ID
await users.updateById(userId, {'status': 'active'});

// Update multiple documents
final updatedCount = await users.updateMany(
  {'age': {'\$lt': 30}},
  {'status': 'young'}
);

Delete

// Delete a document by ID
await users.deleteById(userId);

// Delete multiple documents
final deletedCount = await users.deleteMany({'status': 'inactive'});

Advanced Queries

Comparison Operators

// Greater than
await users.find({'age': {'\$gt': 30}});

// Less than or equal
await users.find({'age': {'\$lte': 25}});

// Not equal
await users.find({'status': {'\$ne': 'inactive'}});

// In array
await users.find({'role': {'\$in': ['admin', 'moderator']}});

Logical Operators

// AND
await users.find({
  '\$and': [
    {'age': {'\$gte': 18}},
    {'status': 'active'}
  ]
});

// OR
await users.find({
  '\$or': [
    {'role': 'admin'},
    {'permissions': {'\$in': ['write', 'delete']}}
  ]
});

// NOR
await users.find({
  '\$nor': [
    {'status': 'banned'},
    {'role': 'guest'}
  ]
});

Text Search

// Regex search
await users.find({'name': {'\$regex': '^Jo'}});

// Simple text search
await users.find({'bio': {'\$like': 'flutter developer'}});

Aggregation

final results = await users.aggregate([
  {'\$match': {'status': 'active'}},
  {'\$sort': {'age': -1}},
  {'\$skip': 10},
  {'\$limit': 20},
  {'\$project': {
          'name': 1,
          'age': 1,
          'city': 1,
          '_id': 0,
               }
  },
  {'\$group': {
          '_id': '\$city',
          'count': {'\$sum': 1}
        }
  },
]);

Best Practices

Performance Optimization

  1. Use batch operations for multiple insertions or updates:

    await users.insertMany(manyUsers); // Better than inserting one by one

  2. Keep document size reasonable:

    • Large documents can slow down performance
    • Consider storing large binary data (images, files) separately

  3. Create indexes for frequently queried fields:

    • Currently, FlutterDB automatically indexes collection names
    • Future versions may support custom indexes

  4. Use appropriate queries:

    • Finding by ID is faster than complex queries
    • Limit results when possible using \$limit

Data Structure

  1. Use consistent schemas:

    • While FlutterDB is schemaless, consistent document structures improve code maintainability

  2. Choose good document IDs:

    • Let FlutterDB generate IDs unless you have specific requirements
    • Custom IDs should be unique and consistent

  3. Handle relationships thoughtfully:

    • For one-to-many relationships, consider embedding related data or using references

Error Handling

Always implement error handling:

try {
  await users.insert({'name': 'John'});
} catch (e) {
  print('Error inserting document: $e');
  // Handle error appropriately
}

Limitations

  1. Not a full MongoDB replacement:

    • Limited subset of MongoDB query operators
    • Some complex aggregation operations not supported

  2. Performance with large datasets:

    • Best suited for mobile apps with moderate data size
    • Consider pagination or limiting queries for large collections

  3. No built-in encryption:

    • Data is stored in plain text
    • Consider additional encryption for sensitive data

  4. Limited indexing options:

    • Custom indexes not yet supported
    • Consider query performance for large collections

  5. No network synchronization:

    • Local database only
    • Implement your own sync solution if needed

Complete Example

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutterdb/flutterdb.dart';

class UserRepository {
  final FlutterDB _db = FlutterDB();
  late Future<Collection> _users;

  UserRepository() {
    _users = _db.collection('users');
  }

  Future<String> addUser(String name, String email, int age) async {
    final collection = await _users;
    return await collection.insert({
      'name': name,
      'email': email,
      'age': age,
      'createdAt': DateTime.now().toIso8601String(),
    });
  }

  Future<List<Map<String, dynamic>>> getAdultUsers() async {
    final collection = await _users;
    return await collection.find({
      'age': {'\$gte': 18},
    });
  }

  Future<void> updateUserStatus(String id, String status) async {
    final collection = await _users;
    await collection.updateById(id, {
      'status': status,
      'updatedAt': DateTime.now().toIso8601String(),
    });
  }
}

void main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
  
  final userRepo = UserRepository();
  
  // Add a user
  final userId = await userRepo.addUser('Alice', 'alice@example.com', 28);
  print('Added user with ID: $userId');
  
  // Update user status
  await userRepo.updateUserStatus(userId, 'premium');
  
  // Get all adult users
  final adults = await userRepo.getAdultUsers();
  for (var user in adults) {
    print('User: ${user['name']}, Age: ${user['age']}, Status: ${user['status']}');
  }
}

Future Enhancements

  • Custom indexing support
  • More aggregation pipeline operators
  • Full-text search capabilities
  • Data encryption options
  • Schema validation
  • Observable queries
  • Migration support

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU AGPLv3 License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Libraries

flutterdb