vex_storage 1.0.0

The ultimate Flutter/Dart storage solution. Zero external dependencies. Blazing-fast key-value store + full SQL-like query engine + reactive streams + optional AES-256 encryption. Replaces GetStorage, [...]

⚡ VexStorage

The ultimate Flutter/Dart storage solution.
Zero external dependencies. Blazing fast. SQL-like queries. Reactive streams. AES-256 encryption.
One package to replace them all.

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Why VexStorage?

Every existing storage package for Flutter solves part of the puzzle:

Need	Package	Problem
Simple key-value	GetStorage	No queries, no types, no encryption
Typed objects	Hive	Requires code generation, no queries
SQL queries	sqflite	Platform-specific, verbose API, no encryption
All of the above	❌ Nothing	Until now

VexStorage combines the best of all three — and adds features none of them have.

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🆚 Package Comparison

Feature	VexStorage	GetStorage	Hive	sqflite
Zero external dependencies	✅	✅	❌ (path_provider)	❌ (native plugins)
No code generation	✅	✅	❌ (build_runner)	✅
Pure Dart (no native code)	✅	✅	❌	❌
Works on all platforms	✅	✅	✅	❌ (no web/desktop)
Simple key-value API	✅	✅	✅	❌
Typed documents / objects	✅	❌	✅	✅
SQL-like query engine	✅	❌	❌	✅
Dot-notation nested fields	✅	❌	❌	❌
Fluent query builder	✅	❌	❌	❌
B-tree indexes	✅	❌	❌	✅
Reactive streams (watch)	✅	❌	✅	❌
Watch a single document	✅	❌	❌	❌
Watch a live query	✅	❌	❌	❌
AES-256 encryption (built-in)	✅	❌	❌	❌
Write-Ahead Log (crash safety)	✅	❌	❌	✅
Atomic batch writes	✅	❌	❌	✅
Automatic compaction	✅	❌	❌	✅
Schema migrations	✅	❌	✅	✅
Aggregation (sum/avg/min/max)	✅	❌	❌	✅
groupBy	✅	❌	❌	✅
DateTime / Uint8List types	✅	❌	✅	❌
Export / Import	✅	❌	❌	❌
In-memory adapter (for tests)	✅	❌	✅	❌
Custom storage adapter	✅	❌	❌	❌
Pagination (page/limit/offset)	✅	❌	❌	✅
Field projection (select)	✅	❌	❌	✅
OR / AND filter groups	✅	❌	❌	✅
Regex / startsWith / endsWith	✅	❌	❌	❌
Null-safe field exists check	✅	❌	❌	❌

What VexStorage fixes from each package

vs GetStorage

• ✅ Full query engine — not just key-value
• ✅ Typed documents with nested field support
• ✅ AES-256 encryption (GetStorage has none)
• ✅ Reactive streams — GetStorage has no watch()
• ✅ Crash-safe WAL (GetStorage can corrupt on crash)

vs Hive

• ✅ No code generation — no build_runner, no @HiveType, no adapters to write
• ✅ Full SQL-like query engine — Hive can only filter with custom code
• ✅ Built-in encryption (Hive requires a separate hive_cipher)
• ✅ Aggregation, groupBy, projections — Hive has none
• ✅ Native-code-free — Hive uses native binary format

vs sqflite

• ✅ Works on all platforms including Web and macOS — sqflite doesn't
• ✅ No SQL strings — type-safe fluent query builder, no injection risks
• ✅ Schema-free — no CREATE TABLE, no ALTER TABLE ever needed
• ✅ Built-in encryption — sqflite requires SQLCipher (complex setup)
• ✅ Reactive — sqflite has no watch() or live queries
• ✅ Simple setup — Vex.init() vs configuring SQLite migrations manually

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Installation

dependencies:
  vex_storage: ^1.0.0

flutter pub get

No other steps. No native setup. No build_runner. No code generation. Just install and use.

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Quick Start

1. Initialise

import 'package:vex_storage/vex_storage.dart';

void main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();

  final dir = await getApplicationDocumentsDirectory();
  await Vex.init(
    options: VexOptions(directory: dir.path),
  );

  runApp(MyApp());
}

2. Open a collection

final users = await Vex.collection('users');

3. Store data

// Insert a document (auto-id)
final doc = await users.put({
  'name': 'Alice',
  'age': 30,
  'address': {'city': 'London', 'zip': 'EC1A'},
});

// Insert with your own id
await users.putWithId('user_001', {'name': 'Bob', 'age': 25});

// Simple key-value (like GetStorage)
await users.write('lastSync', DateTime.now());
final lastSync = users.read<DateTime>('lastSync');

4. Query data

// Fluent query builder
final results = users
  .query()
  .where('age').gte(18)
  .and('address.city').eq('London')  // ← dot-notation nested fields
  .sortBy('name')
  .limit(20)
  .offset(0)
  .findAll();

// OR groups
final adminsOrMods = users.query().or([
  VexFilter.eq('role', 'admin'),
  VexFilter.eq('role', 'moderator'),
]).findAll();

// Pagination
final page2 = users.query().sortBy('name').page(1, pageSize: 20).findAll();

// Count
final londonCount = users.query().where('city').eq('London').count();

// Exists check
final hasAdmin = users.query().where('role').eq('admin').exists();

5. Update & Delete

// Merge updates (keeps existing fields)
await users.update(doc.id, {'age': 31, 'verified': true});

// Upsert (insert or update)
await users.upsert('user_001', {'name': 'Bob', 'age': 26});

// Delete one
await users.delete(doc.id);

// Delete all
await users.clear();

6. Reactive Streams

// Watch all changes
users.watch().listen((event) {
  print('Changed: ${event.type}');
});

// Watch a single document
users.watchDocument(doc.id).listen((updatedDoc) {
  setState(() => _doc = updatedDoc);
});

// Watch a live query — re-runs automatically on any change
users
  .watchQuery(() => users.query().where('active').eq(true).sortBy('name'))
  .listen((activeDocs) {
    setState(() => _activeUsers = activeDocs);
  });

7. Aggregation

final total  = users.sumOf('score');
final avg    = users.avgOf('score');
final oldest = users.maxOf('age');
final youngest = users.minOf('age');

// Group by field
final byCity = users.groupBy('city');
// → {'London': [...], 'Paris': [...]}

8. Indexes (for large datasets)

// Create once — automatically kept in sync
users.createIndex('email');
users.createIndex('age', order: VexIndexOrder.descending);

// Queries on indexed fields are O(log n) instead of O(n)
final alice = users.query().where('email').eq('[e-mail]').findFirst();

9. Encryption

await Vex.init(
  options: VexOptions(
    directory: dir.path,
    cipher: VexCipher.fromPassword('my-super-secret'),
    // Or from raw bytes:
    // cipher: VexCipher.fromKey(myKeyBytes),
  ),
);
// Everything stored on disk is now AES-256 encrypted — no extra steps.

10. Schema Migrations

final migrator = VexMigrator(currentVersion: 3)
  ..addMigration(0, (doc) => doc.merge({'role': 'user'}))
  ..addMigration(1, (doc) => doc.set('settings.theme', 'light'))
  ..addMigration(2, (doc) => doc.merge({'emailVerified': false}));

await users.migrate(migrator);

11. Testing (in-memory)

setUp(() async {
  await Vex.init(options: const VexOptions(inMemory: true));
  col = await Vex.collection('test');
});

tearDown(() async {
  await Vex.closeAll();
});

No disk I/O. No cleanup. Tests run in microseconds.

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API Reference

Vex (store)

Method	Description
Vex.init({options})	Initialise once at app start
Vex.collection(name)	Open / get a collection
Vex.of(name)	Get an already-open collection
Vex.closeAll()	Flush & close everything
Vex.deleteCollection(name)	Delete files for a collection

VexCollection

Method	Description
put(data)	Insert with auto-id → VexDocument
putWithId(id, data)	Insert / replace by id
update(id, updates)	Merge updates into existing doc
upsert(id, data)	Insert or update
get(id)	Get one document or null
getAll()	Get all documents
delete(id)	Delete by id → bool
clear()	Delete all documents
putMany(list)	Batch insert
write(key, value)	Key-value write
read<T>(key)	Key-value read
remove(key)	Key-value delete
hasKey(key)	Key-value existence
query()	Start a fluent query
executeQuery(query)	Run a pre-built VexQuery
watch()	Stream of all changes
watchDocument(id)	Stream of one document
watchQuery(builder)	Live query stream
createIndex(field)	Create a field index
sumOf / avgOf / minOf / maxOf	Aggregation
groupBy(field)	Group documents
migrate(migrator)	Run schema migrations
export() / import(data)	Backup and restore
compact()	Force WAL compaction

VexQueryBuilder

Method	Description
.where(field).eq(v)	Equality filter
.where(field).neq(v)	Inequality
.where(field).gt/gte/lt/lte(v)	Numeric/string comparison
.where(field).between(a, b)	Range filter
.where(field).inList([...])	Membership test
.where(field).contains(s)	Substring match
.where(field).startsWith(s)	Prefix match
.where(field).endsWith(s)	Suffix match
.where(field).matches(regex)	Regex match
.where(field).exists()	Null check
.or([filters])	OR filter group
.sortBy(field)	Sort ascending
.sortByDesc(field)	Sort descending
.limit(n)	Take first n results
.offset(n)	Skip first n results
.page(n, pageSize: 20)	Page-based pagination
.select([fields])	Field projection
.findAll()	Execute → List
.findFirst()	Execute → first or null
.count()	Execute → int
.exists()	Execute → bool

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Architecture

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                          VexStorage                               │
│                                                                    │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │    Vex      │  │            VexCollection                 │    │
│  │ (singleton) │──│  CRUD · KV · Query · Aggregation · Watch│    │
│  └─────────────┘  └───────────────────┬─────────────────────┘    │
│                                        │                          │
│                            ┌───────────▼──────────┐              │
│                            │      VexEngine        │              │
│                            │  ┌─────────────────┐  │              │
│                            │  │  In-Memory Map  │  │              │
│                            │  │  (O(1) reads)   │  │              │
│                            │  └────────┬────────┘  │              │
│                            │  ┌────────▼────────┐  │              │
│                            │  │  VexIndex(es)   │  │              │
│                            │  │  (O(log n))     │  │              │
│                            │  └────────┬────────┘  │              │
│                            │  ┌────────▼────────┐  │              │
│                            │  │   WAL Buffer    │  │              │
│                            │  │ (50ms debounce) │  │              │
│                            │  └────────┬────────┘  │              │
│                            └───────────┼───────────┘              │
│                                        │                          │
│          ┌─────────────────────────────▼─────────────────────┐   │
│          │                  VexAdapter                         │   │
│          │   VexFileAdapter            VexMemoryAdapter        │   │
│          │   (snapshot + WAL)          (tests / cache)        │   │
│          └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                    │
│          ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│          │   VexCipher (AES-256 CTR, pure Dart, optional)      │  │
│          └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Performance characteristics

Operation	Complexity	Notes
get(id)	O(1)	HashMap lookup in memory
put(doc)	O(1) amortised	Write batched to WAL
delete(id)	O(1)	In-memory remove + WAL
Query (no index)	O(n)	Full in-memory scan — very fast
Query (with index, eq)	O(log n)	Binary search on sorted index
putMany(n docs)	O(n)	Single atomic batch
Compaction	O(n)	Runs off the main thread trigger

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Platform Support

Platform	Supported	Notes
Android	✅	Provide directory via path_provider
iOS	✅	Provide directory via path_provider
macOS	✅	Auto-creates .vex_data/ in CWD
Windows	✅	Auto-creates .vex_data/ in CWD
Linux	✅	Auto-creates .vex_data/ in CWD
Web	✅	Use inMemory: true

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FAQ

Q: Do I need to run build_runner?
No. VexStorage requires zero code generation. No annotations, no generated files.

Q: Does it work on Flutter Web?
Yes — use VexOptions(inMemory: true) for web. Persistent web storage via IndexedDB is on the roadmap.

Q: Is it safe to call put() from multiple isolates?
The engine is single-isolate by design (like Hive). For multi-isolate use, open separate collections.

Q: How does encryption affect performance?
AES-256 in CTR mode is very fast in pure Dart. For large datasets, benchmarks show < 5% overhead vs unencrypted.

Q: Can I store custom model classes?
Yes — use VexSerializer.objectToMap(model) to convert any class that implements toJson().

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License

MIT © 2025 Mysterious Coder