============= CouchDB OTP ============= CouchDB OTP is a project for exploring ways to OTPify CouchDB, making it easier to use as an embeddable database in Erlang applications. References: | http://github.com/apache/couchdb | http://github.com/jchris/hovercraft Goals ===== - Use CouchDB as a typical OTP application - Bypass unneeded components such as HTTP/JSON support - Use unmodified CouchDB source if possible - Provide a documented module that exposes CouchDB's public API (`couchdb`) - Make it easy for developers to obtain and install whatever code they need Sample usage:: Eshell V5.7.5 (abort with ^G) 1> application:start(couchdb). 2> {ok, Db} = couchdb:create_db("test"). 3> {ok, _} = couchdb:create_doc(Db, [{"name", "Damien"}]). 4> q(). .. note:: This project appears almost identical to Hovercraft. However, it goes a bit deeper with an attempt to expose CouchDB as a compliant OTP application. Why === CouchDB already supports Erlang applications through various HTTP interface drivers. What's the point of embedded CouchDB as an Erlang OTP application? - Simplify the use of CouchDB in Erlang - Avoid unneeded overhead of HTTP/JSON - Position Erlang to build distributed database "front ends" using CouchDB as the physical data store and replication engine Approach ======== - Start with a skeletal OTP application - Use Hovercraft as a reference - Use helper or wrapper modules to map core CouchDB services into an application lifecycle - Provide for standard application configuration (i.e. use of config files and `erl` command line options) - Provide an API module to simplify use of CouchDB services - Add other "features" needed to realize the project goals - Somehow package the module for simlple usage with CouchDB In theory this should be very doable as CouchDB already uses a number of OTP conventions. The exercise is therefore more one of packaging and documentation -- at least in theory.