Idea

Easy to use document database with a focus on visibility and simplicity. Made for prototyping or projects with an agile code-first approach. Embark allows you to defer the plumbing or commitment of choosing a specific database technology.

Visibility

Documents are saved as JSON text files in folders for each collection, so you can easily view/edit data while developing.

Simplicity

Embark uses public properties with get & set to read/load values.

// arrange some guinea pig for testing
class Sheep
{
  // public get & set used to read/write values
  public string Name { get; set; }  
  public IceCream FavouriteIceCream { get; set; }
}
enum IceCream
{
  Vanilla,
  Strawberry            
}
        
var pet = new Sheep { Name = "Fluffy", FavouriteIceCream = IceCream.Vanilla };

// save data locally
var db = Embark.Client.GetLocalDB(@"C:\AnimalsDB\");

// or over a network via REST API to WCF server *see usage section below*
var db = Embark.Client.GetNetworkDB("192.168.1.24", 8080);

// collections created on-the-fly if needed
var io = db.GetCollection<Sheep>("sheep");

// create
long id = io.Insert(pet);

// read
Sheep fluffy = io.Get(id);

// update
fluffy.FavouriteIceCream = IceCream.Strawberry;
bool fluffyNowLikesStrawberry = io.Update(id, fluffy);

// delete
bool hasSheepVanished = io.Delete(id);

// non-type specific if you want to mix Apples & Oranges objects in the same collection
var io = db["fruit"];

Some other commands are

• GetWhere(new { Name = "Rocket"})
• GetBetween(new { Score = 15}, new { Score = 39.21})
• GetAll() returns Document Wrapper with ID & timestamp
• See the wiki for details

That's it!

The intent of Embark is to stay simple to use and minimal. A single .dll under 50 kilobytes and no external dependencies other than the .NET framework. By avoiding increasing complexity from scope-creep, Embark will remain crisp and friendly :)

The aim of the project is to provide a DB while you are building new ideas and not to weigh features that do not contribute to prototyping like database replication, query optimizations, optimal disk usage, etc..

Usage

Embark has a NuGet package to keep devs updated with new features. You are also free to download, modify, compile and use the source code as you wish (MIT License).

Custom text-to-object mapping, like YAML or even DSON is avaliable via the ITextConverter interface passed to a local Client constructor.

To save data over a network:

// start a new server
var server = new Embark.Server();
server.Start();

or you can download a simple server from here.

NOTE: For the WCF server to work, either run it in admin mode or give access rights to the your-machine:port/embark/ namespace.

In development:

• Optional caching & async data persistency
• Review & Simplify code

Any feedback, suggestions or PR's welcome!