Developing with Couchbase Server

Preface

Introduction

As a long time developer of database-based projects, I can appreciate how over time we have been programmed to work within the table and row-based structure provided by systems like MySQL and Oracle. These database engines all work by using SQL to define the structure and schema, and then ultimately to insert, update and retrieve information.

SQL is not going to go away any time soon, and there are plenty of solutions and use cases where the SQL and the rigid schema make sense. But there also occasions when the strict structure and schema are more of a hindrance than a benefit. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the recent explosion of highly interactive websites and social media. The variety of information, and much higher levels of interactivity require a completely different type of database in order to handle the load. This is especially true if your application suddenly becomes hugely popular and the volume of activity explodes.

Couchbase Server 2.0 is designed to help in those situations. As one of the growning number of NoSQL-based database technologies, Couchbase Server takes a different approach to the prbolems of storing, searching and supporting data it’s availability. By using intelligent clustering to distribute and share the load, Couchbase can handle the database needs of those highly interactive applications.

Developing applications against Couchbase Server requires knowing the new structure and interface. Gone are the complexities of SQL and the rigid schemas. In it’s place, you have new flexibility in the information storage, and diferent ways for storing, reading, connecting, and querying the data that you have stored.

In this guide, I’ve combined some basic background information on Couchbase Server and how it operates behind the scenes, with the information you need to start building applications. The methods for storing information and querying that data, and how you can organize and format your data to get the best performance and operation from your Couchbase Cluster.

Where to Get Help on Couchbase Server

The information provided in this book is designed as a basic guide to developing with Couchbase Server 2.0.

For more detailed information on Couchbase Server, you can read the full manual. For more general information about Couchbase Server, visit the Couchbase website.

Detailed background information on building and developing applications using Couchbase Server can be found in the Developer Guide.

For information on the client libraries used to build applications against Couchbase Server, see this Couchbase page.

For a list of all the available documentation for Couchbase Server, see this Couchbase page.

To get involved with the Couchbase community, there are forums available on the Couchbase page, and a mailing list at this page.

To get in touch with the author, please contact me at [e-mail].

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Using Code Examples

This book is here to help you get your job done. In general, if this book includes code examples, you may use the code in your programs and documentation. You do not need to contact us for permission unless you’re reproducing a significant portion of the code. For example, writing a program that uses several chunks of code from this book does not require permission. Selling or distributing a CD-ROM of examples from O’Reilly books does require permission. Answering a question by citing this book and quoting example code does not require permission. Incorporating a significant amount of example code from this book into your product’s documentation does require permission.

We appreciate, but do not require, attribution. An attribution usually includes the title, author, publisher, and ISBN. For example: “Developing with Couchbase Server by MC Brown (O’Reilly). Copyright 2013 Couchbase, Inc., 978-1-449-33116-0.”

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Acknowledgments

The Couchbase engineering group, and the other teams in Couchbase that help define the product, support, community, and SDK development were all key in helping to produce not only the software behind the book, but also in many of the tools and examples that appear in it. It should go without saying that without their work, this book simply wouldn’t exist.

Once again, the support and input from Perry Krug to help make sure the content is correct, up to date, and useful, has been immense. Without him, this book would be far less useful, not to mention inaccurate. Thanks as well to the rest of the product management team who helped to review and comment on the content.

At O’Reilly, thanks to Meghan Blanchette, my incredibly understanding and supportive editor, and Mike Loukides, who supported the inception of the book and its content.