Databases
Database Concepts
Databases created on Couchbase Lite can share the same hierarchical structure as Capella databases. This makes it easier to sync data between mobile applications and applications built using Capella.
Although the terminology is different, the structure can be mapped to relational database terms:
| Relational database | Couchbase |
|---|---|
Database |
Database |
Schema |
Scope |
Table |
Collection |
This structure gives you plenty of choices when it comes to partitioning your data. The most basic structure is to use the single default scope with a single default collection; or you could opt for a structure that allow you to split your collections into logical scopes.
Initializer
Your first step in using the API must be to call its initializer. An exception is raised if any other API method is invoked before the initializer.
// Initialize the Couchbase Lite system
CouchbaseLite.init();Create or Open Database
You can create a new database and-or open an existing database, using the Database class. Just pass in a database name and optionally a DatabaseConfiguration — see Example 2.
Things to watch for include:
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If the named database does not exist in the specified, or default, location then a new one is created
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The database is created in a default location unless you specify a directory for it — see: DatabaseConfiguration and DatabaseConfiguration.setDirectory()
Typically, the default location for Java is the current working directory .
See also Finding a Database File.
Database database = new Database(DB_NAME);Close Database
You are advised to incorporate the closing of all open databases into your application workflow.
To close a database, use Database.close() — see: Example 3. This also closes [1] active replications, listeners and-or live queries connected to the database.
Closing a database soon after starting a replication involving it can cause an exception as the asynchronous replicator (start) may not yet be connected.
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Safely Closing a Database pre 2.8
Before closing, check that any attached listeners (query/replication/change) indicate they are at least at connected status before closing — see for example: Monitor Status.
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database.close();Database Full Sync
Database Full Sync will prevent the loss of transactional data due to an unexpected system crash or loss of power. This feature is not enabled by default and must be manually set in your database configuration.
| Database Full Sync is a safe method to prevent data loss but will incur a significant degredation of performance. |
config.setFullSync(true);
It is not possible to change the configuration of a Database after instantiating the Database with the configuration by updating its DatabaseConfiguration property.
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Database Encryption
| This is an Enterprise Edition feature. |
Couchbase Lite on Java includes the ability to encrypt Couchbase Lite databases. This allows mobile applications to secure the data at rest, when it is being stored on the device. The algorithm used to encrypt the database is 256-bit AES.
Enabling
To enable encryption, use DatabaseConfiguration.setEncryptionKey() to set the encryption key of your choice. Provide this encryption key every time the database is opened — see Example 5.
DatabaseConfiguration config = new DatabaseConfiguration();
config.setEncryptionKey(new EncryptionKey("PASSWORD"));
Database database = new Database(DB_NAME, config);Persisting
Couchbase Lite does not persist the key. It is the application’s responsibility to manage the key and store it in a platform-specific secure store such Android’s Keystore.
Opening
An encrypted database can only be opened with the same platform that was used to encrypt it in the first place. So a database encrypted using the Java SDK, and then exported, is readable only by the Java SDK.
Changing
To change an existing encryption key, open the database using its existing encryption-key and use Database.changeEncryptionKey() to set the required new encryption-key value.
Removing
To remove encryption, open the database using its existing encryption-key and use Database.changeEncryptionKey() with a null value as the encryption key.
Upgrading
To upgrade an encrypted database see: Upgrade 1.x databases
Finding a Database File
By default a Couchbase Lite on Java database is created in a directory at the current location called <databaseName>.cblite2.
This location is set by the DatabaseConfiguration method. See the following example for how to do this:
DatabaseConfiguration thisConfig = new DatabaseConfiguration(); thisConfig.setDirectory("yourDBpath");
Database thisDB = new Database("db", thisConfig);Database Maintenance
From time to time it may be necessary to perform certain maintenance activities on your database, for example to compact the database file, removing unused documents and blobs no longer referenced by any documents.
Couchbase Lite’s API provides the Database.performMaintenance() method.
The available maintenance operations, including compact are as shown in the enum MaintenanceType to accomplish this.
This is a resource intensive operation and is not performed automatically. It should be run on-demand using the API. If in doubt, consult Couchbase support.
Command Line Tool
cblite is a command-line tool for inspecting and querying Couchbase Lite databases.
You can download and build it from the couchbaselabs GitHub repository.
Note that the cblite tool is not supported by the Couchbase Support Policy.
Troubleshooting
You should use console logs as your first source of diagnostic information. If the information in the default logging level is insufficient you can focus it on database errors and generate more verbose messages — see: Example 6.
For more on using Couchbase logs — see: Using Logs.
Database.log.getConsole().setLevel(LogLevel.DEBUG); (1)