Flutter Original Show - Isar Database

Introduction

• Host: Maud
• Guest: Simon (Flutter engineer from Munich, Germany)
• Topic: Isar, a NoSQL database package for Flutter
• Recent updates to Isar demonstrated promising benchmarks.
• Importance of databases in applications, especially for offline-first scenarios.

Guest Introduction

• Simon's background in creating open-source packages related to databases (e.g., Hive, Isar).
• Focus on making databases easy to use and performant.

Overview of Databases

Hive

• Simple key-value database written in Dart.
• Own storage format, but has limitations:
  • No support for multiple isolates.
  • Can be slow, especially at app startup.
  • Queries must be implemented in Dart, which can be inefficient.
  • Lacks indexing capabilities.

Isar

• NoSQL database with advanced features.
• Built for ease of use and performance.
• Made up of three components:
  1. Isar Core: Backend written in Rust for performance.
  2. Isar Generator: Analyzes code at build time, ensuring type correctness.
  3. Isar Package: Lightweight runtime layer for database interaction.
• Offers object builder style queries, reducing the likelihood of errors.

Features of Isar

• Performance: Built with Rust for speed; benchmarks show good performance against competitors.
• Storage Options: New version offers both native Isar engine and CQ light engine for interaction with SQL databases.
• Queries: Simplified querying with static checks to avoid mistakes.
• Encryption: Optional encryption using industry-standard protocols.
• Multi-threading: Supports transactions to ensure consistent database state during operations.

Benchmarks

• Benchmarking databases is complex and may not be fair due to varying capabilities.
• Isar shows competitive performance in insertion and querying compared to other databases.

Implementation

Creating a User Object

• Use a User class with properties like name, username, email, etc.
• Annotate class with @Collection for Isar to recognize it as a collection.
• Generate code using build_runner.

Opening an Instance

• Use isar.open() to create a database instance, which requires a schema and directory path.
• Important to handle async operations correctly to avoid UI blocking.

Using Transactions

• Transactions are crucial for atomic operations and maintaining database integrity.
• Required for write operations to avoid performance issues.

Querying

• Provides generated methods for various query types.
• Statically checked queries to prevent runtime errors.

Inspector Feature

• A debugging tool to explore the schema and data in Isar.
• Allows live updates and modifications to the database content.

Future Enhancements

• Potential for adding adapters for SQL databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL.
• Encourages community contribution and feedback to improve documentation and functionality.

Conclusion

• Simon invites viewers to engage with the Isar community and contribute to improvements.
• Acknowledges the importance of user feedback for enhancing documentation.
• Host thanks Simon for the insights and encourages future visits for deeper dives into Isar.