CouchDB library for Node and the browser
The clerk package is a CouchDB client library that provides a straightforward JavaScript API for interacting with CouchDB databases from both Node.js and browser environments. It abstracts the CouchDB HTTP API into a convenient interface for common database operations like creating documents, querying views, and managing databases.
Clerk emerged as a lightweight alternative to heavier CouchDB clients, focusing on simplicity and cross-platform compatibility. It handles the low-level HTTP communication with CouchDB servers while exposing a clean API for CRUD operations, bulk operations, and view queries. The library is particularly useful for applications that need direct CouchDB access without the overhead of more complex ORMs or data layers.
Developers building applications with CouchDB as the backend database use clerk when they need a minimal, no-frills client library. It's suitable for projects ranging from small Node.js scripts that sync data with CouchDB to browser-based applications that communicate directly with CouchDB's HTTP API. The package supports both callback and promise-based workflows, making it adaptable to different coding styles.
const clerk = require('clerk');
// Connect to CouchDB server
const client = clerk('http://localhost:5984');
const db = client.db('myapp');
// Create a new document
db.save({
type: 'user',
name: 'John Doe',
email: 'john@example.com',
created: new Date().toISOString()
}, function(err, doc) {
if (err) {
console.error('Error creating document:', err);
return;
}
console.log('Created document with ID:', doc._id);
// Update the document
doc.status = 'active';
db.save(doc, function(err, updated) {
if (err) {
console.error('Error updating document:', err);
return;
}
console.log('Updated document revision:', updated._rev);
});
});
// Query a view
db.view('users/by_email', { key: 'john@example.com' }, function(err, results) {
if (err) {
console.error('Error querying view:', err);
return;
}
results.rows.forEach(function(row) {
console.log('Found user:', row.value);
});
});
// Bulk insert documents
const docs = [
{ type: 'product', name: 'Widget', price: 9.99 },
{ type: 'product', name: 'Gadget', price: 19.99 }
];
db.save(docs, function(err, results) {
if (err) {
console.error('Error bulk saving:', err);
return;
}
console.log('Saved', results.length, 'documents');
});Server-side data synchronization scripts: Node.js applications that periodically fetch data from external sources and write it to CouchDB can use clerk to manage document creation, updates, and bulk inserts without complex setup.
Browser-based CouchDB applications: Single-page applications that connect directly to CouchDB (with proper CORS configuration) can use clerk in the browser to perform real-time database operations, leveraging CouchDB's built-in authentication and replication features.
Microservices with CouchDB backends: Lightweight microservices that need to read and write to CouchDB databases can use clerk as a thin client layer, avoiding the dependency weight of larger database abstraction frameworks.
Data migration and ETL tools: Scripts that transform and move data between CouchDB databases or from other data sources into CouchDB benefit from clerk's simple API for bulk operations and view queries.
Prototyping and development tools: Developers building proof-of-concept applications or internal tools with CouchDB can use clerk to quickly implement database operations without investing time in learning complex abstractions.
npm install clerkpnpm add clerkbun add clerk