Couch DB/PouchDB approach for hybrid mobile applications

CouchDB/PouchDB approach for hybrid mobile applicationsIhor Vlasyuk, SoftServe

Who I am?

Technical Lead at SoftServe.Involved to mobile development.

Agenda

● Modern solution architecture overview● Typical Problems● Quick solutions overview● PouchDB/CouchDB concept● QA

Typical Modern Solution

Let’s Digg

What we have?

● Server side API code● Frontend code● Native mobile code● Database code

What With Mobile Code?

What With Developers?

What Are Results?

● Lot of platform specific code● Problem with synchronization● Lot of peoples involved to project● Lot of different technologies used

And What to Do?

And What to Do?

Don’t ask me I don’t know. No Pain No Gain.

Let’s think together

● We need to minimize number of technologies used on project

● Nice to have one code base

Cross Platform Solutions

Let’s Holy War begin

Quick Overview

Quick Overview

● Native applications● Web based applications● Hybrid applications

Native Applications

Pros● Offers best user experience to build

complex, reach and responsive applications that offer the best performance

● Has access to all native features provided by platform

Native Applications

Cons● Its typically device and platform

specific● Requires installation, upgrading and

uninstallation● Distribution of the application is more

cumbersome and it’s often depended from AppleStore, Android market etc.

Web Based Applications

Pros● Reuses existing web applications● Minor tweaks to CSS and HTML are

enough to change UI experience● No installation, upgrade, uninstall● HTML5 can take advantage some

native features like geolocation, local storage etc.

Web Based Applications

Cons● Even with HTML5, access to native

features is very limited● Difficult to implement application that

will work in disconnected state● Performance and usability is not as

good as native applications

Hybrid Applications

Hybrid applications are built by combining native components and web components. Web components are built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and wrapped by a native container (internal browser) that not only displays them but also gives them access to native functionality through JavaScript.

Hybrid Applications

Pros● Existing web assets can be used.● Access to all native features.● Can provide a rich user experience by

using native components intelligently

Hybrid Applications

Cons● Accessing native functionality using

JavaScript comes with a certain overhead and is not as efficient as a native app.

● UI with HTML5 and CSS still not so responsive as native

No Silver Bullet

So we went with Cordova

Stop! And What With This?


Aha Unresolved Problem


Welcome CouchDB

What is CouchDB?

CouchDB is one of what many are calling NoSQL solutions. Specifically, CouchDB is a document-oriented database and within each document fields are stored as key-value maps. Fields can be either a simple key/value pair, list, or map.

What is CouchDB?

CouchDB offers us these features:● Easy replication of a database across

multiple server instances● REST-like interface for document

insertion, updates, retrieval and deletion

● JSON-based document format (easily translatable across different languages)

Sync Problem

Sync Problem

Sync Problem

Welcome PouchDB

WTF?

You Said that we are trying to decrease number of technologies used in solution?

What is PouchDB?

PouchDB is a JavaScript implementation of CouchDB. Its goal is to emulate the CouchDB API with near-perfect fidelity, while running in the browser or in Node.js.

What is PouchDB?

PouchDB and CouchDB were designed for one main purpose: sync. Jason Smith has a great quote about this:The way I like to think about CouchDB is this: CouchDB is bad at everything, except syncing. And it turns out that's the most important feature you could ever ask for, for many types of software."

PouchDB concept

With PouchDB

CouchDB, PouchDB and Cordova

Setup

<script src="pouchdb-3.5.0.min.js"></script>

Synchronization

Conflicts

Messaging (pub/sub)

Questions?