This book introduces you to Apache CouchDB, a document-oriented database that offers a different way to model your data. CouchDB is a schema-free database, designed to work with applications that handle document-based information such as contacts, invoices, and receipts. In CouchDB: The Definitive Guide , three of the core developers gently explain how to work with CouchDB, using clear and practical scenarios. Each chapter showcases key features, such as simple document CRUD (create, read, updated, delete), advanced MapReduce, and deployment tuning for performance and reliability. This book will help you: With this book, you will:

• Understand the basics of document-based storage and manipulation

• Model data as self-contained JSON documents

• Manage basic document CRUD

• Handle evolving data naturally

• Query and aggregate data in CouchDB, using MapReduce views

• Replicate data between nodes

• Carry out deployment tuning for performance and reliability

This is the only book available on CouchDB, and although it's still in progress, you can get going with this technology through our Rough Cuts edition, which lets you read the manuscript as it evolves, either online or via PDF.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 2 Ratings

Good overview, but feels fragmented - 2010-02-07
Reviewer Rating:
The book does a good job covering the features that make CouchDB such an exciting technology - schema-free document-based storage, REST API, MapReduce, powerful replication, embedded applications, etc. I'd recommend it for developers with a good background in web programming that are looking for a new way of building and scaling applications. Database administrators will also benefit from its coverage of replication and sharding.

The organization and editing are, unfortunately, not so good. Topics seem strangely ordered, cross references are awkward, and chapters alternate between repeating material unnecessarily and assuming knowledge of material that has not yet been covered. I'd guess this comes from merging the work of three authors, but O'Reilly usually does a better job cleaning up the inevitable collisions.

That aside, this is still a good introduction to the subject, and will give you enough background to start exploring CouchDB without getting (too) lost. Well worth a place on your NoSQL bookshelf.

Good overview, needs more depth. - 2010-03-08
Reviewer Rating:
I am new the CouchDB and NoSQL and I found this book to be good introduction to the subject. The book does a good job of explaining why one would use CouchDB and its benefits over traditional relational databases. Like other reviewers I felt that book was poorly organized and edited. Many chapters jumped from one subject to the next without much warning.

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