QDBM is a library of routines for managing a database. The database is a simple data file containing records, each is a pair of a key and a value. Every key and value is serial bytes with variable length. Both binary data and character string can be used as a key and a value. There is neither concept of data tables nor data types. Records are organazed in hash table or B+ tree.
As for database of hash table, each key must be unique within a database, so it is impossible to store two or more records with a key overlaps. The following access methods are provided to the database: storing a record with a key and a value, deleting a record by a key, retrieving a record by a key. Moreover, traversal access to every key are provided, although the order is arbitrary. These access methods are similar to ones of DBM (or its followers, NDBM and GDBM) library defined in the UNIX standard. QDBM is an alternative for DBM because of its higher performance.
As for database of B+ tree, records whose keys are duplicated can be stored. Access methods of storing, deleting and retrieving are provided as with the database of hash table. Records are stored in order by a comparing function assigned by a user. It is possible to access each record with the cursor in ascending or descending order. According to this mechanism, forward matching search for strings and range search for integers are realized.
QDBM provides API for Ruby. This encapsulates the basic API, the extended API and the extended API of QDBM. A database handle can be used like an instance of `Hash'.
Refer to `http://qdbm.sourceforge.net/' for more information.