CRUDin

CRUDin is a software library and architectural pattern designed to standardize the four basic data operations—create, read, update, and delete—across diverse data stores. It provides a uniform API and a model-centered workflow that aims to decouple application logic from storage specifics, enabling developers to manage persistent data without writing store-specific persistence code.

Key features include adapters for relational databases, document stores, and in-memory data structures; declarative data models; built-in validation and type coercion; change tracking and versioning; optimistic locking; and hooks for authorization, auditing, and eventing. Many implementations also offer auto-generated service methods or REST/GraphQL endpoints that map directly to CRUD actions.

Architecture typically consists of a core engine, model/schema layer, and a set of pluggable adapters. The core coordinates operations, the model layer defines fields and relationships, the validator layer enforces integrity, and the adapter layer translates generic CRUD calls into store-specific commands. An optional caching, transaction, and event system helps with performance and cross-cutting concerns.

Usage involves defining a data model, configuring the appropriate adapters for the target data stores, and invoking create, read, update, or delete operations. The library handles validation, authorization checks, data transformation, and persistence, returning consistent results regardless of the underlying storage technology. This approach is commonly used in service-oriented and microservice architectures to promote consistency.

Reception: CRUDin is primarily a conceptual reference and teaching pattern rather than a single standardized framework. It is discussed in tutorials and architectural discussions to illustrate separation of concerns and data-layer abstraction. Critics warn of potential over-abstraction, performance overhead, and the risk of masking store-specific features, while supporters highlight improved maintainability, testability, and portability.