MDBdbi

MDBdbi is a software library that provides an interface compatible with the DBI (Database Interface) standard for interacting with an MDB-backed data store. The aim of MDBdbi is to allow applications written against the DBI API to store and retrieve data using an MDB (memory-mapped database) backend without requiring language-specific MDB bindings.

Design and scope: MDBdbi functions as an adapter layer between DBI calls and MDB operations. It typically implements connection management, statement preparation and execution, and result fetching, translating DBI semantics into corresponding MDB operations. Because MDB backends are usually key-value stores rather than relational databases, the project generally supports a subset of DBI features, focusing on basic CRUD operations, transactions, and iteration over records via cursors.

Performance and limitations: MDBdbi leverages the ACID properties of MDB-like backends for transactional integrity. In practice, performance depends on workload and how well the translation layer maps relational-style queries to key-value access patterns. Complex SQL queries are not the target of MDBdbi; instead, applications perform operations through the DBI API that the adapter translates into MDB operations.

Status and reception: Documentation for MDBdbi is relatively sparse, and the project has not achieved wide adoption in major language ecosystems. It is often described as experimental or niche in most references.

See also: DBI, LMDB, MDB, MDBM.