{"id":16546,"library":"taffydb","title":"TaffyDB In-Memory JavaScript Database","description":"TaffyDB is an open-source JavaScript library that provides an in-memory database solution for both browser and Node.js environments. It allows developers to store and manipulate JSON data as 'tables' using a uniform, SQL-like interface. Currently at version 2.7.3, the library emphasizes stability and reliability, having been used in production for many years. It differentiates itself by offering a JavaScript-centric data selection engine with features like insert, update, unique, and count, all while being compatible with various DOM libraries and modern browsers (IE9+, FF3+, Safari 5+, Chrome 1.0+) and Node.js 0.10+. While stable, the project's focus appears to be on expanding regression test coverage rather than rapid feature development, suggesting a maintenance-oriented release cadence.","status":"maintenance","version":"2.7.3","language":"javascript","source_language":"en","source_url":"git://github.com/typicaljoe/taffydb","tags":["javascript","database","browser","json","collection","records","node","nodejs"],"install":[{"cmd":"npm install taffydb","lang":"bash","label":"npm"},{"cmd":"yarn add taffydb","lang":"bash","label":"yarn"},{"cmd":"pnpm add taffydb","lang":"bash","label":"pnpm"}],"dependencies":[],"imports":[{"note":"In Node.js, the main export of the 'taffy' package is an object containing the 'taffy' function. You must access it via `.taffy` to get the database constructor. In browsers, `TAFFY` is typically exposed as a global variable.","wrong":"const TAFFY = require('taffy');","symbol":"TAFFY","correct":"const TAFFY = require('taffy').taffy;"},{"note":"TaffyDB is designed for CommonJS or global browser usage. There is no official ESM export, so direct `import` statements for `TAFFY` will fail. For browser usage, include the script tag and access the global `TAFFY`.","wrong":"import TAFFY from 'taffy';","symbol":"TAFFY","correct":"<!-- Add <script src=\"taffy.js\"></script> in HTML -->\n// TAFFY is now a global function"}],"quickstart":{"code":"const TAFFY = require('taffy').taffy;\n\nconst product_db = TAFFY([\n  {\n    \"item\": 1,\n    \"name\": \"Blue Ray Player\",\n    \"price\": 99.99\n  },\n  {\n    \"item\": 2,\n    \"name\": \"3D TV\",\n    \"price\": 1799.99\n  },\n  {\n    \"item\": 3,\n    \"name\": \"Soundbar\",\n    \"price\": 149.99\n  }\n]);\n\nconsole.log('All products:', product_db().get());\n\n// Query for items with price less than 150\nconst lowPricedItems = product_db({price: {lt: 150}}).get();\nconsole.log('Low priced items (price < 150):', lowPricedItems);\n\n// Update the price of an item\nproduct_db({item: 1}).update({price: 89.99});\nconsole.log('Updated Blue Ray Player:', product_db({item: 1}).first());\n\n// Select only names\nconst productNames = product_db().select(\"name\");\nconsole.log('Product names:', productNames);","lang":"javascript","description":"This quickstart demonstrates how to initialize a TaffyDB instance with JSON data, perform basic queries using SQL-like syntax (e.g., less than), update records, and select specific fields."},"warnings":[{"fix":"Change `const TAFFY = require('taffy');` to `const TAFFY = require('taffy').taffy;`","message":"When using TaffyDB in Node.js, you must specifically access the `taffy` function from the `require('taffy')` object (e.g., `require('taffy').taffy`). Requiring the package directly without `.taffy` will not return the database constructor.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":">=0.1.0"},{"fix":"For Node.js, use `const TAFFY = require('taffy').taffy;`. For browser environments, load `taffy.js` via a `<script>` tag and use the global `TAFFY` variable.","message":"TaffyDB is a legacy library that does not provide native ES Module (ESM) exports. Attempting to use `import TAFFY from 'taffy';` or similar ESM syntax will result in errors in modern JavaScript environments that enforce ESM.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":">=0.1.0"},{"fix":"Implement manual data persistence by serializing the database content (e.g., `db().get()`) to local storage, IndexedDB, or a server, and then re-initializing the database upon application startup.","message":"TaffyDB is an in-memory database, meaning all data is stored in the application's RAM. It does not provide persistence out-of-the-box. If the application restarts or the browser tab is closed, all data will be lost unless manually saved and loaded.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":">=0.1.0"},{"fix":"Thoroughly test TaffyDB's behavior in your specific modern Node.js environment before deploying to production. Consider alternative, more actively maintained in-memory database solutions for new projects if deep modern Node.js integration is required.","message":"The documentation mentions compatibility with Node.js 0.10+. While the library is stable, its support for modern Node.js features (e.g., async/await, streams, newer event loop patterns) may be limited, and it might not be actively tested against the latest Node.js LTS versions.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"<2.7.3"}],"env_vars":null,"last_verified":"2026-04-22T00:00:00.000Z","next_check":"2026-07-21T00:00:00.000Z","problems":[{"fix":"You need to access the `taffy` property from the required object: `const TAFFY = require('taffy').taffy;`","cause":"Attempting to call `require('taffy')` directly as a function in Node.js.","error":"TypeError: taffy is not a function"},{"fix":"TaffyDB does not provide an ESM export. Use `const TAFFY = require('taffy').taffy;` in Node.js or load it via a `<script>` tag in the browser and use the global `TAFFY` variable.","cause":"Attempting to use `import TAFFY from 'taffy';` in a CommonJS-only or non-module context.","error":"SyntaxError: Cannot use import statement outside a module"},{"fix":"Ensure you have `<script src=\"path/to/taffy.js\"></script>` in your HTML before attempting to use the `TAFFY` global function.","cause":"Trying to use `TAFFY` in a browser environment without including the `taffy.js` script or before the script has loaded.","error":"TAFFY is not defined"}],"ecosystem":"npm"}