STARKDB

How STARK Works

As mentioned above, you can use STARK via the CLI or embed it in your C++ project.

Installation

One-time setup. Takes about 5 minutes.

COPY# 1. Download STARK
# Click here and download the ZIP file
# Extract it to your project folder C:\my_project
# You must get a path like: C:\my_project\starkdb

# 2. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
# Press Windows Key, type "cmd", right-click, "Run as Administrator"

# 3. Go to STARK folder
cd C:\my_project\starkdb
mkdir build
cd build

# 4. Build
cmake .. -G "MinGW Makefiles" -DBUILD_SHARED=ON
mingw32-make

# 5. Install (copy to MinGW)
copy libstark.dll C:\mingw64\bin\
copy libstark.dll.a C:\mingw64\lib\
copy ..\bindings\cpp\stark.hpp C:\mingw64\include\
copy ..\core\include\stark.h C:\mingw64\include\

# DONE! One-time setup complete.

COPY# 1. Open Terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and go to your project folder
cd Desktop/my_project

# 2. Download and build
git clone https://github.com/abdullahtnz/starkdb.git
cd starkdb
mkdir build
cd build
cmake .. -DBUILD_SHARED=ON
make

# 3. Install
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig

# DONE! One-time setup complete.

Using STARK in CLI

COPY# Go to stark/build folder
cd C:\my_project\build
./stark_cli filename   # Creates or opens a file in the build folder

# To open/create a file in another directory:
cd C:\my_project\my_folder
stark_cli filename

Types in Action

Types are user-defined, flexible structures — perfect for game entities like players, items, or enemies.

COPY# 1. Open your database
stark_cli mygame

# 2. Define a player type
stark> define player {
    name  string(32)
    hp    int
    level int
    gold  int
    class string(16)
}

# 3. Add players (key = 1 and key = 2)
stark> add player 1 name="Hero" hp=100 level=5 gold=250 class="warrior"
stark> add player 2 name="Mage" hp=80  level=7 gold=450 class="wizard"

# 4. Get player data
stark> get player 1
# Output: name="Hero" hp=100 level=5 gold=250 class="warrior"

# 5. Check for non-existent key
stark> get player 3
# Output: player:3 not found

# 6. View type definition
stark> desc player

# 7. Update player (overwrites existing record)
stark> add player 1 name="Hero" hp=85 level=6 gold=300 class="warrior"

# 8. Check database stats
stark> stats

# 9. Exit and save
stark> exit

Transactions Example

Transactions work like a surgeon — begin, do the job, commit. Best used when updating values that must succeed atomically.

COPYstark> define player { id int hp int level int }
stark> add player 1 id=123 hp=100 level=0

# Player won a fight — update atomically
stark> begin
stark> add player 1 id=123 hp=45 level=1
stark> commit

Using STARK in C++

Just add #include <stark.hpp> to your project. The installation step already handles everything else.

COPY// main.cpp
#include <stark.hpp>

int main() {
    // Open database (creates "save.idx" and "save.dat")
    stark::Database db("save");

    // Save player
    db.add(1, "Hero");
    db.add(2, "100 HP");

    // Load player
    std::cout << db.get(1) << std::endl;  // Shows: Hero

    return 0;
}

db.add(1, "value");
std::string v = db.get(1);
db.remove(1);
if (db.exists(1)) {}

db.put_str("key", "value");
std::string v = db.get_str("key");
db.remove_str("key");
if (db.exists_str("key")) {}

db.define_type("name", {{"field", TYPE_INT}});
db.add_typed("name", 1, "field=100");
std::string v = db.get_typed("name", 1);
auto fields = db.describe_type("name");
db.undefine_type("name");

db.begin();
db.commit();
db.rollback();
if (db.in_transaction()) {}

db.sync();
auto stats = db.stats();
std::string err = db.get_last_error();

How STARK Compares

Core Features

Usage & Developer Experience

Size per 1,000 Records

Speed Benchmark

As estimated values show, STARK is faster and leaner than comparable local databases. What makes STARK stand out is its strict focus on core functions — it's designed for specific use cases, and that's what makes it excel at them.

Should You Use STARK?