Indexed Database API
Encyclopedia
The Indexed Database API, or Indexed DB (formerly WebSimpleDB), is a proposed web browser standard interface for a local database of records holding simple values and hierarchical objects. Indexed DB was initially proposed by Oracle
in 2009.
Indexed DB could be used for browser implemented functions, such as bookmarks, as well as web applications, such as email. An open-source reference implementation of the Indexed Database API exists for testing and experimentation purposes.
Indexed DB is partially implemented in the Firefox 4 beta and Google Chrome
11 canary.
Safari
, Chrome 4
and Opera
support an alternate mechanism for client-side database storage called Web SQL Database
. On November 18, 2010, the W3C announced that Web SQL database is a deprecated specification. Firefox developers have publicly stated that the lack of WebSQL Database support in Firefox is on purpose, as they believe it is a problematic standard which requires an alternative (hence IndexedDB).
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
in 2009.
Indexed DB could be used for browser implemented functions, such as bookmarks, as well as web applications, such as email. An open-source reference implementation of the Indexed Database API exists for testing and experimentation purposes.
Indexed DB is partially implemented in the Firefox 4 beta and Google Chrome
Google Chrome
Google Chrome is a web browser developed by Google that uses the WebKit layout engine. It was first released as a beta version for Microsoft Windows on September 2, 2008, and the public stable release was on December 11, 2008. The name is derived from the graphical user interface frame, or...
11 canary.
Safari
Safari (web browser)
Safari is a web browser developed by Apple Inc. and included with the Mac OS X and iOS operating systems. First released as a public beta on January 7, 2003 on the company's Mac OS X operating system, it became Apple's default browser beginning with Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther". Safari is also the...
, Chrome 4
Google Chrome
Google Chrome is a web browser developed by Google that uses the WebKit layout engine. It was first released as a beta version for Microsoft Windows on September 2, 2008, and the public stable release was on December 11, 2008. The name is derived from the graphical user interface frame, or...
and Opera
Opera (web browser)
Opera is a web browser and Internet suite developed by Opera Software with over 200 million users worldwide. The browser handles common Internet-related tasks such as displaying web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, chatting on IRC, downloading files via BitTorrent,...
support an alternate mechanism for client-side database storage called Web SQL Database
Web SQL Database
Web SQL Database is a web page API for storing data in databases that can be queried using a variant of SQL.The API is supported by Google Chrome, Opera and Safari, but will not be implemented by Mozilla Firefox which instead supports the Indexed Database API.The W3C Web Applications Working...
. On November 18, 2010, the W3C announced that Web SQL database is a deprecated specification. Firefox developers have publicly stated that the lack of WebSQL Database support in Firefox is on purpose, as they believe it is a problematic standard which requires an alternative (hence IndexedDB).