Git as a Database - The most over-engineered database solution. Uses Git commit history as a storage engine because 'Git is immutable and distributed, so it's better than SQL.'
The most over-engineered database solution you never knew you needed.
Why use boring SQL when you can have IMMUTABLE, DISTRIBUTED storage?
Installation • Quick Start • API Documentation • FAQ • Contributing
GaaD (Git as a Database) is a revolutionary database engine that leverages Git commit history as a storage layer. Because when you think "high-performance data storage," you naturally think "version control system designed for source code."
Traditional databases are so 1970s. Here's why GaaD is the future:
| Feature | Traditional DB | GaaD |
|---|---|---|
| ACID Compliance | ✅ Yes | ❓ What's that? |
| Indexing | ✅ B-Trees, Hash | ❌ Full table scan only |
| Query Optimization | ✅ Advanced | ❌ Moore's Law will handle it |
| Joins | ✅ Supported | ❌ Just denormalize everything |
| Transactions | ✅ MVCC | ✅ Every insert is a commit! |
| Backup | 🔧 Complex tools | ✅ git push |
| Scalability | 📈 Vertical/Horizontal | 📈 Just add more commits |
| Blockchain Ready | ❌ No | ✅ Absolutely! |
git clone your entire database to any machinegit push to GitHub (free hosting!)SELECT * (that's it, that's all you need)* Scalability claims not verified by any credible source
npm install gaad
# or
yarn add gaad
Requirements:
import { GitDB } from 'gaad';
// Initialize your "database cluster"
const db = new GitDB();
// INSERT - Create an immutable record in the blockchain (Git history)
db.insert('users', {
name: 'Linus Torvalds',
email: 'linus@linux.org',
role: 'Git Lord',
favoriteDatabase: 'Definitely not this one',
});
// SELECT - Full table scan every time!
const users = db.select('users');
console.log(`Found ${users.records.length} users`);
// DROP TABLE - Data still exists, we just promise not to look
db.dropTable('users');
// Get impressive metrics for your manager
const stats = db.getStats();
console.log(`Web Scale Level: ${stats.webScaleLevel}`);
new GitDB(repoPath?: string)Initialize a new GitDB instance. If the repository doesn't exist, we'll create it for you because we're thoughtful like that.
const db = new GitDB(); // Uses current directory
const db2 = new GitDB('/path/to/repo'); // Custom path
Note: The constructor will automatically run git init if no repository exists. This is "CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS" but cooler.
insert(tableName: string, data: GitDBRecord): InsertResultInsert a record into a "table" (really just a tag in commit messages).
Example:
const result = db.insert('products', {
name: 'Web Scale Sticker',
price: 9.99,
inStock: true,
});
console.log(result.commitHash); // Your "primary key"
Performance Characteristics:
select(tableName: string): SelectResultRetrieve all records from a "table". Performs a full git log scan every time.
Example:
const products = db.select('products');
products.records.forEach(product => {
console.log(`${product.name}: $${product.price}`);
});
Performance Characteristics:
dropTable(tableName: string): string"Delete" a table by creating a tombstone commit. Data remains in history because immutability.
Example:
const tombstoneHash = db.dropTable('old_users');
// Data still exists in git history, we just pinky promise not to read it
Original Implementation: Was going to run rm -rf .git, but lawyers said no.
getStats(): Record<string, string | number>Get database statistics to impress your manager.
Returns:
{
totalCommits: 42,
repoSize: '2.1 MiB',
firstCommitHash: 'a1b2c3d',
latestCommitHash: 'x9y8z7w',
webScaleLevel: 'MAXIMUM', // or 'HIGH' or 'GROWING'
blockchainNodes: 1,
caffeineRequired: 'Infinite'
}
getBackupInstructions(): stringGet instructions for backing up your database (spoiler: it's git push).
// Migration strategy: Don't.
// Just insert new data with a different schema.
// It's called "schema evolution" and it's a feature.
// Master-Slave Replication:
// 1. git push origin master
// 2. (on slave) git pull origin master
//
// Multi-Master Replication:
// Deal with merge conflicts like a real engineer
// Indexes? Where we're going, we don't need indexes.
// Every query is a full table scan.
// This builds character.
// Each insert is already a transaction!
// Atomic? Yes. ✅
// Consistent? Probably. ✅
// Isolated? Sure, why not. ✅
// Durable? It's in Git! ✅
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Application Layer │
│ (Your Beautiful TypeScript Code) │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ GitDB Class │
│ • insert() ──► git commit --allow-empty │
│ • select() ──► git log --grep │
│ • drop() ──► git commit (tombstone) │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Git Storage Engine │
│ (SHA-1 Hashes = Blockchain Technology™) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Your File System │
│ (The Real Database) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
We don't have any benchmarks because:
But here's what we imagine:
| Operation | GaaD | PostgreSQL | MongoDB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insert | ~10ms | ~1ms | ~2ms |
| Select (1 row) | ~500ms* | ~0.1ms | ~1ms |
| Select (1000 rows) | ~5000ms* | ~10ms | ~50ms |
| Join | ❌ Not supported | ~5ms | ~20ms |
| Index lookup | ❌ No indexes | ~0.01ms | ~1ms |
* Times increase linearly with total commit count
A: Define "production." If your production is a hobby blog with 2 visitors per month, maybe. Otherwise, absolutely not.
A: You don't. Denormalize everything and embrace the chaos.
A: We have a saying: "O(n) today, O(n) tomorrow, O(n) forever."
A: Only if you want your startup to fail spectacularly and become a cautionary tale.
A: Git merge conflicts! It's distributed computing™ in action.
A: Technically unlimited! Practically limited by your SSD and patience.
A: Science isn't about WHY, it's about WHY NOT!
A: 
We welcome contributions! Especially:
Please don't:
MIT License - Because even jokes need legal protection.
This project is a parody and should not be used for any serious application. The author is not responsible for:
If you're actually considering using this in production, please seek help from:
Remember: If it's stupid but it works, it's still stupid.
Made with 😤 by someone who has spent too much time with Git
FAQs
Git as a Database - The most over-engineered database solution. Uses Git commit history as a storage engine because 'Git is immutable and distributed, so it's better than SQL.'
We found that gaad demonstrated a healthy version release cadence and project activity because the last version was released less than a year ago. It has 1 open source maintainer collaborating on the project.
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