{% include anchor.html title="Create a database" hash="create_database" %} {% highlight js %} new PouchDB([name], [options]) {% endhighlight %} This method creates a database or opens an existing one. If you use a URL like `'http://domain.com/dbname'`, then PouchDB will work as a client to an online CouchDB instance. Otherwise it will create a local database using [whatever backend is present](/adapters.html). ### Options * `name`: You can omit the `name` argument and specify it via `options` instead. Note that the name is required. **Options for local databases:** * `auto_compaction`: This turns on auto compaction, which means `compact()` is called after every change to the database. Defaults to `false`. * `adapter`: One of `'idb'`, `'leveldb'`, `'websql'`, or `'http'`. If unspecified, PouchDB will infer this automatically, preferring IndexedDB to WebSQL in browsers that support both (i.e. Chrome, Opera and Android 4.4+). **Options for remote databases:** * `ajax`: (Remote databases only.) Ajax requester options. For instance, passing in the options `{ajax: {timeout: 10000}}` will allow you to set the max timeout for an HTTP request. These are passed ver batim to [request][] (in Node.js) or [a request shim](https://github.com/pouchdb/pouchdb/blob/master/lib/deps/request-browser.js) (in the browser), with the exception of: * `ajax.cache`: Appends a random string to the end of all HTTP GET requests to avoid them being cached on IE. Set this to `true` to prevent this happening. * `ajax.headers`: The `ajax.headers` option allows you to customise headers that are sent to the remote HTTP Server. * `auth.username` + `auth.password`: You can specify HTTP auth parameters either by using a database with a name in the form `http://user:pass@host/name` or via the `auth.username` + `auth.password` options. **WebSQL-only options:** * `size`: amount in MB to request for storage, which you will need if you are storing >5MB in order to avoid storage limit errors on iOS/Safari. Details [here](/errors.html#not_enough_space). **SQLite Plugin-only options:** * `location`: where to store data on iOS, which may affect iTunes/iCloud backup, and thus whether or not your app gets rejected by Apple. See [SQLite Plugin documentation](https://github.com/brodysoft/Cordova-SQLitePlugin/#opening-a-database) and [iOS data storage guidelines](https://developer.apple.com/icloud/documentation/data-storage/index.html). * `createFromLocation`: use a pre-populated database, so you can package it with your app and users don't have to wait for it to load. See the [SQLite Plugin documentation](https://github.com/brodysoft/Cordova-SQLitePlugin/#pre-populated-database). * `androidDatabaseImplementation`: `1` to use the new `sqlite4java` implementation, `2` to use the older version based on the native Android APIs. Defaults to `1`. See the [SQLite Plugin documentation](https://github.com/litehelpers/Cordova-sqlite-storage#android-sqlite-implementation). **Notes:** 1. In IndexedDB and WebSQL, PouchDB will use `_pouch_` to prefix the internal database names. Do not manually create databases with the same prefix. 2. When acting as a client on Node, any other options given will be passed to [request][]. 3. When using the `'leveldb'` adapter (the default on Node), any other options given will be passed to [levelup][]. The storage layer of leveldb can be replaced by passing a level backend factory (such as [MemDOWN][]) as `options.db`. The rest of the supported options are [documented here][levelup_options]. [request]: https://github.com/mikeal/request [levelup]: https://github.com/rvagg/node-levelup [MemDOWN]: https://github.com/rvagg/memdown [levelup_options]: https://github.com/rvagg/node-levelup/#options #### Example Usage: {% highlight js %} var db = new PouchDB('dbname'); // or var db = new PouchDB('http://localhost:5984/dbname'); {% endhighlight %} Create a WebSQL-only Pouch (e.g. when using the [SQLite Plugin][] for Cordova/PhoneGap): [sqlite plugin]: https://github.com/brodysoft/Cordova-SQLitePlugin {% highlight js %} var db = new PouchDB('dbname', {adapter : 'websql'}); {% endhighlight %} Create an in-memory Pouch (in Node): {% highlight js %} var db = new PouchDB('dbname', {db : require('memdown')}); {% endhighlight %} Create a remote PouchDB with special Ajax options: {% highlight js %} var db = new PouchDB('http://example.com/dbname', { ajax: { cache: false, timeout: 10000, headers: { 'X-Some-Special-Header': 'foo' }, }, auth: { username: 'mysecretusername', password: 'mysecretpassword' } }); {% endhighlight %} For more info, check out [adapters](/adapters.html).