How do I use CouchDB as backend database to a MeteorJS app, instead of the default MongoDB?

Question

Really would like to use CouchDB, and maybe make the Meteor app get data updates via Meteor Publish and Subscribe. But can't seem to figure out how to connect the Meteor app with CouchDB instead of the default MongoDB. Please help.

Answer 1

Now you can use CouchDb with Meteor as a drop in replacement for MongoDB. The guys at Cloudant have create Couchdb integration from Meteor.

Best thing is that its API resembles to that on Mongo in Meteor. Here is the package and details : https://github.com/cloudant/meteor-couchdb/

Enjoy :)

Answer 2

Especially as this (Meteor+CouchDB) seems to be increasingly not happening, PouchDB is the best nearest alternative that I've found, and so I plan to start with it.

PouchDB notables I find:

1. ability to sync with the 2 major CouchDB hosts, with nice intro by (my favorite) Cloudant, plus your own hosting per http://pouchdb.com/faq.html
2. very cross-platform, as compared to Meteor, also has nice compatability breakdowns plus supports Safari Desktop plus:
3. its client emulation of the server database feels stronger and further along than Meteror indeed PouchDB can be its own server (running on Node),
4. it has an impressive list of powerful external projects including plugins -take a peek, including:
   1. "Peer Pouch" (p2p --doubt Meteor can do that)
   2. Full-text and spacial search
   3. Lacks Meteor's impressive authentication (including Meetup accounts!), but basic authentication seems there and already strong with CouchDB (per https://github.com/nolanlawson/pouchdb-authentication ), and that mentions impressive authentication coming: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Persona support.
   4. Lack's Meteor's live (self-updating) templates but from the plugins, has 3 "MV* Adapters" including similar and terribly popular AngularJS.
5. Performance-wise it seems to mostly beat leading competitor Couchbase Lite

Answer 3

The Data section of the Meteor docs (last paragraph) mention substituting other DB engines for Mongo by writing a driver. Here's the quote:

You can substitute another database for MongoDB by providing a server-side database driver and/or a client-side cache that implements an alternative API. The mongo-livedata is a good starting point for such a project.