Changes for version 5.21.0 - 2026-08-28
- Fixed schema cache poisoning in restore() and hardened dbase_info()/table_info() against caching empty parse results.
- Standardized instance variable naming across codebase, test suites, and documentation to $adb (AmberDB Handle):
- Introduced $adb->config() method supporting scalar get, defensive copy bulk get, and side-effect hook execution (locale reloading, path cache invalidation).
- Introduced $adb->path() method for standardized path retrieval and modification across core modules and scripts.
- Enhanced $adb->table_attr() with unified getter/setter and automatic path refresh on schema changes (year, section, lang).
- Protected $adb->table_info() by returning shallow copies to prevent external reference leaking and unauthorized in-memory state mutations.
- Refactored all internal core modules (lib/AmberDB.pm, lib/AmberDB/Base.pm, lib/AmberDB/Tools.pm, lib/AmberDB/Transact.pm, lib/AmberDB/Cache.pm, lib/AmberDB/Index/Junk.pm) to interact strictly through accessor methods ($adb->config, $adb->path, $adb->table_attr, $adb->table_info) eliminating raw hash accesses.
- Enforced restricted hash key access via Hash::Util::lock_keys with private internal naming (_cfg, _path, _table, _dbase, _cache, _db, _txn) and locked container references (Hash::Util::lock_value) against typo/unauthorized overwrites.
- Added comprehensive unit test suite t/amberdb_encapsulation.t covering all 10 encapsulation scenarios.
- [MIGRATION NOTICE / BREAKING CHANGE] Standardized schema terminology across the entire codebase and directory layout:
- UPGRADE ACTION REQUIRED: Existing projects must rename their physical 'dbstore/scheme/' directory to 'dbstore/schema/'.
- Updated RAM-disk setup scripts (setup_ramdisk.sh, setup_ramdisk.ps1, setup_ramdisk.pl, setup_ramdisk.bat) to mount 'schema/'.
- Upgraded transaction engine specification to full ACID-Compliance with Strict Two-Phase Locking (Strict 2PL):
- Enforced Lock-Before-Write and Lock-Before-Read ordering across insert_id, modify_id, and delete_id for true serializable isolation.
- Introduced 'no_transact => 1' schema attribute and table_attr() support to exempt auxiliary tables from abort cascades while preserving LIFO rollback consistency.
- Added comprehensive ACID architectural guarantees section to documentation (README.md, Turkish and English User Guides).
- Clarified architectural distinction between high-throughput batch ETL imports and atomic business transactions.
- Standardized file open error diagnostics and OS-level reporting ($!) across all core modules:
- Added explicit OS error reporting ($!) to all open and tie failures in AmberDB, Base, Cache, Transact, and Tools.
- Replaced silent schema open failure in AmberDB::Base::table_write with diagnostic cluck and graceful return.
- Improved audit log error handling in AmberDB::auth_insert with cluck and record skipping.
- Redesigned 2-Pillar Disaster Recovery and Native Backup Architecture:
- Upgraded recs_back to continuous chronological time-series stream in 'backup/YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD.csv' eliminating folder clutter and ensuring zero-data-loss logging.
- Added Tools->dump() for creating portable, compressed '.amberdb' archives packaging schemas (schema/*.table, schema/*.dbase), authoritative data files (tables/*.db, tables/*.del, tables/*.aut, tables/*.cnt, tables/*_*.str), and cryptographic SHA-256 integrity manifests (excluding derived indexes).
- Preserved native physical directory layout (schema/ and tables/) in .amberdb archives for 1-to-1 extraction and portability.
- Added Tools->restore() with SHA-256 checksum verification, non-empty database safety checks, and automated deterministic binary index reconstruction via set_index.
- Enhanced Tools->all_tables() with dual scalar/list context (grouped hashref vs. flat list) and automated 4-digit year directory discovery (e.g. 2024/, 2025/, 2026/).
- Upgraded 'bin/convert_dbstore.pl' table discovery and added side-file reporting for .str string dictionaries alongside .del, .aut, and .cnt.
- Introduced CLI utility 'bin/amberdb_backup.pl' for command-line database dump and disaster recovery operations.
- Added comprehensive unit test suite t/amberdb_backup.t covering WAL streaming, .amberdb archiving, .dbase/.str preservation, and full database restore.
- Updated POD documentation across AmberDB, AmberDB::Transact, and AmberDB::Tools modules.
Modules
High-performance, schema-driven NoSQL engine with ACID transactions and precomputed inverted indexing for Perl
Array, matrix manipulation, and set operations utility
Core serialization, schema resolution, binary packing, file locking, and low-level I/O base class
Native .db and .inx RAM-Disk (tmpfs) unified cache and persistent staging buffer engine
Date manipulation, chronological ID generation, range calculation, and formatting utility
Inverted search, exact field match, binary sort, and SEO URL rewrite indexing engine
Column-oriented facet indexing, disjunctive counting, and navigation menu generator
Schema-driven Tiered (Hot/Cold) Indexing and Lifecycle Management for AmberDB
Multilingual text processing, collation, number/currency formatting, and search normalization engine
ISO 4217 Currency Definition and Symbol Dictionary
Arabic Language Definition and Locale Data for AmberDB
Azerbaijani Language Definition and Locale Data for AmberDB
German Language Definition and Locale Data for AmberDB
English Language Definition and Default Locale Data for AmberDB
Spanish Language Definition and Locale Data for AmberDB
French Language Definition and Locale Data for AmberDB
Japanese Language Definition and Locale Data for AmberDB
Russian Language Definition and Locale Data for AmberDB
Turkish Language Definition and Locale Data for AmberDB
String manipulation, HTML conversion, content detection, and sanitization utility
Database maintenance, CLI reindexing, and bulk conversion toolset
ACID-compliant transactions with Strict Two-Phase Locking (Strict 2PL) and undo journaling engine