An object oriented database that is easy to use and fun to play with
# Soil [](https://github.com//ApptiveGrid/Soil/actions/workflows/build.yml) Soil is an object oriented database in [pharo](http://pharo.org). It is transaction based having ACID transactions. It has binary search capabilities with SkipList and BTree+ indexes. It aims to be a simple yet powerful database making it easy to develop with, easy to debug with, easy to inspect, ... To read more please have a look at the [documentation](./docs/soil.md) ## Loading Load it in 64bit Pharo 11/12/13/alpha with Metacello: ```smalltalk Metacello new repository: 'github://ApptiveGrid/Soil:main/src'; baseline: 'Soil'; load. ``` Note: For now, Windows is not supported. But v5 will most likely add support for windows **caution** Soil is in an early stage meaning there are might be things missing. It is battle tested as it is the driving database behind [ApptiveGrid](http://www.apptivegrid.de) but you might have different requirements. If so, tell us! ## Latest release The latest release is [v4](https://github.com/ApptiveGrid/Soil/tree/v4) which you can load via ```smalltalk Metacello new repository: 'github://ApptiveGrid/Soil:v4/src'; baseline: 'Soil'; load. ``` The changelog can be found [here](https://github.com/ApptiveGrid/Soil/blob/v3/docs/changelog.md) *note*: Releases in Soil are branches. Loading it with a release tag will get the hot fixes of that release. If you do not want this please use the commit hash as version instead ### Development We use github for organizing our development. You can see what we are doing right now on the [project board](https://github.com/orgs/ApptiveGrid/projects/2). An up-to-date list of milestones you can find in [milestones](https://github.com/ApptiveGrid/Soil/milestones?direction=desc&sort=completeness&state=open). ### Talks about Soil - UK Smalltalk User Group: "Soil: a database for fun and profit", 26 November 2025 [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mem0laBTbjU) - ESUG 2025 talks - "Rhizome - Distribution in Soil" Slides [Video Youtube](https://youtu.be/pTT-vy8qS4Y), [Slides PDF](https://archive.esug.org/ESUG2025/day2/209-hart-rhizome.pdf), [SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/rhizome-distribution-in-soil-esug-2025/281735029) - "Soil: Tutorial and Q&A" Slides [Video Youtube](https://youtu.be/FarI6qqt1fk), [Slides PDF](https://archive.esug.org/ESUG2025/day2/210-denk-soil-tutorial.pdf), [SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/soil-tutorial-and-q-a-esug-2025-gdansk/281735146) - Smalltalks 2024 talk "Soil: an object oriented database for fun and profit" Video [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWY5HCUlX_4) - ESUG 2023 talk "Soil: a fresh look on object oriented databases" Slides [PDF](http://archive.esug.org/ESUG2023/day3/02_1%20-%20Soil,%20a%20Fresh%20Look%20on%20Object%20Oriented%20Databases.pdf), [SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/soil-a-fresh-look-on-object-oriented-databases/260898335), Video on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui4TXcv7tus) - ESUG 2023 talk "Soil and Pharo". Slides [PDF](http://archive.esug.org/ESUG2023/day3/02_2%20-%20Soil%20and%20Pharo.pdf), [SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/esug/soil-and-pharo-260898369) - ESUG 2022 talk "there's no magic... until you talk about databases" Slides [PDF](http://archive.esug.org/ESUG2022/02Tuesday/08-hartl-deployment.pdf), [SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/theres-no-magic-until-you-talk-about-databases/253132135), Video [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLtaHeFgbNo) - ESUG 2022 ShowUs: "Soil: a OO Database for Pharo" Video [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5mk7yYVzds&t=3s) ### Soil in Action If you want to see Soil in action, [ApptiveGrid](https://www.apptivegrid.de) is using it to persist all data. (You can create a free accout [here](https://app.apptivegrid.de)). - Smalltalks 2024: "ApptiveGrid: solve (business) problems without programming" [Video Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPtsGswPJAc) - Pharo Success Story: [ApptiveGrid - Digitize and Automatize Business Processes](https://www.pharo.org/success/ApptiveGrid.html) - Demo ESUG 2022: "ApptiveGrid, a collaborative Database" [Video Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVkJsIIqMKM) ### NEWS - [ANN] Release V4 [Announcement](https://github.com/ApptiveGrid/Soil/blob/main/docs/versions/ann-v4.md) 2026-03-13 - Recording online: Soil: a database for fun and profit - 26 November 2025 UK Smalltalk User Group [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mem0laBTbjU) 2026-01-05 - [ANN] Release V3 [Changelog](https://github.com/ApptiveGrid/Soil/blob/v3/docs/changelog.md) 2025-07-02 - ESUG 2025 talks 2025-07-02 - "Rhizome - Distribution in Soil" Slides [PDF](https://archive.esug.org/ESUG2025/day2/209-hart-rhizome.pdf), [SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/rhizome-distribution-in-soil-esug-2025/281735029) - "Soil: Tutorial and Q&A" Slides [PDF](https://archive.esug.org/ESUG2025/day2/210-denk-soil-tutorial.pdf), [SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/soil-tutorial-and-q-a-esug-2025-gdansk/281735146) - Smalltalk 2024 talk "Soil: an object oriented database for fun and profit" 2025-07-04 - Video on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWY5HCUlX_4) - The Soil Database has now an entry in [HAL](https://hal.science/hal-04726251) and is archived by [https://www.softwareheritage.org](https://www.softwareheritage.org) 2024-11-22 - [ANN] Release V2 of Soil, the object oriented database for Pharo implemented in Pharo [Mail](https://lists.pharo.org/empathy/thread/OE434T74GYE74GUNP3GLKYAZGGBXUSWT) 2024-08-28 - [ANN] Soil release v1 [Mail](https://lists.pharo.org/empathy/thread/6VYPN7R6TQPWDKQTRXUV7S6UU5AEMPV7) 2024-04-24 - ESUG2023 talk "Soil: a fresh look on object oriented databases" - [Slides PDF](http://archive.esug.org/ESUG2023/day3/02_1%20-%20Soil,%20a%20Fresh%20Look%20on%20Object%20Oriented%20Databases.pdf), [Slides SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/soil-a-fresh-look-on-object-oriented-databases/260898335) - Video on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui4TXcv7tus) - ESUG 2023 talk "Soil and Pharo" - [Slides PDF](http://archive.esug.org/ESUG2023/day3/02_2%20-%20Soil%20and%20Pharo.pdf) - [Slides SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/esug/soil-and-pharo-260898369) - Soil got the second prize in the [2023 ESUG Innovation Technology Awards](https://esug.github.io/2023-Conference/awardsSubmissions.html) ! - 06/2023: [ApptiveGrid](https://www.apptivegrid.de) starts using Soil - Development of Soil announced at ESUG 2022 - Talk "there's no magic... until you talk about databases" [Slides PDF](http://archive.esug.org/ESUG2022/02Tuesday/08-hartl-deployment.pdf), [Slides SlideShare](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/theres-no-magic-until-you-talk-about-databases/253132135), [Video YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLtaHeFgbNo) - ShowUs: "Soil: a OO Database for Pharo" [Video YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5mk7yYVz) (to get all Soil News by email, register [here](https://app.apptivegrid.de/api/r/623c52b04872209f7f96c908/6880cf1feeeecc1455f9cfc8/BDOmRVrRfuAzfyGa0wAGeVJBkUQzMsq0WKExnASoA79BfeX69KR)) 