The Modern Dev CMS - Pocketbase

Summary

In this episode of Syntax, Scott and Wes explore Pocketbase, a modern self-hosted backend solution for UIs. They discuss its ease of use, features like real-time storage, authentication, and file uploads, and compare it to other headless CMS platforms. Scott demonstrates building a quick application using Pocketbase, highlighting its intuitive UI and powerful capabilities, such as schema creation and API rules, all without needing to write backend code.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Pocketbase is a modern backend solution for UI applications, offering a balance between a CMS and a headless CMS platform.
• 💡 It is self-hosted, meaning there is no service to sign up for at pocketbase.com; users can host it anywhere, even for free on platforms like fly.io.
• 🔍 Pocketbase provides essential backend features such as database creation, schemas, authentication, real-time storage, and file storage.
• 🛠️ It is designed to be easy to use, with a user-friendly UI that allows for quick setup and management of database collections and fields.
• 🔑 Supports OAuth providers and has a UI for easy configuration, offering 15+ OAuth providers for authentication.
• 📝 Comes with built-in email sending functionality and customizable email templates for various user actions.
• 🔄 Pocketbase uses SQL Lite and can handle over 10,000 real-time connections on a budget VPS, showcasing its performance capabilities.
• 📱 It offers a JavaScript API for easy integration with web applications and can be extended with Dart and JavaScript.
• 🔧 The platform includes a variety of hooks that allow developers to customize and extend functionality as needed.
• 📈 Pocketbase is built on top of Go, ensuring fast performance without requiring users to know or write Go code.
• 🌐 It is suitable for developers looking to quickly spin up a backend for small projects or prototypes without the need for extensive backend coding.

Q & A

What is Pocketbase and how does it fit into the landscape of backend solutions?

Pocketbase is a modern backend solution for UIs that allows users to create collections, schemas, and store data in a database. It provides features like authentication, real-time storage, and is a self-hosted alternative to other headless CMS backends such as Superbase, Contentful, Sanity, and Keystone.

How does Pocketbase differ from other backend-as-a-service platforms?

Unlike other backend-as-a-service platforms that offer a subscription model, Pocketbase is self-hosted, meaning there's no service to sign up for at pocketbase.com. It is an open-source project that can be hosted anywhere, offering flexibility and control over the backend infrastructure.

What is the significance of Pocketbase being written in Go?

Being written in Go means that Pocketbase can leverage the performance and efficiency of the Go language. It also allows for the possibility of extending or modifying the platform using Go, although the script mentions that the UI is so robust that such extensions haven't been necessary for the developers.

How does Pocketbase handle file storage and uploads?

Pocketbase allows for file uploads either to the local file system or to an S3 bucket if configured. This flexibility makes it easy to integrate with existing cloud storage solutions for file management.

What kind of authentication does Pocketbase support?

Pocketbase supports authentication and includes over 15 OAuth providers that can be configured through a user interface, making it easy to set up and manage authentication flows.

How does Pocketbase cater to the needs of developers who require a quick backend setup?

Pocketbase allows for a rapid setup and is designed to get up and running extremely fast. It provides a user-friendly UI for schema creation and management, making it an ideal choice for developers who need a quick backend for prototyping or small projects.

What is the role of Sentry in the context of hosting software mentioned in the script?

Sentry is a service that helps track performance and errors in hosted software. It provides real-time monitoring, allowing developers to quickly identify and solve issues related to performance and errors.

How does Pocketbase handle roles and access control within the application?

Pocketbase manages roles and access control through its UI, allowing administrators to define who can access, create, update, or delete data within the system, ensuring a robust security model.

What is the process of adding a new field to a collection in Pocketbase?

To add a new field to a collection in Pocketbase, you can use the UI to select the type of field, define its properties, and establish relationships with other collections if necessary. This can be done through a simple and intuitive process that doesn't require direct manipulation of a configuration file.

Can Pocketbase be used as a complete backend solution for an application?

Yes, Pocketbase can be used as a complete backend solution. It offers a full-featured backend that includes database management, authentication, file storage, and real-time capabilities, eliminating the need for additional backend code.

How does the API documentation in Pocketbase help developers integrate with their applications?

The API documentation in Pocketbase is context-aware and provides examples that are specific to the collections and fields defined in the user's instance. This makes it easy for developers to copy and paste API calls directly into their applications, reducing the potential for errors and speeding up the development process.