The biggest difference from other backend solutions like Firebase, Supabase, Nhost, etc., is that PocketBase actually could be used as a Go framework that enables you to build your own custom app specific business logic and still have a single portable executable at the end.
The minimal PocketBase application looks like this:
// main.go
package main
import (
"log"
"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase"
)
func main() {
app := pocketbase.New()
if err := app.Start(); err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
}
Running/building the application is the same as for any other Go program, aka. just
go run main.go and go build.
PocketBase embeds SQLite, but doesn't require CGO.
If CGO is enabled, it will use
mattn/go-sqlite3
driver, otherwise -
modernc.org/sqlite.
Enable CGO only if you really need to squeeze the read/write query performance at the expense of complicating
cross compilation.
PocketBase could be extended by:
- Binding to event hooks and modifying responses, eg.:
app.OnRecordBeforeCreateRequest().Add(func(e *core.RecordCreateEvent) error { // overwrite the newly submitted "posts" record status to pending if e.Record.Collection().Name == "posts" { e.Record.Set("status", "pending") } return nil }) - Registering custom routes, eg:
app.OnBeforeServe().Add(func(e *core.ServeEvent) error { e.Router.AddRoute(echo.Route{ Method: http.MethodGet, Path: "/api/hello", Handler: func(c echo.Context) error { return c.String(http.StatusOK, "Hello world!") }, Middlewares: []echo.MiddlewareFunc{ apis.ActivityLogger(app), apis.RequireAdminAuth(), }, }) return nil }) - Registering custom console commands, eg.:
app.RootCmd.AddCommand(&cobra.Command{ Use: "hello", Run: func(command *cobra.Command, args []string) { print("Hello world!") }, }) - and much more...
You may also find useful checking the repo source and the package documentation .