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+:mod:`btree` -- simple BTree database
+=====================================
+
+.. module:: btree
+ :synopsis: simple BTree database
+
+The ``btree`` module implements a simple key-value database using external
+storage (disk files, or in general case, a random-access stream). Keys are
+stored sorted in the database, and besides efficient retrieval by a key
+value, a database also supports efficient ordered range scans (retrieval
+of values with the keys in a given range). On the application interface
+side, BTree database work as close a possible to a way standard `dict`
+type works, one notable difference is that both keys and values must
+be `bytes` objects (so, if you want to store objects of other types, you
+need to serialize them to `bytes` first).
+
+The module is based on the well-known BerkelyDB library, version 1.xx.
+
+Example::
+
+ import btree
+
+ # First, we need to open a stream which holds a database
+ # This is usually a file, but can be in-memory database
+ # using uio.BytesIO, a raw flash section, etc.
+ f = open("mydb", "w+b")
+
+ # Now open a database itself
+ db = btree.open(f)
+
+ # The keys you add will be sorted internally in the database
+ db[b"3"] = b"three"
+ db[b"1"] = b"one"
+ db[b"2"] = b"two"
+
+ # Prints b'two'
+ print(db[b"2"])
+
+ # Iterate over sorted keys in the database, starting from b"2"
+ # until the end of the database, returning only values.
+ # Mind that arguments passed to values() method are *key* values.
+ # Prints:
+ # b'two'
+ # b'three'
+ for word in db.values(b"2"):
+ print(word)
+
+ del db[b"2"]
+
+ # No longer true, prints False
+ print(b"2" in db)
+
+ # Prints:
+ # b"1"
+ # b"3"
+ for key in db:
+ print(key)
+
+ db.close()
+
+ # Don't forget to close the underlying stream!
+ f.close()
+
+
+Functions
+---------
+
+.. function:: open(stream, \*, flags=0, cachesize=0, pagesize=0, minkeypage=0)
+
+ Open a database from a random-access `stream` (like an open file). All
+ other parameters are optional and keyword-only, and allow to tweak advanced
+ paramters of the database operation (most users will not need them):
+
+ * `flags` - Currently unused.
+ * `cachesize` - Suggested maximum memory cache size in bytes. For a
+ board with enough memory using larger values may improve performance.
+ The value is only a recommendation, the module may use more memory if
+ values set too low.
+ * `pagesize` - Page size used for the nodes in BTree. Acceptable range
+ is 512-65536. If 0, underlying I/O block size will be used (the best
+ compromise between memory usage and performance).
+ * `minkeypage` - Minimum number of keys to store per page. Default value
+ of 0 equivalent to 2.
+
+ Returns a `BTree` object, which implements a dictionary protocol (set
+ of methods), and some additional methods described below.
+
+Methods
+-------
+
+.. method:: btree.close()
+
+ Close the database. It's mandatory to close the database at the end of
+ processing, as some unwritten data may be still in the cache. Note that
+ this does not close underlying streamw with which the database was opened,
+ it should be closed separately (which is also mandatory to make sure that
+ data flushed from buffer to the underlying storage).
+
+.. method:: btree.flush()
+
+ Flush any data in cache to the underlying stream.
+
+.. method:: btree.__getitem__(key)
+.. method:: btree.get(key, default=None)
+.. method:: btree.__setitem__(key, val)
+.. method:: btree.__detitem__(key)
+.. method:: btree.__contains__(key)
+
+ Standard dictionary methods.
+
+.. method:: btree.__iter__()
+
+ A BTree object can be iterated over directly (similar to a dictionary)
+ to get access to all keys in order.
+
+.. method:: btree.keys([start_key, [end_key, [flags]]])
+.. method:: btree.values([start_key, [end_key, [flags]]])
+.. method:: btree.items([start_key, [end_key, [flags]]])
+
+ These methods are similar to standard dictionary methods, but also can
+ take optional parameters to iterate over a key sub-range, instead of
+ the entire database. Note that for all 3 methods, `start_key` and
+ `end_key` arguments represent key values. For example, ``values()``
+ method will iterate over values corresponding to they key range
+ given. None values for `start_key` means "from the first key", no
+ `end_key` or its value of None means "until the end of database".
+ By default, range is inclusive of `start_key` and exclusive of
+ `end_key`, you can include `end_key` in iteration by passing `flags`
+ of `btree.INCL`. You can iterate in descending key direction
+ by passing `flags` of `btree.DESC`. The flags values can be ORed
+ together.
+
+Constants
+---------
+
+.. data:: INCL
+
+ A flag for `keys()`, `values()`, `items()` methods to specify that
+ scanning should be inclusive of the end key.
+
+.. data:: DESC
+
+ A flag for `keys()`, `values()`, `items()` methods to specify that
+ scanning should be in descending direction of keys.