diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cb23bd25..d0bf915d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -16,3 +16,8 @@ test/sophia-test
 test/sophia-benchmark
 sophia.h
 sophia.c
+example/crud
+example/transaction
+example/batch
+example/cursor
+example/snapshot
diff --git a/example/README.md b/example/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ace26b8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+
+<p align="center">
+	<a href="http://sphia.org"><img src="http://sphia.org/logo.png" width="190px" height="95px" /></a>
+</p>
+<p align="center">
+	<a href="http://sphia.org">sophia</a> - a modern embeddable transactional key-value storage
+	<br>
+	(examples)<br>
+</p>
diff --git a/example/batch.c b/example/batch.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e8270855
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/batch.c
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+
+/*
+ * sophia database
+ * sphia.org
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) Dmitry Simonenko
+ * BSD License
+*/
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+
+#include <sophia.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	(void)argc;
+	(void)argv;
+
+	/*
+	 * Do fast atomic write of 100 inserts.
+	*/
+
+	/* open or create environment and database */
+	void *env = sp_env();
+	sp_setstring(env, "sophia.path", "_test", 0);
+	sp_setstring(env, "db", "test", 0);
+	void *db = sp_getobject(env, "db.test");
+	int rc = sp_open(env);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* create batch object */
+	void *batch = sp_batch(db);
+
+	/* insert 100 keys */
+	uint32_t key = 0;
+	while (key < 100) {
+		void *o = sp_object(db);
+		sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+		rc = sp_set(batch, o);
+		if (rc == -1)
+			goto error;
+		key++;
+	}
+
+	/* write batch */
+	rc = sp_commit(batch);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* finish work */
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 0;
+
+error:;
+	int size;
+	char *error = sp_getstring(env, "sophia.error", &size);
+	printf("error: %s\n", error);
+	free(error);
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 1;
+}
diff --git a/example/crud.c b/example/crud.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27a9eea9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/crud.c
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+
+/*
+ * sophia database
+ * sphia.org
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) Dmitry Simonenko
+ * BSD License
+*/
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+
+#include <sophia.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	(void)argc;
+	(void)argv;
+
+	/*
+	 * Do set, get, delete operations. (see transaction.c)
+	*/
+
+	/* open or create environment and database */
+	void *env = sp_env();
+	sp_setstring(env, "sophia.path", "_test", 0);
+	sp_setstring(env, "db", "test", 0);
+	void *db = sp_getobject(env, "db.test");
+	int rc = sp_open(env);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* set */
+	uint32_t key = 1;
+	void *o = sp_object(db);
+	sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+	sp_setstring(o, "value", &key, sizeof(key));
+	rc = sp_set(db, o);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* get */
+	o = sp_object(db);
+	sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+	o = sp_get(db, o);
+	if (o) {
+		/* ensure key and value are correct */
+		int size;
+		char *ptr = sp_getstring(o, "key", &size);
+		assert(size == sizeof(uint32_t));
+		assert(*(uint32_t*)ptr == key);
+
+		ptr = sp_getstring(o, "value", &size);
+		assert(size == sizeof(uint32_t));
+		assert(*(uint32_t*)ptr == key);
+
+		sp_destroy(o);
+	}
+
+	/* delete */
+	o = sp_object(db);
+	sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+	rc = sp_delete(db, o);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* finish work */
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 0;
+
+error:;
+	int size;
+	char *error = sp_getstring(env, "sophia.error", &size);
+	printf("error: %s\n", error);
+	free(error);
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 1;
+}
diff --git a/example/cursor.c b/example/cursor.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..63a5fc99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/cursor.c
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+
+/*
+ * sophia database
+ * sphia.org
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) Dmitry Simonenko
+ * BSD License
+*/
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+
+#include <sophia.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	(void)argc;
+	(void)argv;
+
+	/*
+	 * Do cursor iteration.
+	*/
+
+	/* open or create environment and database */
+	void *env = sp_env();
+	sp_setstring(env, "sophia.path", "_test", 0);
+	sp_setstring(env, "db", "test", 0);
+	void *db = sp_getobject(env, "db.test");
+	int rc = sp_open(env);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* insert 10 keys */
+	uint32_t key = 0;
+	while (key < 10) {
+		void *o = sp_object(db);
+		sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+		rc = sp_set(db, o);
+		if (rc == -1)
+			goto error;
+		key++;
+	}
+
+	/* create cursor and do forward iteration */
+	void *cursor = sp_cursor(env);
+	void *o = sp_object(db);
+	while ((o = sp_get(cursor, o))) {
+		printf("%"PRIu32"\n", *(uint32_t*)sp_getstring(o, "key", NULL));
+	}
+	sp_destroy(cursor);
+
+	printf("\n");
+
+	/* create cursor and do backward iteration */
+	cursor = sp_cursor(env);
+	o = sp_object(db);
+	sp_setstring(o, "order", "<", 0);
+	while ((o = sp_get(cursor, o))) {
+		printf("%"PRIu32"\n", *(uint32_t*)sp_getstring(o, "key", NULL));
+	}
+	sp_destroy(cursor);
+
+	/* finish work */
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 0;
+
+error:;
+	int size;
+	char *error = sp_getstring(env, "sophia.error", &size);
+	printf("error: %s\n", error);
+	free(error);
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 1;
+}
diff --git a/example/makefile b/example/makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..759f2896
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+
+# sophia examples
+#
+
+all: validate clean set-get-delete transaction batch cursor snapshot
+validate:
+	@if [ ! -f ../sophia.o ]; then \
+		echo "Please build sophia first."; \
+		echo ""; \
+		exit 1; \
+	fi
+set-get-delete:
+	gcc crud.c ../libsophia.a -I../ -pedantic -std=c99 -Wall -Wextra -pthread -g -o crud
+transaction:
+	gcc transaction.c ../libsophia.a -I../ -pedantic -std=c99 -Wall -Wextra -pthread -g -o transaction
+batch:
+	gcc batch.c ../libsophia.a -I../ -pedantic -std=c99 -Wall -Wextra -pthread -g -o batch
+cursor:
+	gcc cursor.c ../libsophia.a -I../ -pedantic -std=c99 -Wall -Wextra -pthread -g -o cursor
+snapshot:
+	gcc snapshot.c ../libsophia.a -I../ -pedantic -std=c99 -Wall -Wextra -pthread -g -o snapshot
+clean:
+	@rm -rf _test
+	@rm -f crud
+	@rm -f transaction
+	@rm -f batch
+	@rm -f cursor
+	@rm -f snapshot
+
+.PHONY: all validate clean
+
+# vim: syntax=make
diff --git a/example/snapshot.c b/example/snapshot.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7a10f89e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/snapshot.c
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+
+/*
+ * sophia database
+ * sphia.org
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) Dmitry Simonenko
+ * BSD License
+*/
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+
+#include <sophia.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	(void)argc;
+	(void)argv;
+
+	/* open or create environment and database */
+	void *env = sp_env();
+	sp_setstring(env, "sophia.path", "_test", 0);
+	sp_setstring(env, "db", "test", 0);
+	void *db = sp_getobject(env, "db.test");
+	int rc = sp_open(env);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* insert 10 keys */
+	uint32_t key = 0;
+	while (key < 10) {
+		void *o = sp_object(db);
+		sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+		sp_setstring(o, "value", &key, sizeof(key));
+		rc = sp_set(db, o);
+		if (rc == -1)
+			goto error;
+		key++;
+	}
+
+	/* create snapshot */
+	sp_setstring(env, "snapshot", "test", 0);
+	void *snapshot = sp_getobject(env, "snapshot.test");
+
+	/* update previous 10 keys */
+	key = 0;
+	while (key < 10) {
+		uint32_t value = 123;
+		void *o = sp_object(db);
+		sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+		sp_setstring(o, "value", &value, sizeof(value));
+		rc = sp_set(db, o);
+		if (rc == -1)
+			goto error;
+		key++;
+	}
+
+	/* read keys from snapshot (see old versions) */
+	key = 0;
+	while (key < 10) {
+		void *o = sp_object(db);
+		sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+		o = sp_get(snapshot, o);
+		if (o) {
+			int size;
+			char *ptr = sp_getstring(o, "key", &size);
+			assert(size == sizeof(uint32_t));
+			assert(*(uint32_t*)ptr == key);
+
+			ptr = sp_getstring(o, "value", &size);
+			assert(size == sizeof(uint32_t));
+			assert(*(uint32_t*)ptr == key);
+
+			sp_destroy(o);
+		}
+		key++;
+	}
+
+	/* finish work */
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 0;
+
+error:;
+	int size;
+	char *error = sp_getstring(env, "sophia.error", &size);
+	printf("error: %s\n", error);
+	free(error);
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 1;
+}
diff --git a/example/transaction.c b/example/transaction.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1fc596a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/transaction.c
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+
+/*
+ * sophia database
+ * sphia.org
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) Dmitry Simonenko
+ * BSD License
+*/
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+
+#include <sophia.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	(void)argc;
+	(void)argv;
+
+	/*
+	 * Do set, get, delete operations in transaction.
+	 *
+	 * The only difference between crud.c is that
+	 * first argument to sp_set(), sp_get() and sp_delete() is
+	 * an transaction object (not database).
+	*/
+
+	/* open or create environment and database */
+	void *env = sp_env();
+	sp_setstring(env, "sophia.path", "_test", 0);
+	sp_setstring(env, "db", "test", 0);
+	void *db = sp_getobject(env, "db.test");
+	int rc = sp_open(env);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* begin transaction */
+	void *tx = sp_begin(env);
+
+	/* set */
+	uint32_t key = 1;
+	void *o = sp_object(db);
+	sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+	sp_setstring(o, "value", &key, sizeof(key));
+	rc = sp_set(tx, o);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* get */
+	o = sp_object(db);
+	sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+	o = sp_get(tx, o);
+	if (o) {
+		/* ensure key and value are correct */
+		int size;
+		char *ptr = sp_getstring(o, "key", &size);
+		assert(size == sizeof(uint32_t));
+		assert(*(uint32_t*)ptr == key);
+
+		ptr = sp_getstring(o, "value", &size);
+		assert(size == sizeof(uint32_t));
+		assert(*(uint32_t*)ptr == key);
+
+		sp_destroy(o);
+	}
+
+	/* delete */
+	o = sp_object(db);
+	sp_setstring(o, "key", &key, sizeof(key));
+	rc = sp_delete(tx, o);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* commit transaction */
+	rc = sp_commit(tx);
+	if (rc == -1)
+		goto error;
+
+	/* finish work */
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 0;
+
+error:;
+	int size;
+	char *error = sp_getstring(env, "sophia.error", &size);
+	printf("error: %s\n", error);
+	free(error);
+	sp_destroy(env);
+	return 1;
+}