Local-First: Experiments and Lessons Learned Building TypeCell - PLF23

Explore experiments and lessons learned in building local-first software through the development of TypeCell, an open-source knowledge base and document management system. Dive into the architectural challenges and opportunities encountered over two years of working on local-first projects. Discover how the local-first architecture's data layer abstraction enables easier connection between the view layer and data store, as well as pluggable backends. Learn about UI techniques using reactive programming models and the creation of SyncedStore to bridge Yjs CRDT library with reactive UI libraries. Examine experimental backends utilizing chat and messaging systems for application state transport and storage, including Matrix-CRDT and Nostr-CRDT. Understand the benefits and limitations of building on decentralized networks. Investigate the latest iteration of TypeCell's backend built on Supabase, addressing complex features like cascading document permissions, cross-document references, and search. Gain insights into potential opportunities for frameworks or services to simplify application development in the local-first ecosystem.