Local First Development

Some notes on Local-First Development

Show HN: ElectricSQL, Postgres to SQLite active-active sync for local-first apps

It’s an open source, local-first sync layer that can be used to build reactive, realtime, offline-capable apps directly on Postgres with two way active-active sync to SQLite (including with WASM in the browser).

Electric comprises a sync layer (built with Elixir) placed in front of your Postgres database and a type safe client that allows you to bidirectionally sync data from your Postgres to local SQLite databases. This sync is CRDT-based, resilient to conflicting edits from multiple nodes at the same time, and works after being offline for extended periods.

Some good links to get started:

• website: https://electric-sql.com
• docs: https://electric-sql.com/docs
• code: https://github.com/electric-sql/electric
• introducing post: https://electric-sql.com/blog/2023/09/20/introducing-electri… You can also see some demo applications:
• Linear clone: https://linear-lite.electric-sql.com
• Realtime demo: https://electric-sql.com/docs/intro/multi-user
• Conflict-free offline: https://electric-sql.com/docs/intro/offline The Electric team actually includes two of the inventors of CRDTs, Marc Shapiro and Nuno Preguiça, and a number of their collaborators who’ve pioneered a lot of tech underpinning local-first software. We are privileged to be building on their research and delighted to be surfacing so much work in a product you can now try out.

Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud article by Ink and Switch.

A Local-First Case Study | jakelazaroff.com, where Jake talks about the story behind Waypoint, a local-first web app for planning trips; it takes inspiration from Ink and Switch’s Embark; via HN. ¶

Local-First Software special interest group; they have youtube videos of their meetups.