Getting Started

Guides

Adapters

Reference

Internal

RippleDB Architecture Purpose & Scope Package Structure & Dependency Rules Core Principles Core Data Model Sync Model Query Model & Invalidation Performance via Batching UI Integration (Optional)Comparisons & Out-of-Scope

Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)ADR-0001: Local Storage Is the Source of Truth ADR-0002: Replication Is Log-Based (Append-Only), Not State-Based ADR-0003: Field-Level LWW Using Hybrid Logical Clocks (HLC)ADR-0004: Deletes Are Modeled as Tombstones ADR-0005: Distinguish Row Queries from List Queries ADR-0006: Row Queries Are Invalidated Precisely by ID ADR-0007: List Queries Use Broad Invalidation and Rerun ADR-0008: Sorting Requires the Same Invalidation Strategy as Filtering ADR-0009: Performance Is Achieved via Batched Reads, Not Join-Based Reactivity ADR-0010: UI Cache Integration Is Optional and Decoupled ADR-0011: List Query Dependency Mapping Is Explicit (Registry-Based)ADR-0012: CRDTs Are Explicitly Out of Core Scope ADR-0013: Complexity Is Rejected in Favor of Predictability

Packages

ADR-0014: Monorepo Package Structure and Layering ADR-0015: Core Package Must Be Pure and Dependency-Minimal ADR-0016: store-* and db-* Packages Own Backend/Runtime Dependencies ADR-0017: UI Integrations Live in bind-* Packages ADR-0018: Package Names and Intended Responsibilities ADR-0019: Strict Dependency Graph Between Packages

InternalADRs

ADR-0002: Replication Is Log-Based (Append-Only), Not State-Based

Replication uses an append-only change log (cursor pull + outbox push), not snapshot sync.

Status

Accepted

Context

To support offline usage, partial connectivity, and deterministic rippledbnce, replicas must synchronize changes reliably.

State-based sync (sending full snapshots) complicates conflict resolution and recovery.

Decision

RippleDB uses an append-only change log as the replication primitive.

Clients pull changes using a cursor and push local changes via an outbox.

Alternatives Considered

Snapshot-based sync
Periodic full-state reconciliation
Bidirectional state diffs

Consequences

Sync is resumable and replayable
Partial failures are recoverable
History can be inspected or compacted later
Storage grows unless compacted (explicitly deferred)

ADR-0001: Local Storage Is the Source of Truth

Durable local storage is canonical on the client; UI state is derived from it.

ADR-0003: Field-Level LWW Using Hybrid Logical Clocks (HLC)

Resolve conflicts per-field using HLC tags rather than row-level LWW.

On this page

Alternatives Considered