Here is the list of types of Document you can create in NextGraph. In parenthesis is the type of underlying CRDT used by that type. See the [CRDTs](/en/framework/crdts) article for more details about CRDTs.
Here is the list of types of Document you can create in NextGraph, and their corresponding Viewers and Editors. In parenthesis is the type of underlying CRDT used by that type. See the [CRDTs](/en/framework/crdts) article for more details about CRDTs.
Note: (\*) The JSON Editor (in read-write or read-only) is very primitive for now, it has been developed in one day, to showcase the easy binding of JSON data to some Svelte components. It lacks important features like ( insert in array at position. remove at position in array. splice range. remove from map. change type or name of property in map ). Also the general UX is ugly. But it is functional and demonstrate the potential of CRDT on JSON data, that will be leveraged by app developers. Once it will be improved, this Editor and Viewer will be reused for all Data types, including the Yjs based ones, and the Graph one.
Note: (\*) The JSON Editor (in read-write or read-only) is very primitive for now, it has been developed in one day, to showcase the easy binding of JSON data to some Svelte components. It lacks important features like ( insert in array at position. remove at position in array. splice range. remove from map. change type or name of property in map ). Also the general UX is ugly. But it is functional and demonstrate the potential of CRDT on JSON data, that will be leveraged by app developers. Once it will be improved, this Editor and Viewer will be reused for all Data types, including the Yjs based ones, and the Graph one. It also showcases that no matter what the App is doing, you own the data and can always go to see it and even modify it, or export it. That's what a data-centric framework is about.
Note: (\*\*) The JSON Editor (in read-write or read-only) used here for the Yjs types, is based on svelte-jsoneditor which isn't so easy to use. But it is a good demonstration that the GUIs can be anything. The data layer works fine and that's the most important for now.
Note: (\*\*\*) Containers are used for the Public Store, Protected Store and Private Store homepages.
Please note that apart from those 3 stores, creating new containers is not really useful yet as you have to add the triple `ldp:contains` manually with SPARQL Update if you want any document to be part of the container.
Please note that apart from those 3 stores, creating new containers is not really useful yet as you have to add the triple `ldp:contains` manually with SPARQL Update if you want any document to be part of the container. There is no GUI yet to add and remove Documents to a Container.
- **Graph** CRDT : the Semantic Web / Linked Data / RDF format, made available as a local-first CRDT model thanks to an OR-set logic (Observe Remove Set) formalized in the paper SU-set (SPARQL Update set). This allows the programmer to link data across documents, globally, and privately. Any NextGraph document features a Graph, that enables connecting it with other documents, and representing its data following any Ontology/vocabulary of the RDF world. Links in RDF are known as predicates and help establishing relationships between Documents while qualifying such relation. Learn more about RDF and how it allows each individual key/value to point to another Document/Resource, similar to foreign keys in the SQL world. With the SPARQL language you can then traverse the Graph and navigate between Documents.
- **Automerge** CRDT: A versatile and compact format that offers sequence and set operations in an integrated way, that lets all types be combined in one document. It is based on the formal research of Martin Kleppmann, Geoffrey Litt et al. and the Ink & Switch lab, and implements the RGA algorithm (Replicated Growable Array). Their work brought the formalization of Byzantine Eventual Consistency, upon which NextGraph builds its own design. Automerge offers a rich text API (Peritext) but we do not expose it in NextGraph for now, preferring the one of Yjs for all rich text purposes.
- **Automerge** CRDT: A versatile and compact format that offers sequence and set operations in an integrated way, that lets all types be combined in one document. It is based on the formal research of Martin Kleppmann, Geoffrey Litt et al. and the Ink & Switch lab, implemented by Alex Good, and follows the RGA algorithm (Replicated Growable Array). Their work brought the formalization of Byzantine Eventual Consistency, upon which NextGraph builds its own design. Automerge offers a rich text API (Peritext) but we do not expose it in NextGraph for now, preferring the one of Yjs for all rich text purposes.
- **Yjs** CRDT: Well-known and widely-used library based on the YATA model. It offers an efficient and robust format for sequences and sets. On top of those primitives, the library offers 4 formats: XML (used by all rich-text applications), plain text, maps (like JSON objects), and arrays (aka lists). We use the XML format for both the "Rich text" and "MarkDown" documents, and offer the 4 formats as separated **classes** of discrete documents for the programmer to use. We all thank Kevin Jahns for bringing this foundational work to the CRDT world.
@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ You want to collaborate with someone on a document? create it in your protected
You want to add a new contact ? this is also a tiny document, that represents the contact information of the person.
Each document has a **type** (which is called a "primary class" internally) and you have to select this type before you create it.
Each document has a **type** (which is called a "primary class" internally) and you have to select a type before you create a new Document.
The full list of available types is detailed in the [features](/en/features) section below. It is also visible within the app, when you want to create a new Document (with the "plus" button).
@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ We bring your attention shortly on the Document's Menu that is accessible from t
Each Document has a double nature :
- it has a _Document-like_ nature where you can store and edit some rich-text, or just some data, according to the class of the Document that you have chosen. This is so far very consistent with what we expect from a document in general. All the apps that you use with NextGraph, will store their data inside these Documents.
- A Document also has a _Graph_ nature, which is something new that NextGraph added (hence the name "NextGraph"). This "graph nature" of the document let's you link this document to other documents. It also let's you enter some specific data or meta-data about this document, that will be part of the Graph of all your documents. This graph is something important, that you are not used to. Social networks are all based on a Graphs. The Web itself is a huge Graph. When you follow or get followed, when you like or comment on a Post, when you write a DM to someone, all this information is stored as a Graph, that connects different documents together. Later, you will probably need to _query_ this graph. This is done transparently when you want to see all your followers, and when you want to consult the **stream** of all the posts that they have published recently, or when you want to search for something. It is also used for recommendations. But in any case, what is important to understand is that internally, each Document can be linked to any other Document (like the classical Web that links webpages) and that the applications you will use on NextGraph, will also store more Graph information. Because NextGraph is local-first and decentralized, this **graph** information is available to you at all time. And if you want to see it, you can go to any Document and in the Document Menu, you can select "Graph" and you will see options to view and edit the Graph. This is a bit technical for now (you will see things like Turtle, SPARQL etc) but in the future, we will provide here some nice tools where you will be able to explore your own graph easily.
- it has a _Document-like_ nature where you can store and edit some rich-text, or just some data, according to the class of the Document that you have chosen. This is so far very consistent with what we expect from a document in general. All the apps that you use with NextGraph, will store their data inside these Documents. The Document-like nature is represented with a "cloud" icon.
- A Document also has a _Graph_ nature, which is something new that NextGraph added (hence the name "NextGraph"). This "graph nature" of the document let's you link this document to other documents. It also let's you enter some specific data or meta-data about this document, that will be part of the Graph of all your documents. This graph is something important, that you are not used to. Social networks are all based on Graphs. The Web itself is a huge Graph. When you follow or get followed, when you like or comment on a Post, when you write a DM to someone, all this information is stored as a Graph, that connects different documents together. Later, you will probably need to _query_ this graph. This is done transparently when you want to see all your followers, and when you want to consult the **stream** of all the posts that they have published recently, or when you want to search for something. It is also used for recommendations. But in any case, what is important to understand is that internally, each Document can be linked to any other Document (like the classical Web that links webpages) and that the applications you will use on NextGraph, will also store more Graph information. Because NextGraph is local-first and decentralized, this **graph** information is available to you at all time. And if you want to see it, you can go to any Document and in the Document Menu, you can select "Graph" and you will see options to view and edit the Graph. This is a bit technical for now (you will see things like Turtle, SPARQL etc) but in the future, we will provide here some nice tools where you will be able to explore your own graph easily. The Graph-like nature is represented with a "sun" icon.
##### Viewer and Editor
@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ Also from this Document Menu, you always have the option to switch from the 2 di
A document always opens in Viewer mode (read-only) and if you want to modify it, you have to go to the Document menu to select an Editor.
For now, only one editor is provided for each Document type, but in the future, you will be able to install more Editors, and also more viewers.
For now, only one editor is provided for each Document type, but in the future, you will be able to install more Editors, and also more Viewers.
If you open the same document in 2 different tabs or browser windows, or with different apps (on mobile, desktop, etc), and when you edit the Document in one of the window, it automatically updates itself in the viewer or editor that is opened in the other window(s). Try it! it works great.
@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ NextGraph comes with a set of Official Apps (listed in [Features](/en/features))
##### Attachments and Files
From the Document Menu, you will see many other options, most of them are not implemented et, and will not do anything when clicked. There are there to tease you about the upcoming features ;)
From the Document Menu, you will see many other options, most of them are not implemented yet, and will not do anything when clicked. They are there to tease you about the upcoming features ;)
Two menu options are implemented for now : History and "Attachments and Files".
@ -133,11 +133,13 @@ You will be able (in the future) to select a specific revision and "revert" to i
Because NextGraph is local-first and based on CRDTs, if you modify the Document concurrently from 2 different devices while being offline on one or both of the devices, then a temporary "fork" will happen on the Document History. This is visible with a new colored branch that will pop out of the blue branch.
Once the two devices will be back online, you will see tha they will automatically synchronize themselves and the "fork" will be automatically "merged". The colored branch will come back to the blue main branch.
Once the two devices will be back online, you will see that they will automatically synchronize themselves and the "fork" will be automatically "merged". The colored branch will come back to the blue main branch.
You can try this between 2 tabs in your browser, or a browser tab and a native app, or 2 different native apps (desktop and android by example).
##### User Panel
The User Panel is another menu that is accessible from the Logo of NextGraph at the left top corner of the screen.
The User Panel is another menu that is accessible from the logo of NextGraph at the left top corner of the screen.
It offers some options to manage your connection to the Broker, your wallet, your account, and in the future, some settings.
@ -153,8 +155,8 @@ The App always tries to connect to the Broker every 5 seconds.
You might ask yourself what the magic carpet is.
It is not functional yet, but it willbe something like a "clipboard" where you can store temporary data.
It is not functional yet, but it willbe something like a "clipboard" where you can store temporary data.
But unlike the clipboard we are used to (with CMD+C and CMD+V), the Magic Carpet can keep a list of many items. This is useful when you want to move things around. Also the Magic Carpet is always reachable from anywhere in the app, and let's you drag and drop things.
But unlike the clipboard we are used to (with CMD+C and CMD+V), the Magic Carpet can keep a list of many items, not just the latest. This is useful when you want to move things around. Also the Magic Carpet is always reachable from anywhere in the app, and let's you drag and drop things.
Stay tuned for more features, by checking out the [roadmap](/en/roadmap).
