This is the full developer documentation for LiveStore. # Start of LiveStore documentation # [Docs](https://docs.livestore.dev//) ## Overview import { CardGrid, LinkCard } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; import { LIVESTORE_WA_SQLITE_VERSION } from '../../../../CONSTANTS.ts' import { officeHours } from '../../../data.js' import { liveStoreVersion } from '@livestore/common' import NpmLink from '../../components/NpmLink.astro' ## State of the documentation Please note that the documentation is still work in progress with many parts missing and often only containing notes/bullet points. ### Docs for LLMs We support the [llms.txt](https://llmstxt.org/) convention for making documentation available to large language models and the applications that make use of them. Currently, we have the following root-level files: - [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) — a listing of the available files - [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) — complete documentation for LiveStore ### NPM packages - Main package: - Framework integrations: - React: - Solid: - Platform adapters: - Web: - Expo: - Node: - Sync provider: - Cloudflare: - Electric: - Devtools: - Vite: - Expo: - SQLite WASM: - Note this package has a separate version from the rest of LiveStore - Internal packages: - - - # [Contributing](https://docs.livestore.dev/contributing/contributing/) ## Overview ## Before contributing First of all, thank you for your interest in contributing to LiveStore! Building LiveStore has been an incredible amount of work, so everyone interested in contributing is very much appreciated. 🧡 Please note that LiveStore is still in active development with many things yet subject to change (e.g. APIs, examples, docs, etc). Before you start contributing, please check with the maintainers if the changes you'd like to make are likely to be accepted. Please get in touch via the `#contrib` channel on [Discord](https://discord.gg/RbMcjUAPd7). ## Areas for contribution There are many ways to contribute to LiveStore. ### Help wanted for ... - You can look at ["help wanted" issues](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22help+wanted%22) on GitHub for ideas. - [SQLite WASM build](https://github.com/livestorejs/wa-sqlite) maintainer (e.g. keeping it up to date with upstream SQLite and wa-sqlite versions) - Examples maintainer (e.g. keeping dependencies & best practices up to date) - Solid integration maintainer (e.g. keeping it up to date with upstream Solid versions) ### In scope and encouraged - Documentation improvements - Improving examples - Test cases - Bug fixes - Benchmarking ### Potentially in scope - New features - Larger architectural changes in the core library - Adding new examples - Adding new integrations (e.g. for technologies such as Svelte, Vue, ...) - Monorepo setup changes - Changes to the docs site/setup ### Out of scope (for now) - Changes to the landing page - Changes to the devtools - Rewriting the core library in a different language ### Open research questions - Safer event schema evolution - Incremental view maintenance for complex SQLite database views Please get in touch if you'd like to discuss any of these topics! ## Guiding principles {#guiding-principles} - Keep it as simple as possible - Reduce surface area - Make the right thing easy - Document the "why" # [Docs](https://docs.livestore.dev/contributing/docs/) ## Overview Please follow LiveStore's [guiding principles](/contributing/contributing#guiding-principles) when writing docs. ## Writing style This project broadly tries to follow the [Prisma docs style guide](https://www.prisma.io/docs/about/style-guide/writing-style). ## Reusing code When including code snippets, please try to `import` the code from the source in order to avoid duplication. # [Monorepo](https://docs.livestore.dev/contributing/monorepo/) ## Overview import { REACT_VERSION, EFFECT_VERSION } from '../../../../../CONSTANTS' ## Prerequisites ### Personal experience Depending on the kind of contribution you're interested in, the following experience is recommended: - Deep experience with TypeScript (incl. type-level programming) - Experience with TypeScript monorepo setups - Experience with distributed systems - Experience with [Effect](https://effect.website) (or willingness to learn) ### Recommended tooling: Use Nix + direnv for a consistent development setup To make development as easy and consistent across systems and platforms, this project uses [Nix](https://zero-to-nix.com/) to manage "system dependencies" such as Node.js, Bun etc. You can either use [Direnv](https://direnv.net) setup (recommended) to automatically load the Nix env or manually use the Nix env (e.g. via `nix develop --command pnpm install`). ### Manual setup You'll need to have a recent version the following tools installed: - Node.js - Bun - pnpm ## Initial setup ```bash git clone git@github.com:livestorejs/livestore.git cd livestore # Load environment variables (including Nix dependencies) direnv allow # Install dependencies pnpm install # Build the project pnpm build ``` ## General notes - TypeScript - LiveStore tries to follow the strictest TypeScript rules possible to ensure type safety and avoid subtle bugs. - LiveStore also makes heavy use of [TypeScript project references](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/project-references.html). - Package management - This project uses [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/) to manage the workspace. - LiveStore is primarily developed in VSCode/Cursor. - Testing - LiveStore uses Vitest for most tests and Playwright for browser tests. ### Notable used tools / technologies - [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/) - [Effect](https://effect.website) - [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/) - [Bun](https://bun.sh/) - [Vitest](https://vitest.dev/) - [Playwright](https://playwright.dev/) - [OpenTelemetry](https://opentelemetry.io/) - [Nix](https://zero-to-nix.com/) - [Direnv](https://direnv.net/) ### Environment variables The `.envrc` file contains all necessary environment variables for the project. You can create a `.envrc.local` file to override or add variables for your local setup. You'll need to run `direnv allow` to load the environment variables. ### VSCode tasks - This project is primarily developed in VSCode and makes use of [tasks](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/tasks) to run commands. - Common tasks are: - `dev:ts` to run the TypeScript compiler in watch mode for the entire monorepo - `pnpm:install` to install all dependencies (e.g. when changing a `package.json`) ## Examples - Once you've set up the monorepo locally, you'll notice both the `src` and `standalone` directories in `/examples`. - The `/examples/standalone` directory is meant as a starting point for app developers evaluating LiveStore and looking for a ready-to-run example app. - The `/examples/src` directory is meant for LiveStore maintainers and to run as part of the LiveStore monorepo. Compared to `/examples/standalone` it makes use of local linking features such a `workspace:*`, TypeScript `references` etc. - Both directories are kept in sync via `/examples/patches` and `/scripts/generate-examples.ts`. Usually it's recommended to work in `/examples/src` and generate the `/examples/standalone` version via `mono examples sync --direction src-to-standalone`. #### Making changes to examples 1. Make your desired changes in `/examples/src`. (You might also need to update some of the patches in `/examples/patches`.) 2. Run `mono examples sync --direction src-to-standalone` to generate the `/examples/standalone` version 3. Check whether the changes in `/examples/standalone` are what you expected. 4. Commit your changes in both `/examples/src` and `/examples/standalone` (and possibly `/examples/patches`). Note on GitHub, changes to `examples/standalone` are hidden by default. ### OpenTelemetry setup As a local OpenTelemetry setup, we recommend the [docker-otel-lgtm](https://github.com/grafana/docker-otel-lgtm) setup. Add the following to your `.envrc.local` file: ```bash export VITE_GRAFANA_ENDPOINT="http://localhost:30003" export GRAFANA_ENDPOINT="http://localhost:30003" export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT="http://localhost:4318" export VITE_OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT="http://localhost:4318" ``` ### TypeScript - Each package has its own `tsconfig.json` file which extends the root `tsconfig.base.json`. - This project makes heavy use of TypeScript project references. ### Package management - This project uses [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/) to manage the workspace. - We're using the `workspace:*` protocol to link packages together. - We should try to keep dependencies to an absolute minimum and only add them if we absolutely need them. - We also need to manually add peer dependencies for each package. - We should try to avoid duplicate dependencies across the monorepo as much as possible as duplicate dependencies can lead to a lot of issues and pain. - We're also using the `resolutions` field in the root `package.json` to force some packages to be the same across the monorepo (ideally not needed but for some packages it's necessary currently). - We're using [syncpack](https://github.com/JamieMason/syncpack) to help maintain consistent dependency versions across the monorepo. - See `syncpack.config.mjs` for the configuration. - Common commands: - `bunx syncpack format` to format the `package.json` files - `bunx syncpack lint` to check all version ranges - `bunx syncpack fix-mismatches` to adjust versions across `package.json` files (check before with `lint`) - `bunx syncpack update` to update packages across the monorepo to the latest versions ### Notes on external dependencies LiveStore tries to use as few external dependencies as possible. Given LiveStore is built on top of Effect, which can be considered a standard library for TypeScript, it should handle most use cases. #### Notes on some packages The following packages need to be updated with extra care: - `react`/`react-dom` as we need to move in lockstep with Expo / React Native (currently pinned to {REACT_VERSION}) - `effect` (currently pinned to {EFFECT_VERSION}) #### Effect - LiveStore makes heavy use of the [Effect](https://effect.website) library and ecosystem throughout the implementation of the various packages. - Effect is not imposed on the app developers using LiveStore but where it makes sense, LiveStore is also exposing a Effect-based API (e.g. `createStore`). #### Updating dependencies - Either update the versions manually in each `package.json` file or use `bunx syncpack update`. ### Notes on monorepo structure - The `@livestore/utils` package re-exports many common modules/functions (e.g. from `effect`) in order to - Reduce the number of direct dependencies for other packages - Allows for convenient extension of modules (e.g. adding methods to `Effect.___`, `Schema.___`, ...) ## Docs The LiveStore docs are built with [Astro Starlight](https://starlight.astro.build/). ## Related external repos - [Fork of wa-sqlite](https://github.com/livestorejs/wa-sqlite) and its [Nix build setup](https://github.com/livestorejs/wa-sqlite-build-env?tab=readme-ov-file). - The source code of the devtools is currently not part of this monorepo but in a separate private repo. # [Complex UI state](https://docs.livestore.dev/data-modeling/complex-ui-state/) ## Overview LiveStore is a great fit for building apps with complex UI state. TODO: actually write this section # [Data Modeling](https://docs.livestore.dev/data-modeling//) ## Overview ## Core idea - Data modeling is probably the most important part of any app and needs to be done carefully. - The core idea is to model the read and write model separately. - Depending on the use case, you might also want to split up the read/write model into separate "containers" (e.g. for data-sharing/scalability/access control reasons). - There is no transactional consistency between containers. - Caveat: Event sourcing is not ideal for all use cases - some apps might be better off with another approach (e.g. use CRDTs for rich text editing). ## Considerations for data modeling - How much data do you expect to have and what is the shape of the data? - Some kind of data needs special handling (e.g. blobs or rich text) - Access patterns (performance, ...) - Access control - Data integrity / consistency - Sharing / collaboration - Regulatory requirements (e.g. GDPR, audit logs, ...) ## TODO - TODO: actually write this section - questions to answer - When to split things into separate containers? - How do migrations work? - Read model migrations - Write model migrations - How to create new write models based on existing ones - Example: An app has multiple workspaces and you now want to introduce the concept of "projects" inside a workspace. You might want to pre-populate a "default workspace project" for each workspace. # [AI agent](https://docs.livestore.dev/data-modeling/ai-agent/) ## Overview LiveStore is a great fit for building AI agents. TODO: actually write this section # [Turn-based game](https://docs.livestore.dev/data-modeling/turnbased-game/) ## Overview LiveStore is a great fit for turn-based games. In this guide we'll look at a simple turn-based game and how to model it in LiveStore. General idea: Let server enforce the logic that each player only commits one action per turn. TODO: write rest of guide # [Todo app with shared workspaces](https://docs.livestore.dev/data-modeling/todo-workspaces/) ## Overview import { Code, Tabs, TabItem } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; Let's consider a fairly common application scenario: An app (in this case a todo app) with shared workspaces. For the sake of this guide, we'll keep things simple but you should be able to nicely extend this to a more complex app. ## Requirements - There are multiple independent todo workspaces - Each workspace is initially created by a single user - Users can join the workspace by knowing the workspace id and get read and write access - For simplicity, the user identity is chosen when the app initially starts (i.e. a username) but in a real app this would be handled by a proper auth setup ## Data model - We are splitting up our data model into two kinds of stores (with respective eventlogs and SQLite databases): The `workspace` store and the `user` store. ### `workspace` store (one per workspace) For the `workspace` store we have the following events: - `workspaceCreated` - `todoAdded` - `todoCompleted` - `todoDeleted` - `userJoined` And the following state model: - `workspace` table (with a single row for the workspace itself) - `todo` table (with one row per todo item) - `member` table (with one row per user who has joined the workspace) ### `user` store (one per user) For the `user` store we have the following events: - `workspaceCreated` - `workspaceJoined` And the following state model: - `user` table (with a single row for the user itself) Note that the `workspaceCreated` event is used both in the `workspace` and the `user` store. This is because each eventlog should be "self-sufficient" and not rely on other eventlogs to be present to fulfill its purpose. ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/yCbKjvRP+) ## Schema tables.userList.insert({ workspaceId }), workspaceJoined: ({ workspaceId }) => tables.userList.insert({ workspaceId }), }) const state = State.SQLite.makeState({ tables, materializers }) export const schema = makeSchema({ events, state }) `} /> [ tables.workspace.insert({ workspaceId, name, createdByUsername }), // Add the creator as the first member tables.member.insert({ username: createdByUsername }), ], todoAdded: ({ todoId, text }) => tables.todo.insert({ todoId, text }), todoCompleted: ({ todoId }) => tables.todo.update({ completed: true }).where({ todoId }), todoDeleted: ({ todoId, deletedAt }) => tables.todo.update({ deletedAt }).where({ todoId }), userJoined: ({ username }) => tables.member.insert({ username }), }) const state = State.SQLite.makeState({ tables, materializers }) export const schema = makeSchema({ events, state }) `} /> ## Further notes To make this app more production-ready, we might want to do the following: - Use a proper auth setup to enforce a trusted user identity - Introduce a proper user invite process - Introduce access levels (e.g. read-only, read-write) - Introduce end-to-end encryption - If each todo item has a lot of data (e.g. think of a GitHub/Linear issue with lots of details), it might make sense to split up each todo item into its own store. # [Design Decisions](https://docs.livestore.dev/evaluation/design-decisions/) ## Overview ## Goals - Fast, synchronous, transactional, and reactive state management - Global state is eventually consistent - Persistent storage - Syncing - Convenient schema migrations - Great devtools ## Major Design Decisions - Based on [event-sourcing](/evaluation/event-sourcing) (implying a read/write model separation) - Using SQLite for state management over JavaScript implementations - There are many benefits to using SQLite for state management, including performance, reliability, and ease of use. - Run in-memory SQLite in main-thread to enable synchronous queries - Usually LiveStore is used with a second SQLite database for persistence running in a separate thread (e.g. web worker) - Running SQLite additionally in the main-thread however also means each tab uses extra memory. - The current implementation of LiveStore assumes that the data is small enough to fit in memory. However, SQLite is very efficient so this should work for many use cases and apps. - LiveStore implements a Signals-based reactivity system based on the ideas of Adapton for incremental computation - The goal is to keep LiveStore syncing provider agnostic so you can use the right syncing provider for your use case. ## Implementation decisions - Build most of the library in TypeScript. We might move more parts to Rust in the future. - Embrace and build on top of [Effect](https://effect.website) as a library of powerful primitives, particularly for IO/concurrency heavy parts of the library. ## Original motivation - Frustration with database schema migrations -> event sourcing to separate read and write model (avoid schema migrations for read model) - Applying the "Make the right thing easy" principle to app data management # [Event Sourcing](https://docs.livestore.dev/evaluation/event-sourcing/) ## Overview - Similar to Redux but persisted and synced across devices - Provides a more principled way to handle data instead of relying on mutable state - Core idea: Separate read vs write model - Read model: App database (i.e. SQLite) - Write model: Ordered log of all mutation events - Related topics - Domain driven design - Benefits - Simple mental model - Preserves user intent - Scalable - Flexible - You can easily evolve the read model based on your query patterns as your app requirements change over time - Flexible merge conflicts resolution - Automatic migrations of the read model (i.e. app database) - Write model can also be evolved (e.g. via versioned mutations and optionally mapping old mutations to new ones) - History of all state changes is captured (e.g. for auditing and debugging) - Foundation for syncing - Downsides - Slightly more boilerplate to manually define mutations - Need to be careful so eventlog doesn't grow too much ## LiveStore as an event-sourcing framework While the benefits of event sourcing are compelling, building a robust system from scratch is complex and time-consuming. Developers often encounter pitfalls related to data consistency, schema migrations, and efficient state reconstruction. LiveStore provides an off-the-shelf event sourcing solution designed for ease of use and correctness. It simplifies development by: - Providing clear APIs for defining mutations (events). - Automatically managing the event log persistence and ordering. - Efficiently recomputing the state (e.g. SQLite database) from the eventlog via materializers. - Handling complexities like automatic data migrations and offering strategies for conflict resolution during synchronization. This allows you to leverage the power of event sourcing without needing to implement the underlying infrastructure and tackle common edge cases yourself. ## Further reading - [The Log: What every software engineer should know about real-time data's unifying abstraction](https://engineering.linkedin.com/distributed-systems/log-what-every-software-engineer-should-know-about-real-time-datas-unifying) # [How LiveStore works](https://docs.livestore.dev/evaluation/how-livestore-works/) ## Overview ### TLDR LiveStore uses event sourcing to sync events across clients and materialize state into a local, reactive SQLite database. ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/dTpVv5K1+) ## How LiveStore Works Client-Side On the client, LiveStore provides a reactive SQLite database for application state, which is kept consistent through an underlying event sourcing mechanism. #### Local Reactive SQLite Application state is materialized into a local SQLite database, offering high-performance, offline-capable data access. This SQLite database is reactive: UI components subscribe to data changes and update automatically when the state changes. LiveStore uses in-memory SQLite for sub-millisecond queries and persistent SQLite for durable storage across application sessions. #### Event Sourcing Underpinning the reactive state, LiveStore implements the event sourcing pattern. All data modifications are captured as an immutable, ordered sequence of events. This eventlog serves as the canonical history, enabling reliable state reconstruction and providing inherent auditability, which aids in debugging. The reactive SQLite state is a projection of this eventlog. #### Client-Side Event Flow 1. **Event Committing:** User interactions within the application generate events detailing the specific action (e.g., `TodoCreated`, `TaskCompleted`). 2. **Local Persistence & Materialization:** The committed event is atomically persisted to the local eventlog and immediately materialized as state into the SQLite database. 3. **UI Reactivity:** Changes to the SQLite database trigger the reactivity system, causing subscribed UI components (e.g. React components) to automatically update and reflect the new state. ## How LiveStore Syncing Works LiveStore extends its local event-sourcing model globally by synchronizing events across all clients, typically through a central sync backend. This ensures that the eventlog, serving as the single source of truth, is consistently replicated, leading to an eventually consistent state for all participants. #### Push/Pull Event Synchronization Inspired by Git, LiveStore employs a push/pull model for event synchronization. Clients must first pull the latest events from the sync backend to ensure their local eventlog is up-to-date before they can push their own newly committed local events. This model helps maintain a global total order of events. Local pending events that haven't been pushed are rebased on top of the latest upstream events before being pushed. #### Sync Provider Integration LiveStore supports various sync backend implementations, and it's straightforward for developers to create their own. The sync backend is responsible for storing events, enforcing the total event order, and notifying clients of new events. #### Conflict Resolution When concurrent operations from different clients lead to conflicting events, LiveStore defaults to a "last-write-wins" strategy. However, it also provides the capability for developers to implement custom merge conflict resolution logic tailored to their application's specific needs. #### Overall Syncing Data Flow After a local event is committed and materialized (as per the client-side flow), LiveStore attempts to push this event to the sync backend. Simultaneously, LiveStore is pulling events from the sync backend in the background. Two main scenarios can occur during a push attempt: 1. **Client In Sync:** If the client's local eventlog is already up-to-date with the sync backend (i.e., no new remote events have arrived since the last pull/push), the local event is pushed directly. 2. **Concurrent Incoming Events:** If new remote events have been pulled in the background, or are discovered during the push attempt, the client first processes these incoming remote events. Any local, unpushed events are then rebased on top of these new remote events before being pushed to the sync backend. In both scenarios, once remote events are received (either through background pulling or during a push cycle), they are persisted to the local eventlog, materialized into the local SQLite database, and the UI reacts to the new state, ensuring eventual consistency. ## Platform Adapters LiveStore includes platform adapters to integrate with various environments, such as web browsers, mobile applications (iOS/Android), desktop applications, and Node.js. # [Performance](https://docs.livestore.dev/evaluation/performance/) ## Overview LiveStore is designed with performance in mind. To ensure consistent speed and minimal resource consumption, we maintain a suite of performance tests that run automatically on every commit to `main` and every pull request. These tests help us detect regressions early and identify performance bottlenecks for implementing optimizations. ## Performance tests Our current test suite focuses on two key metrics: **latency** and **memory usage**. We measure these two metrics across various user interaction scenarios on a minimal LiveStore+React test app. We select scenarios that help stress-test LiveStore’s ability to handle common underlying tasks that are part of common user interactions. To learn more about our testing methodology, check out the [README](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/blob/main/tests/perf/README.md) of our performance tests. > **Future expansions:** We [plan](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/blob/main/tests/perf/README.md#future-improvements) to measure throughput and bundle size, as well as expand the selection of scenarios and dimensions for the tests. ## Latest test results You can view the latest performance test results on our [public dashboard](https://livestore.grafana.net/public-dashboards/4a9a3b7941464bcebbc0fa2cdddc3130). Otherwise, you can view the latest test results by inspecting the logs of the `perf-test` job in our [GitHub Actions workflow](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/actions/workflows/ci.yml). ## Reporting a performance issue We’re committed to transparency and continuous improvement. If you find performance gaps or regressions in your own usage, please [file an issue](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/issues/new) # [State of the project](https://docs.livestore.dev/evaluation/state-of-the-project/) ## Overview LiveStore is based on years of research (see [Riffle](https://riffle.systems/essays/prelude/)) and is used as the foundation for ambitious apps such as [Overtone](https://overtone.pro). LiveStore has been in development since 2021 and is making good progress towards a stable release. LiveStore is not yet ready for all production scenarios. ## Current state LiveStore is currently in **beta** with most APIs being fairly stable (there might still be some breaking changes in coming releases). Most work is currently focussed on reliability and performance improvements. There is currently no specific timeline for a 1.0 release but we are making good progress in that direction. ### On breaking changes While LiveStore is in beta there can be three kinds of breaking changes: - Breaking API changes - Client storage format changes (whenever `liveStoreStorageFormatVersion` is updated) - Sync backend storage format changes (e.g. when a sync backend implementation changes the way how it stores data) We try our best to minimize breaking changes and to provide a migration path whenever possible. ## Roadmap See [GitHub issues](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/issues) for more details. Get in touch if you have any questions or feedback. ### 2025 Q3 - Adapter bug fixes & stability improvements - Performance improvements - Syncing latency & throughput - More testing ### Long-term - Eventlog compaction [#136](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/issues/136) - Support more syncing providers - Support more framework integrations - Support more platforms (e.g. Electron, Tauri) # [Technology comparison](https://docs.livestore.dev/evaluation/technology-comparison/) ## Overview ## TLDR of what sets LiveStore apart - Uses combination of reactive, in-memory + synced, persisted SQLite for instant, synchronous queries - Based on event-sourcing methodologies - Client-centric (with great devtools) ## Other local-first/syncing technologies To compare LiveStore with other local-first/syncing technologies, please see the [Local-First Landscape](https://www.localfirst.fm/landscape) resource. ## LiveStore vs Redux LiveStore shares a lot of similarities with Redux in that sense that both are based on event-sourcing methodologies. Let's compare some of the core concepts: - Redux actions are similar to LiveStore events: Both are used to describe "things that have happened" - Redux views are similar to LiveStore's state (e.g. SQLite tables): Both are derived from the history of events/actions. - A major difference here is that LiveStore's state materialized as a SQLite database allows for a lot more flexibility via dynamic queries and aggregations vs Redux's static views. - Redux reducers are similar to LiveStore's materializers: Both are used to transform events/actions into a final state. - Both Redux and LiveStore are client-centric. - Both Redux and LiveStore provide powerful [devtools](/reference/devtools). While LiveStore can be used for the same use cases as Redux, LiveStore goes far Redux in the following ways: - LiveStore leverages SQLite for a more powerful state model allowing for flexible queries and aggregations with much simpler materialization logic. - LiveStore support client-persistence out of the box. - LiveStore comes with a built-in [sync engine](/reference/syncing) syncing events between clients. As a downside compared to Redux, LiveStore has a slightly larger bundle size. ## Other state management libraries - Zustand - Redux Toolkit (RTK) - MobX - Jotai - Xstate - Recoil - React Query # [When to use LiveStore (and when not)](https://docs.livestore.dev/evaluation/when-livestore/) ## Overview Choosing a data layer for a local-first app is a big decision and should be considered carefully. On a high level, LiveStore can be a good fit if ... - you are looking for a principled data layer that works across platforms - you want to use SQLite for your queries - you like [event sourcing](/evaluation/event-sourcing) to model data changes - you are working on a new app as LiveStore doesn't yet provide a way to [re-use an existing database](/misc/faq#existing-database) - the current [state of the project](/evaluation/state-of-the-project) aligns with your own timeline and requirements ## Evaluation exercise A great way to evaluate whether LiveStore is a good fit for your application, is by trying to model your application events (and optionally state) schema. This exercise can be done in a few minutes and can give you a good indication of whether LiveStore is a good fit for your application. ### Example: Calendar/scheduling app Let's say you are building a calendar/scheduling app, your events might include: - `AppointmentScheduled` - `AppointmentRescheduled` - `AppointmentCancelled` - `ParticipantInvitedToAppointment` - `ParticipantRespondedToInvite` From this you might want to derive the following state (modeled as SQLite tables): - `Appointment` - `id` - `title` - `description` - `participants` - `Participant` - `id` - `name` - `email` ## Great use cases for LiveStore - High-performance desktop/web/mobile apps - e.g. productivity apps like - AI agents - Apps that need ... - solid offline support - audit logs ## Benefits of LiveStore - Unified data layer combining local reactive state with globally synced data - Easy to ... - reason about - debug - test - evolve - operate ## Reasons when not to use LiveStore - You have an existing database which is the source of truth of your data. (Better use [Zero](https://zero.rocicorp.dev) or [ElectricSQL](https://www.electricsql.com) for this.) - Your app data is highly connected across users (like a social network / marketplace / etc.) or modeling your data via read-write model separation/event sourcing doesn't seem feasible. - You want to build a more traditional client-server application with your primary data source being a remote server. - You want a full-stack batteries-included solution (e.g. auth, storage, etc.). (Technologies like [Jazz](https://jazz.tools) or [Instant](https://instantdb.com) might be a better fit.) - You don't like to model your data via read-write model separation/event sourcing or the trade-offs it involves. - You're a new developer and are just getting started. LiveStore is a relatively advanced technology with many design trade-offs that might make most sense after you have already experienced some of the problems LiveStore is trying to solve. - You want to keep your app bundle size as small as possible. LiveStore adds a few hundred kB to your app bundle size (mostly due to bundling SQLite). ## Considerations ### Database constraints - All the client app data should fit into a in-memory SQLite database - Depending on the target device having databases up to 1GB in size should be okay. - If you you have more data, you can consider segmenting your database into multiple SQLite database (e.g. segmented per project, workspace, document, ...). - You can either use the `storeId` option for the segmentation or there could also be a way to use the [SQLite attach feature](https://www.sqlite.org/lang_attach.html) to dynamically attach/detach databases. ### Syncing LiveStore's syncing system is designed for small/medium-level concurrency scenarios (e.g. 10s / low 100s of users collaborating on the same thing for a given eventlog). - Collaboration on multiple different eventlogs concurrently is supported and should be used to "scale horizontally". ### Other considerations - How data flows / what's the source of truth? # [Examples](https://docs.livestore.dev/examples//) ## Overview ## Explore all examples [View all examples](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/tree/main/examples/standalone) ## Hosted demos ### Web - [TodoMVC React](https://web-todomvc.livestore.dev) / [Source](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/tree/main/examples/standalone/web-todomvc) - [TodoMVC React + Sync CF](https://web-todomvc-sync-cf.livestore.dev) / [Source](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/tree/main/examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf) - [Linearlite React](https://web-linearlite.livestore.dev) / [Source](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/tree/main/examples/standalone/web-linearlite) # [Expo](https://docs.livestore.dev/getting-started/expo/) ## Overview import { Code, Steps, Tabs, TabItem } from '@astrojs/starlight/components' import { makeTiged, versionNpmSuffix } from '../../../../data.js' import { MIN_NODE_VERSION } from '../../../../../CONSTANTS.ts' import babelConfigCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/expo-todomvc-sync-cf/babel.config.js?raw' import metroConfigCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/expo-todomvc-sync-cf/metro.config.js?raw' import schemaCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/expo-todomvc-sync-cf/src/livestore/schema.ts?raw' import rootCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/expo-todomvc-sync-cf/src/Root.tsx?raw' import headerCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/expo-todomvc-sync-cf/src/components/NewTodo.tsx?raw' import mainSectionCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/expo-todomvc-sync-cf/src/components/ListTodos.tsx?raw' export const CODE = { babelConfig: babelConfigCode, metroConfig: metroConfigCode, schema: schemaCode, root: rootCode, header: headerCode, mainSection: mainSectionCode, } {/* We're adjusting the package to use the dev version on the dev branch */} export const manualInstallDepsStr = [ '@livestore/devtools-expo' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/adapter-expo' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/livestore' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/react' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/utils' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/peer-deps' + versionNpmSuffix, 'expo-sqlite', ].join(' ') ### Prerequisites - Recommended: Bun 1.2 or higher - Node.js {MIN_NODE_VERSION} or higher To use [LiveStore](/) with [Expo](https://docs.expo.dev/), ensure your project has the [New Architecture](https://docs.expo.dev/guides/new-architecture/) enabled. This is required for transactional state updates. ### Option A: Quick start For a quick start we recommend using our template app following the steps below. For existing projects see [Existing project setup](#existing-project-setup). 1. **Set up project from template** Replace `livestore-app` with your desired app name. 2. **Install dependencies** It's strongly recommended to use `bun` or `pnpm` for the simplest and most reliable dependency setup (see [note on package management](/misc/package-management) for more details). ```bash bun install ``` ```bash pnpm install --node-linker=hoisted ``` Make sure to use `--node-linker=hoisted` when installing dependencies in your project or add it to your `.npmrc` file. ``` # .npmrc nodeLinker=hoisted ``` Hopefully Expo will also support non-hoisted setups in the future. ```bash npm install ``` When using `yarn`, make sure you're using Yarn 4 or higher with the `node-modules` linker. ```bash yarn set version stable yarn config set nodeLinker node-modules yarn install ``` Pro tip: You can use [direnv](https://direnv.net/) to manage environment variables. 3. **Run the app** In a new terminal, start the Cloudflare Worker (for the sync backend): ### Option B: Existing project setup \{#existing-project-setup\} 1. **Install dependencies** 2. **Add Vite meta plugin to babel config file** LiveStore Devtools uses Vite. This plugin emulates Vite's `import.meta.env` functionality. In your `babel.config.js` file, add the plugin as follows: 3. **Update Metro config** Add the following code to your `metro.config.js` file: ## Define Your Schema Create a file named `schema.ts` inside the `src/livestore` folder. This file defines your LiveStore schema consisting of your app's event definitions (describing how data changes), derived state (i.e. SQLite tables), and materializers (how state is derived from events). Here's an example schema: ## Add the LiveStore Provider To make the LiveStore available throughout your app, wrap your app's root component with the `LiveStoreProvider` component from `@livestore/react`. This provider manages your app’s data store, loading, and error states. ## Add the LiveStore Provider To make the LiveStore available throughout your app, wrap your app's root component with the `LiveStoreProvider` component from `@livestore/react`. This provider manages your app’s data store, loading, and error states. Here's an example: ### Commit events After wrapping your app with the `LiveStoreProvider`, you can use the `useStore` hook from any component to commit events. Here's an example: ## Queries To retrieve data from the database, first define a query using `queryDb` from `@livestore/livestore`. Then, execute the query with the `useQuery` hook from `@livestore/react`. Consider abstracting queries into a separate file to keep your code organized, though you can also define them directly within components if preferred. Here's an example: ## Devtools To open the devtools, run the app and from your terminal press `shift + m`, then select LiveStore Devtools and press `Enter`. ![Expo Terminal Screenshot](../../../assets/devtools-terminal-expo.png) This will open the devtools in a new tab in your default browser. ![Devtools Browser Screenshot](../../../assets/devtools-browser-view.png) Use the devtools to inspect the state of your LiveStore database, execute events, track performance, and more. ## Database location ### With Expo Go To open the database in Finder, run the following command in your terminal: ```bash open $(find $(xcrun simctl get_app_container booted host.exp.Exponent data) -path "*/Documents/ExponentExperienceData/*livestore-expo*" -print -quit)/SQLite ``` ### With development builds For development builds, the app SQLite database is stored in the app's Library directory. Example: `/Users//Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices//data/Containers/Data/Application//Documents/SQLite/app.db` To open the database in Finder, run the following command in your terminal: ```bash open $(xcrun simctl get_app_container booted [APP_BUNDLE_ID] data)/Documents/SQLite ``` Replace `[APP_BUNDLE_ID]` with your app's bundle ID. e.g. `dev.livestore.livestore-expo`. ## Further notes - LiveStore doesn't yet support Expo Web (see [#130](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/issues/130)) # [Node](https://docs.livestore.dev/getting-started/node/) ## Overview import { Steps, Tabs, TabItem, Code } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; import { makeTiged } from '../../../../data.js' ## Minimal example ```ts import { makeAdapter } from '@livestore/adapter-node' import { createStorePromise } from '@livestore/livestore' import { tables, schema } from './livestore/schema.js' const adapter = makeAdapter({ storage: { type: 'fs' }, // sync: { backend: makeCfSync({ url: '...' }) }, }) const store = await createStorePromise({ adapter, schema }) const todos = store.query(tables.todos) ``` ### Option A: Quick start For a quick start, we recommend using our template app following the steps below. {/* For existing projects, see [Existing project setup](#existing-project-setup). */} 1. **Set up project from template** Replace `livestore-app` with your desired app name. 2. **Install dependencies** It's strongly recommended to use `bun` or `pnpm` for the simplest and most reliable dependency setup (see [note on package management](/misc/package-management) for more details). Pro tip: You can use [direnv](https://direnv.net/) to manage environment variables. 3. **Run dev environment** # [Getting started with LiveStore + React](https://docs.livestore.dev/getting-started/react-web/) ## Overview import { Steps, Tabs, TabItem, Code } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; import { makeTiged, versionNpmSuffix } from '../../../../data.js' import { MIN_NODE_VERSION, LIVESTORE_WA_SQLITE_VERSION } from '../../../../../CONSTANTS.ts' import viteConfigCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/vite.config.js?raw' import schemaCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/livestore/schema.ts?raw' import workerCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/livestore.worker.ts?raw' import rootCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/Root.tsx?raw' import headerCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/components/Header.tsx?raw' import mainSectionCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/components/MainSection.tsx?raw' export const CODE = { viteConfig: viteConfigCode, schema: schemaCode, worker: workerCode, root: rootCode, header: headerCode, mainSection: mainSectionCode, } {/* We're adjusting the package to use the dev version on the dev branch */} export const manualInstallDepsStr = [ '@livestore/livestore' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/wa-sqlite@' + LIVESTORE_WA_SQLITE_VERSION, '@livestore/adapter-web' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/react' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/utils' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/peer-deps' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/devtools-vite' + versionNpmSuffix, ].join(' ') ## Prerequisites - Recommended: Bun 1.2 or higher - Node.js {MIN_NODE_VERSION} or higher ### Option A: Quick start For a quick start, we recommend using our template app following the steps below. For existing projects, see [Existing project setup](#existing-project-setup). 1. **Set up project from template** Replace `livestore-app` with your desired app name. 2. **Install dependencies** It's strongly recommended to use `bun` or `pnpm` for the simplest and most reliable dependency setup (see [note on package management](/misc/package-management) for more details). Pro tip: You can use [direnv](https://direnv.net/) to manage environment variables. 3. **Run dev environment** 4. **Open browser** Open `http://localhost:60000` in your browser. You can also open the devtools by going to `http://localhost:60000/_livestore`. ### Option B: Existing project setup \{#existing-project-setup\} 1. **Install dependencies** 2. **Update Vite config** Add the following code to your `vite.config.js` file: ## Define Your Schema Create a file named `schema.ts` inside the `src/livestore` folder. This file defines your LiveStore schema consisting of your app's event definitions (describing how data changes), derived state (i.e. SQLite tables), and materializers (how state is derived from events). Here's an example schema: ## Create the LiveStore Worker Create a file named `livestore.worker.ts` inside the `src/livestore` folder. This file will contain the LiveStore web worker. When importing this file, make sure to add the `?worker` extension to the import path to ensure that Vite treats it as a worker file. ## Add the LiveStore Provider To make the LiveStore available throughout your app, wrap your app's root component with the `LiveStoreProvider` component from `@livestore/react`. This provider manages your app's data store, loading, and error states. Here's an example: ### Commit events After wrapping your app with the `LiveStoreProvider`, you can use the `useStore` hook from any component to commit events. Here's an example: ## Queries To retrieve data from the database, first define a query using `queryDb` from `@livestore/livestore`. Then, execute the query with the `useQuery` hook from `@livestore/react`. Consider abstracting queries into a separate file to keep your code organized, though you can also define them directly within components if preferred. Here's an example: # [Solid](https://docs.livestore.dev/getting-started/solid/) ## Overview TODO # [Getting started with LiveStore + Vue](https://docs.livestore.dev/getting-started/vue/) ## Overview import { Steps, Tabs, TabItem, Code } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; import { makeTiged, versionNpmSuffix } from '../../../../data.js' import { MIN_NODE_VERSION, LIVESTORE_WA_SQLITE_VERSION } from '../../../../../CONSTANTS.ts' import viteConfigCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/vite.config.js?raw' import schemaCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/livestore/schema.ts?raw' import workerCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/livestore.worker.ts?raw' import rootCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/Root.tsx?raw' import headerCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/components/Header.tsx?raw' import mainSectionCode from '../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-sync-cf/src/components/MainSection.tsx?raw' export const CODE = { viteConfig: viteConfigCode, schema: schemaCode, worker: workerCode, root: rootCode, header: headerCode, mainSection: mainSectionCode, } {/* We're adjusting the package to use the dev version on the dev branch */} export const manualInstallDepsStr = [ '@livestore/livestore' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/wa-sqlite@' + LIVESTORE_WA_SQLITE_VERSION, '@livestore/adapter-web' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/utils' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/peer-deps' + versionNpmSuffix, '@livestore/devtools-vite' + versionNpmSuffix, 'slashv/vue-livestore' + versionNpmSuffix, ].join(' ') ## Prerequisites - Recommended: Bun 1.2 or higher - Node.js {MIN_NODE_VERSION} or higher ## About Vue integration Vue integration is still in beta and being incubated as a separate repository. Please direct any issues or contributions to [Vue LiveStore](https://github.com/slashv/vue-livestore) ## Option A: Quick start For a quick start, we recommend referencing the [playground](https://github.com/slashv/vue-livestore/tree/main/playground) folder in the Vue LiveStore repository. ## Option B: Existing project setup \{#existing-project-setup\} 1. **Install dependencies** It's strongly recommended to use `bun` or `pnpm` for the simplest and most reliable dependency setup (see [note on package management](/misc/package-management) for more details). 2. **Update Vite config** Add the following code to your `vite.config.js` file: ```ts import { livestoreDevtoolsPlugin } from '@livestore/devtools-vite' import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import vue from '@vitejs/plugin-vue' import vueDevTools from 'vite-plugin-vue-devtools' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [ vue(), vueDevTools(), livestoreDevtoolsPlugin({ schemaPath: './src/livestore/schema.ts' }), ], worker: { format: 'es' }, }) ``` ### Define Your Schema Create a file named `schema.ts` inside the `src/livestore` folder. This file defines your LiveStore schema consisting of your app's event definitions (describing how data changes), derived state (i.e. SQLite tables), and materializers (how state is derived from events). Here's an example schema: ### Create the LiveStore Worker Create a file named `livestore.worker.ts` inside the `src/livestore` folder. This file will contain the LiveStore web worker. When importing this file, make sure to add the `?worker` extension to the import path to ensure that Vite treats it as a worker file. ### Add the LiveStore Provider To make the LiveStore available throughout your app, wrap your app's root component with the `LiveStoreProvider` component from `vue-livestore`. This provider manages your app's data store, loading, and error states. Here's an example: ```vue ``` ### Commit events After wrapping your app with the `LiveStoreProvider`, you can use the `useStore` hook from any component to commit events. Here's an example: ```vue ``` ### Queries To retrieve data from the database, first define a query using `queryDb` from `@livestore/livestore`. Then, execute the query with the `useQuery` hook from `@livestore/react`. Consider abstracting queries into a separate file to keep your code organized, though you can also define them directly within components if preferred. Here's an example: ```vue ``` # [Anonymous user transition](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/anonymous-user-transition/) ## Overview ## Basic idea - Locally choose a unique identifier for the user (e.g. via `crypto.randomUUID()`). - You might want to handle the very unlikely case that the identifier is not unique (collision) on the sync backend. - Persist this identifier locally (either via a separate LiveStore instance or via `localStorage`). - Use this identifier in the `storeId` for the user-related LiveStore instance. - Initially when the user is anonymous, the store won't be synced yet (i.e. no sync backend used in adapter). - As part of the auth flow, the LiveStore instance is now synced with the same `storeId` to a sync backend which will sync all local events to the sync backend making sure the user keeps all their data. # [Encryption](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/encryption/) ## Overview LiveStore doesn't yet support encryption but might in the future. See [this issue](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/issues/70) for more details. For now you can implement encryption yourself e.g. by encrypting the events using a custom Effect Schema definition which applies a encryption transformation to the events. # [External Data](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/external-data/) ## Overview LiveStore doesn't provide any built-in functionality to deal with external data. However, LiveStore was designed with this use case in mind (e.g. Overtone integrates with lots of external data like Spotify, ...). One way to deal with external data is to also model it as an event log and materialize it into LiveStore state as well. (If you're interested in learning more about the solution we're using for Overtone, get in touch.) # [Offline Support](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/offline/) ## Overview - LiveStore supports offline data management out of the box. In order to make your app work fully offline, you might need to also consider the following: - Design your app in a way to treat the network as an optional feature (e.g. when relying on other APIs / external data) - Use service workers to cache assets locally (e.g. images, videos, etc.) # [Presence](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/presence/) ## Overview LiveStore doesn't yet have any built-in presence functionality (e.g. to track online/offline users). Common presence use cases are: - Track which users are online / in a room - Track which users are typing (e.g. in a chat) - Text cursor (similar to Google Docs) - Cursor movements (similar to Figma) For now it's recommend to implement presence functionality in your application or use a third party service (e.g. Liveblocks). # [Version control](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/version-control/) ## Overview LiveStore's event sourcing approach allows you to implement version control functionality in your application (similar to Git but for your application domain). This could include features like: - Branching - Semantic commit messages & grouping - History tracking - Semantic/interactive merges # [Concepts](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/concepts/) ## Overview ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/sv62BGww+) ## Overview - Adapter (platform adapter) - An adapter can instantiate a client session for a given platform (e.g. web, Expo) - Client - A logical group of client sessions - Client session - Store - Reactivity graph - Responsible for leader election - [Devtools](/reference/devtools) - [Events](/reference/events) - Event definition - Eventlog - Synced vs client-only events - Framework integration - A framework integration is a package that provides a way to integrate LiveStore with a framework (e.g. React, Solid, Svelte, etc.) - [Reactivity system](/reference/reactivity-system) - Db queries `queryDb()` - Computed queries `computed()` - Signals `signal()` - Schema - LiveStore uses schema definitions for the following cases: - [Event definitions](/reference/events) - [SQLite state schema](/reference/state/sqlite-schema) - [Query result schemas](/reference/state/sql-queries) - LiveStore uses the [Effect Schema module](/patterns/effect) to define fine-granular schemas - State - Derived from the eventlog via materializers - Materializer - Event handler function that maps an event to a state change - SQLite state / database - In-memory SQLite database within the client session thread (usually main thread) - Used by the reactivity graph - Persisted SQLite database (usually running on the leader thread) - Fully derived from the eventlog - [Store](/reference/store) - A store exposes most of LiveStore's functionality to the application layer and is the main entry point for using LiveStore. - To create a store you need to provide a schema and a platform adapter which creates a client session. - A store is often created, managed and accessed through a framework integration (like React). - A is identified by a `storeId` which is also used for syncing events between clients. - Sync provider - A sync provider is a package that provides a sync backend and a sync client. - Sync backend - A central server that is responsible for syncing the eventlog between clients ### Implementation details - Leader thread - Responsible for syncing and persisting of data - Sync processor - LeaderSyncProcessor - ClientSessionSyncProcessor ## Pluggable architecture LiveStore is designed to be pluggable in various ways: - Platform adapters - Sync providers - Framework integrations # [Debugging a LiveStore app](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/debugging/) ## Overview When working on a LiveStore app you might end up in situations where you need to debug things. LiveStore is built with debuggability in mind and tries to make your life as a developer as easy as possible. Here are a few things that LiveStore offers to help you debug your app: - [OpenTelemetry](/reference/opentelemetry) integration for tracing / metrics - [Devtools](/reference/devtools) for inspecting the state of the store - Store helper methods ## Debugging helpers on the store The `store` exposes a `_dev` property which contains a few helpers that can help you debug your app. ## Other recommended practices and tools - Use the step debugger # [AI](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/ai/) ## Overview - LiveStore is a great fit for building AI applications. - Scenarios: - Local RAG (via sqlite-vec (see [feature request](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/issues/127)) + local LLM e.g. Gemini Nano embedded in Chrome) - Agentic applications ## Example ```ts // TODO (contribution welcome) ``` # [File Management](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/file-management/) ## Overview LiveStore doesn't have built-in support for file management but it's easy to use LiveStore alongside existing file storage solutions (e.g. S3). The basic idea is to store the file metadata (e.g. url, name, size, type) in LiveStore and the file content separately. ## Example ```ts // TODO (contribution welcome) ``` # [ORM](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/orm/) ## Overview - LiveStore has a built-in query builder which should be sufficient for most simple use cases. - You can always fall back to using raw SQL queries if you need more complex queries. - As long as the ORM allows supports synchronously generating SQL statements (and binding parameters), you should be able to use it with LiveStore. - Supported ORMs: - [Knex](https://knexjs.org/) - [Kysely](https://kysely.dev/) - [Drizzle](https://orm.drizzle.team/) - [Objection.js](https://vincit.github.io/objection.js/) - Unsupported ORMs: - [Prisma](https://www.prisma.io/) (because it's async) ## Example ```ts // TODO (contribution welcome) ``` # [Effect](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/effect/) ## Overview LiveStore itself is built on top of [Effect](https://effect.website) which is a powerful library to write production-grade TypeScript code. It's also possible (and recommended) to use Effect directly in your application code. ## Schema LiveStore uses the [Effect Schema](https://effect.website/docs/schema/introduction/) library to define schemas for the following: - Read model table column definitions - Event event payloads definitions - Query response types For convenience, LiveStore re-exports the `Schema` module from the `effect` package, which is the same as if you'd import it via `import { Schema } from 'effect'` directly. ### Example ```ts import { Schema } from '@livestore/livestore' // which is equivalent to (if you have `effect` as a dependency) import { Schema } from 'effect' ``` # [Rich Text Editing](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/rich-text-editing/) ## Overview LiveStore doesn't yet have any built-in support for rich text editing. It's currently recommended to use a purpose-built library (e.g. [Yjs](https://yjs.dev/) or [Automerge](https://automerge.org/)) for this use case in combination with LiveStore. The idea here is to reference the rich text document from within LiveStore's event log and sync both in parallel. ## Example ```ts // TODO ``` # [State Machines](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/state-machines/) ## Overview LiveStore can be used to implement state machines or together with existing state machine libraries (e.g. [XState](https://stately.ai/docs/xstate)). The basic idea is to listen query results and emit events when the query results change. The state machine side effects can then further commit new mutations to LiveStore. ## Example ```ts // TODO (contribution welcome) ``` # [Undo/Redo](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/undo-redo/) ## Overview Undo/redo functionality should be generally modeled through explicit events instead of "removing" events from the event history. ## Example ```ts // TODO (contribution welcome) ``` # [File Structure](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/file-structure/) ## Overview While there are no strict requirements/conventions for how to structure your project (files, folders, etc), a common pattern is to have a `src/livestore` folder which contains all the LiveStore related code. ``` src/ livestore/ index.ts # re-exports everything schema.ts # schema definitions queries.ts # query definitions events.ts # event definitions ... ... ``` # [Devtools](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/devtools/) ## Overview NOTE: Once LiveStore is open source, the devtools will be a [sponsor-only benefit](/misc/sponsoring). ## Features - Real-time data browser with 2-way sync ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/F79hpTCY+) - Query inspector ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/pkr2jqgb+) - Eventlog browser ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/PTgXpcPm+) - Sync status ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/VsKY3KnR+) - Export/import ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/LQKYX6rq+) - Reactivity graph / signals inspector ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/M26FHD6j+) - SQLite playground ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/BcWmLmn2+) ## Adapters ### `@livestore/adapter-web`: Requires the `@livestore/devtools-vite` package to be installed and configured in your Vite config: ```ts // vite.config.js import { livestoreDevtoolsPlugin } from '@livestore/devtools-vite' export default defineConfig({ // ... plugins: [ livestoreDevtoolsPlugin({ schemaPath: './src/livestore/schema.ts' }), ], }) ``` The devtools can be opened in a separate tab (via e.g. `localhost:3000/_livestore/web). You should see the Devtools URL logged in the browser console when running the app. #### Chrome extension You can also use the Devtools Chrome extension. ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/wlM4ybFn+) Please make sure to manually install the extension version matching the LiveStore version you are using by downloading the appropriate version from the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/releases) and installing it manually via `chrome://extensions/`. To install the extension: 1. **Unpack the ZIP file** (e.g. `livestore-devtools-chrome-0.3.0.zip`) into a folder on your computer. 2. Navigate to `chrome://extensions/` and enable **Developer mode** (toggle in the top-right corner). 3. Click **"Load unpacked"** and select the unpacked folder or drag and drop the folder onto the page. ### `@livestore/adapter-expo`: Requires the `@livestore/devtools-expo` package to be installed and configured in your metro config: ```ts // metro.config.js const { getDefaultConfig } = require('expo/metro-config') const { addLiveStoreDevtoolsMiddleware } = require('@livestore/devtools-expo') const config = getDefaultConfig(__dirname) addLiveStoreDevtoolsMiddleware(config, { schemaPath: './src/livestore/schema.ts' }) module.exports = config ``` You can open the devtools by pressing `Shift+m` in the Expo CLI process and then selecting `@livestore/devtools-expo` which will open the devtools in a new tab. ### `@livestore/adapter-node`: Devtools are configured out of the box for the `makePersistedAdapter` variant (note currently not supported for the `makeInMemoryAdapter` variant). You should see the Devtools URL logged when running the app. # [Auth](https://docs.livestore.dev/patterns/auth/) ## Overview LiveStore doesn't include built-in authentication or authorization support, but you can implement it in your app's logic. ## Pass an auth payload to the sync backend Use the `syncPayload` store option to send a custom payload to your sync backend. ### Example The following example sends the authenticated user's JWT to the server. ```tsx ... ``` On the sync server, validate the token and allow or reject the sync based on the result. See the following example: ```ts import { makeDurableObject, makeWorker } from '@livestore/sync-cf/cf-worker' import * as jose from 'jose' const JWT_SECRET = 'a-string-secret-at-least-256-bits-long' export class WebSocketServer extends makeDurableObject({ onPush: async (message) => { console.log('onPush', message.batch) }, onPull: async (message) => { console.log('onPull', message) }, }) {} export default makeWorker({ validatePayload: async (payload: any) => { const { authToken } = payload if (!authToken) { throw new Error('No auth token provided') } const user = await getUserFromToken(authToken) if (!user) { throw new Error('Invalid auth token') } else { // User is authenticated! console.log('Sync backend payload', JSON.stringify(user, null, 2)) } // Check if token is expired if (payload.exp && payload.exp < Date.now() / 1000) { throw new Error('Token expired') } }, enableCORS: true, }) async function getUserFromToken(token: string): Promise { try { const { payload } = await jose.jwtVerify(token, new TextEncoder().encode(JWT_SECRET)) return payload } catch (error) { console.log('⚠️ Error verifying token', error) } } ``` The above example uses [`jose`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/jose), a popular JavaScript module that supports JWTs. It works across various runtimes, including Node.js, Cloudflare Workers, Deno, Bun, and others. The `validatePayload` function receives the `authToken`, checks if the payload exists, and verifies that it's valid and hasn't expired. If all checks pass, sync continues as normal. If any check fails, the server rejects the sync. The client app still works as expected, but saves data locally. If the user re-authenticates or refreshes the token later, LiveStore syncs any local changes made while the user was unauthenticated. # [Events](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/events/) ## Overview ## Event definitions There are two types of events: - `synced`: Events that are synced across clients - `clientOnly`: Events that are only processed locally on the client (but still synced across client sessions e.g. across browser tabs/windows) An event definition consists of a unique name of the event and a schema for the event arguments. It's recommended to version event definitions to make it easier to evolve them over time. Events will be synced across clients and materialized into state (i.e. SQLite tables) via [materializers](/reference/state/materializers). ### Example ```ts // livestore/schema.ts import { Events, Schema, sql } from '@livestore/livestore' export const events = { todoCreated: Events.synced({ name: 'v1.TodoCreated', schema: Schema.Struct({ id: Schema.String, text: Schema.String }), }), todoCompleted: Events.synced({ name: 'v1.TodoCompleted', schema: Schema.Struct({ id: Schema.String }), }), } ``` ### Best Practices - It's strongly recommended to use past-tense event names (e.g. `todoCreated`/`createdTodo` instead of `todoCreate`/`createTodo`) to indicate something already occurred. - TODO: write down more best practices - TODO: mention AI linting (either manually or via a CI step) - core idea: feed list of best practices to AI and check if events adhere to them + get suggestions if not - It's recommended to avoid `DELETE` events and instead use soft-deletes (e.g. add a `deleted` date/boolean column with a default value of `null`). This helps avoid some common concurrency issues. ### Schema evolution - Event definitions can't be removed after they were added to your app. - Event schema definitions can be evolved as long as the changes are forward-compatible. - That means data encoded with the old schema can be decoded with the new schema. - In practice, this means ... - for structs ... - you can add new fields if they have default values or are optional - you can remove fields ## Commiting events ```ts // somewhere in your app import { events } from './livestore/schema.js' store.commit( events.todoCreated({ id: '1', text: 'Buy milk' }) ) ``` ## Eventlog The history of all events that have been committed is stored forms the "eventlog". It is persisted in the client as well as in the sync backend. Example `eventlog.db`: ![](https://share.cleanshot.com/R6ny879w+) # [OpenTelemetry](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/opentelemetry/) ## Overview LiveStore has built-in support for OpenTelemetry. ## Usage with React ```tsx // otel.ts const makeTracer = () => { const url = import.meta.env.VITE_OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT const provider = new WebTracerProvider({ spanProcessors: [new SimpleSpanProcessor(new OTLPTraceExporter({ url }))], }) provider.register() return provider.getTracer('livestore') } export const tracer = makeTracer() // In your main entry file import { tracer } from './otel.js' export const App: React.FC = () => ( ) // And in your `livestore.worker.ts` import { tracer } from './otel.js' makeWorker({ schema, otelOptions: { tracer } }) ``` # [Reactivity System](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/reactivity-system/) ## Overview LiveStore has a high-performance, fine-grained reactivity system built in which is similar to Signals (e.g. in [SolidJS](https://docs.solidjs.com/concepts/signals)). ## Defining reactive state LiveStore provides 3 types of reactive state: - Reactive SQL queries on top of SQLite state (`queryDb()`) - Reactive state values (`signal()`) - Reactive computed values (`computed()`) Reactive state variables end on a `$` by convention (e.g. `todos$`). The `label` option is optional but can be used to identify the reactive state variable in the devtools. ### Reactive SQL queries ```ts import { queryDb } from '@livestore/livestore' const todos$ = queryDb(tables.todos.orderBy('createdAt', 'desc'), { label: 'todos$' }) // Or using callback syntax to depend on other queries const todos$ = queryDb((get) => { const { showCompleted } = get(uiState$) return tables.todos.where(showCompleted ? { completed: true } : {}) }, { label: 'todos$' }) ``` ### Signals Signals are reactive state values that can be set and get. This can be useful for state that is not materialized from events into SQLite tables. ```ts import { signal } from '@livestore/livestore' const now$ = signal(Date.now(), { label: 'now$' }) setInterval(() => { store.setSignal(now$, Date.now()) }, 1000) // Counter example const num$ = signal(0, { label: 'num$' }) const increment = () => store.setSignal(num$, (prev) => prev + 1) increment() increment() console.log(store.query(num$)) // 2 ``` ### Computed values ```ts import { computed } from '@livestore/livestore' const num$ = signal(0, { label: 'num$' }) const duplicated$ = computed((get) => get(num$) * 2, { label: 'duplicated$' }) ``` ## Accessing reactive state Reactive state is always bound to a `Store` instance. You can access the current value of reactive state the following ways: ### Using the `Store` instance ```ts // One-off query const count = store.query(count$) // By subscribing to the reactive state value const unsub = count$.subscribe((count) => { console.log(count) }) ``` ### Via framework integrations #### React ```ts import { useQuery } from '@livestore/react' const MyComponent = () => { const value = useQuery(state$) return
{value}
} ``` #### Solid ```ts import { query } from '@livestore/solid' const MyComponent = () => { const value = query(state$) return
{value}
} ``` ## Further reading - [Riffle](https://riffle.systems/essays/prelude/): Building data-centric apps with a reactive relational database - [Adapton](http://adapton.org/) / [miniAdapton](https://arxiv.org/pdf/1609.05337) ## Related technologies - [Signia](https://signia.tldraw.dev/): Signia is a minimal, fast, and scalable signals library for TypeScript developed by TLDraw. # [Store](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/store/) ## Overview The `Store` is the most common way to interact with LiveStore from your application code. It provides a way to query data, commit events, and subscribe to data changes. ## Creating a store For how to create a store in React, see the [React integration docs](/reference/framework-integrations/react-integration). The following example shows how to create a store manually: ```ts import { createStorePromise } from '@livestore/livestore' import { schema } from './livestore/schema.js' const adapter = // ... const store = await createStorePromise({ schema, adapter, storeId: 'some-store-id', }) ``` ## Using a store ### Querying data ```ts const todos = store.query(tables.todos) ``` ### Subscribing to data ```ts const unsubscribe = store.subscribe(tables.todos, (todos) => { console.log(todos) }) ``` ### Committing events ```ts store.commit(events.todoCreated({ id: '1', text: 'Buy milk' })) ``` ### Shutting down a store ```ts await store.shutdown() ``` ## Multiple Stores You can create and use multiple stores in the same app. This can be useful when breaking up your data model into smaller pieces. ## Development/debugging helpers A store instance also exposes a `_dev` property that contains some helpful methods for development. For convenience you can access a store on `globalThis`/`window` like via `__debugLiveStore.default._dev` (`default` is the store id): ```ts // Download the SQLite database __debugLiveStore.default._dev.downloadDb() // Download the eventlog database __debugLiveStore.default._dev.downloadEventlogDb() // Reset the store __debugLiveStore.default._dev.hardReset() // See the current sync state __debugLiveStore.default._dev.syncStates() ``` # [Custom Elements](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/framework-integrations/custom-elements/) ## Overview import { Code } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; import customElementsCode from '../../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-custom-elements/src/main.ts?raw' LiveStore can be used with custom elements/web components. ## Example See [examples](/examples) for a complete example. # [Solid integration](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/framework-integrations/solid-integration/) ## Overview import { Code } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; import solidStoreCode from '../../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-solid/src/livestore/store.tsx?raw' import solidMainSectionCode from '../../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc-solid/src/components/MainSection.tsx?raw' ## Example See [examples](/examples) for a complete example. # [React integration for LiveStore](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/framework-integrations/react-integration/) ## Overview While LiveStore is framework agnostic, the `@livestore/react` package provides a first-class integration with React. ## Features - High performance - Fine-grained reactivity (using LiveStore's signals-based reactivity system) - Instant, synchronous query results (without the need for `useEffect` and `isLoading` checks) - Transactional state transitions (via `batchUpdates`) - Also supports Expo / React Native via `@livestore/adapter-expo` ## API ### `LiveStoreProvider` In order to use LiveStore with React, you need to wrap your application in a `LiveStoreProvider`. ```tsx import { LiveStoreProvider } from '@livestore/react' import { unstable_batchedUpdates as batchUpdates } from 'react-dom' const Root = () => { return ( ) } ``` ### useStore ```tsx import { useStore } from '@livestore/react' const MyComponent = () => { const { store } = useStore() React.useEffect(() => { store.commit(tables.todos.insert({ id: '1', text: 'Hello, world!' })) }, []) return
...
} ``` ### useQuery ```tsx import { useStore } from '@livestore/react' const query$ = tables.todos.query.where({ completed: true }).orderBy('createdAt', 'desc') const CompletedTodos = () => { const { store } = useStore() const todos = store.useQuery(query$) return
{todos.map((todo) =>
{todo.text}
)}
} ``` ### useClientDocument ```tsx import { useStore } from '@livestore/react' const TodoItem = ({ id }: { id: string }) => { const { store } = useStore() const [todo, updateTodo] = store.useClientDocument(tables.todos, id) return
updateTodo({ text: 'Hello, world!' })}>{todo.text}
} ``` ## Usage with ... ### Vite LiveStore works with Vite out of the box. ### Tanstack Start LiveStore works with Tanstack Start out of the box. ### Expo / React Native LiveStore has a first-class integration with Expo / React Native via `@livestore/adapter-expo`. ### Next.js Given various Next.js limitations, LiveStore doesn't yet work with Next.js out of the box. ## Technical notes - `@livestore/react` uses `React.useState` under the hood for `useQuery` / `useClientDocument` to bind LiveStore's reactivity to React's reactivity. Some libraries are using `React.useExternalSyncStore` for similar purposes but using `React.useState` in this case is more efficient and all that's needed for LiveStore. - `@livestore/react` supports React Strict Mode. # [SQLite State Schema](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/state/sqlite-schema/) ## Overview import { Code, Tabs, TabItem } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; import schemaCode from '../../../../../../examples/standalone/web-todomvc/src/livestore/schema.ts?raw' LiveStore provides a schema definition language for defining your database tables and mutation definitions. LiveStore automatically migrates your database schema when you change your schema definitions. ### Example ### Schema migrations Migration strategies: - `auto`: Automatically migrate the database to the newest schema and rematerializes the state from the eventlog. - `manual`: Manually migrate the database to the newest schema. ### Client documents - Meant for convenience - Client-only - Goal: Similar ease of use as `React.useState` - When schema changes in a non-backwards compatible way, previous events are dropped and the state is reset - Don't use client documents for sensitive data which must not be lost - Implies - Table with `id` and `value` columns - `${MyTable}Set` event + materializer (which are auto-registered) ### Column types #### Core SQLite column types - `State.SQLite.text`: A text field, returns `string`. - `State.SQLite.integer`: An integer field, returns `number`. - `State.SQLite.real`: A real field (floating point number), returns `number`. - `State.SQLite.blob`: A blob field (binary data), returns `Uint8Array`. #### Higher level column types - `State.SQLite.boolean`: An integer field that stores `0` for `false` and `1` for `true` and returns a `boolean`. - `State.SQLite.json`: A text field that stores a stringified JSON object and returns a decoded JSON value. - `State.SQLite.datetime`: A text field that stores dates as ISO 8601 strings and returns a `Date`. - `State.SQLite.datetimeInteger`: A integer field that stores dates as the number of milliseconds since the epoch and returns a `Date`. #### Custom column schemas You can also provide a custom schema for a column which is used to automatically encode and decode the column value. #### Example: JSON-encoded struct ```ts import { State, Schema } from '@livestore/livestore' export const UserMetadata = Schema.Struct({ petName: Schema.String, favoriteColor: Schema.Literal('red', 'blue', 'green'), }) export const userTable = State.SQLite.table({ name: 'user', columns: { id: State.SQLite.text({ primaryKey: true }), name: State.SQLite.text(), metadata: State.SQLite.json({ schema: UserMetadata }), } }) ``` ## Best Practices - It's usually recommend to **not distinguish** between app state vs app data but rather keep all state in LiveStore. - This means you'll rarely use `React.useState` when using LiveStore - In some cases for "fast changing values" it can make sense to keep a version of a state value outside of LiveStore with a reactive setter for React and a debounced setter for LiveStore to avoid excessive LiveStore mutations. Cases where this can make sense can include: - Text input / rich text editing - Scroll position tracking, resize events, move/drag events - ... # [SQLite in LiveStore](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/state/sqlite/) ## Overview LiveStore heavily uses SQLite as its default state/read model. ## Implementation notes - LiveStore relies on the following SQLite extensions to be available: `-DSQLITE_ENABLE_BYTECODE_VTAB -DSQLITE_ENABLE_SESSION -DSQLITE_ENABLE_PREUPDATE_HOOK` - [bytecode](https://www.sqlite.org/bytecodevtab.html) - [session](https://www.sqlite.org/sessionintro.html) (incl. preupdate) - For web / node adapater: - LiveStore uses [a fork](https://github.com/livestorejs/wa-sqlite) of the [wa-sqlite](https://github.com/rhashimoto/wa-sqlite) SQLite WASM library. - In the future LiveStore might use a non-WASM build for Node/Bun/Deno/etc. - For Expo adapter: - LiveStore uses the official expo-sqlite library which supports LiveStore's SQLite requirements. - LiveStore uses the `session` extension to enable efficient database rollback which is needed when the eventlog is rolled back as part of a rebase. An alternative implementation strategy would be to rely on snapshotting (i.e. periodically create database snapshots and roll back to the latest snapshot + applied missing mutations). # [Electron Adapter](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/platform-adapters/electron-adapter/) ## Overview LiveStore doesn't yet support Electron (see [this issue](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/issues/296) for more details). # [Tauri Adapter](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/platform-adapters/tauri-adapter/) ## Overview LiveStore doesn't yet support Tauri (see [this issue](https://github.com/livestorejs/livestore/issues/125) for more details). # [Syncing](https://docs.livestore.dev/reference/syncing//) ## Overview ## How it works LiveStore is based on [the idea of event-sourcing](/evaluation/event-sourcing) which means it syncs events across clients (via a central sync backend) and then materializes the events in the local SQLite database. This means LiveStore isn't syncing the SQLite database itself directly but only the events that are used to materialize the database making sure it's kept in sync across clients. The syncing mechanism is similar to how Git works in that regard that it's based on a "push/pull" model. Upstream events always need to be pulled before a client can push its own events to preserve a [global total order of events](https://medium.com/baseds/ordering-distributed-events-29c1dd9d1eff). Local pending events which haven't been pushed yet need to be rebased on top of the latest upstream events before they can be pushed.