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Understanding offline-first

Offline-first is an approach to application development that prioritizes the offline experience, ensuring your app works seamlessly regardless of network connectivity. PocketSync is built with offline-first principles at its core.

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Key Principles

Local-First Data

Store all essential data locally and treat the local database as the primary source of truth.

Optimistic UI Updates

Apply UI changes immediately without waiting for server confirmation, then reconcile later.

Background Synchronization

Sync data in the background when connectivity is restored without user intervention.

Conflict Resolution

Handle conflicts that arise when the same data is modified in different offline states.

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Testing offline capabilities

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Manual testing

  1. Airplane mode test: Toggle airplane mode on and off to simulate connectivity changes and verify data syncs when connection is restored
  2. Slow network test: Use network throttling tools to simulate poor connectivity and ensure the app remains responsive
  3. Extended offline test: Keep the app offline for several days, make multiple changes, then reconnect to verify all changes synchronize properly

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Best practices

Building offline-first applications with PocketSync enables your users to have a seamless experience regardless of network conditions. By implementing these best practices, you can create applications that are resilient, responsive, and user-friendly:

  1. Design for offline first: Assume users will frequently be offline and design your app’s workflow accordingly
  2. Implement optimistic UI: Update the interface immediately without waiting for server confirmation
  3. Handle conflicts intelligently: Choose appropriate conflict resolution strategies for different data types
  4. Test thoroughly: Simulate various network conditions to ensure your app functions reliably in all scenarios

Learn more about conflict resolution

Dive deeper into how PocketSync handles data conflicts