New algorithms for collaborative text editing

Slides from a talk given at Strange Loop, 22 September 2023
https://martin.kleppmann.com/2023/09/22/strange-loop.html
https://thestrangeloop.com/2023/new-algorithms-for-collaborative-text-editing.html

Abstract:

Real-time collaboration made apps like Google Docs and Figma popular, and many other apps have also been adding similar features. However, the algorithms that enable collaboration are surprisingly tricky, even for seemingly simple data types like text. In this talk I will share insights from our recent research on collaborative text editing, answering questions such as: How can we combine ideas from version control, such as branches and pull requests, with real-time sharing? And how can we move from cloud-centric apps to a more decentralised, local-first model of software without sacrificing features or performance?

Transcript

9. https://www.inkandswitch.com/upwelling/
58. https://www.inkandswitch.com/peritext/
83. References • Karissa Rae McKelvey, Scott Jenson, Eileen Wagner, Blaine Cook, and Martin Kleppmann. Upwelling: Combining real-time collaboration with version control for writers. Ink & Switch, 2023. https://www.inkandswitch.com/upwelling/ • Geoffrey Litt, Sarah Lim, Martin Kleppmann, and Peter van Hardenberg. Peritext: A CRDT for Collaborative Rich Text Editing. ACM CSCW 2022. https://www.inkandswitch.com/peritext/ • Martin Kleppmann, Adam Wiggins, Peter van Hardenberg, and Mark McGranaghan. Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud. Onward! 2019. https://www.inkandswitch.com/local-first/ • Automerge documentation at https://automerge.org/ 83