automerge

Conflict-free data synchronization for R

automerge brings Automerge CRDTs (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) to R, enabling automatic merging of concurrent changes across distributed systems without conflicts. Work offline, collaborate in real-time, or sync across platforms—changes merge automatically.

Why Automerge?

Traditional approaches to distributed data either require a central server to coordinate changes or force developers to write complex conflict resolution logic. Automerge’s CRDT technology automatically merges concurrent changes with mathematical guarantees, eliminating the need for coordination and making distributed systems dramatically simpler.

Quick Example

library(automerge)

# Two researchers working independently
alice <- am_create()
alice$experiment <- "trial_001"
alice$temperature <- 23.5
am_commit(alice, "Alice's data")

bob <- am_create()
bob$experiment <- "trial_002"
bob$humidity <- 65
am_commit(bob, "Bob's data")

# Later, sync with zero conflicts
am_sync(alice, bob)
alice
#> <Automerge Document>
#> Actor: e5f2557c243b2ced27187d9daa230154 
#> Root keys: 3 
#> Keys: experiment, humidity, temperature
bob
#> <Automerge Document>
#> Actor: af4c6407ae26f633c5f219ff9b014517 
#> Root keys: 3 
#> Keys: experiment, humidity, temperature

Key Features

Familiar R syntax: Work with CRDT documents like regular R lists
Rich data types: Maps, lists, text objects, counters, and timestamps
Collaborative text editing: Cursors and marks for rich text applications
Bidirectional sync: High-level am_sync() or low-level protocol access
Offline-first: Make changes offline, merge when connected
Cross-platform: Interoperates with JavaScript and other Automerge implementations
Zero dependencies: Only base R required at runtime

Installation

install.packages("automerge")

Building from source requires Rust >= 1.80 (rustup.rs) and CMake >= 3.25 (included in Rtools43+ on Windows).

Documentation

Getting Started: Introduction and basic usage
Quick Reference: Function reference organized by task
CRDT Concepts: Understanding conflict-free data types
Sync Protocol: Low-level synchronization details
Cross-Platform Synchronization: Interoperability with JavaScript and other platforms
Function Reference: Complete API documentation

External Resources

Automerge Website - Official Automerge documentation and guides
Automerge GitHub - Automerge source code
Local-first software - The philosophy behind Automerge

autosync - automerge-repo compatible R sync server
autoedit - Collaborative code editor widget for R and Shiny

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details. This package includes the automerge-c library (also MIT licensed)