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.
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.
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- 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
install.packages("automerge")Building from source requires Rust >= 1.80 (rustup.rs) and CMake >= 3.25 (included in Rtools43+ on Windows).
- 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
- 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
MIT License. See LICENSE for details. This package includes the automerge-c library (also MIT licensed)