Offline Support

[stnguyen90]

Hello all 👋🏼

Since offline support has been such a highly requested feature, we've been hard at work updating our SDKs to work offline. We've started with the Flutter SDK and plan to add support in the other client SDKs after some testing and feedback.

For details on the design and implementation, please take a look at our RFC.

Getting Started

First, you need to use this branch of the SDK. You can do so by updating the pubspec.yaml. Refer to the Dart docs for more details on how to do this.

Next, to enable offline support, call await client.setOfflinePersistency(status: true) like:

client = Client()
  .setEndpoint(constants.appwriteEndpoint)
  .setProject(constants.appwriteProjectId)
  .setSelfSigned(status: constants.appwriteSelfSigned);

// initialize offline support and process queued write operations
await client.setOfflinePersistency(status: true);

One very important thing is that write operations will not resolve until online again, so you have to update your code to update optimistically. For example:

  void submitTodo() async {
    final messenger = ScaffoldMessenger.of(context);
    final newTodo = Todo(
      content: inputController.text,
      id: ID.unique(),
    );

    // create optimistically
    databases.createDocument(
      databaseId: constants.appwriteDatabaseId,
      collectionId: constants.appwriteCollectionId,
      documentId: newTodo.id,
      data: {"content": newTodo.content, "isComplete": newTodo.isComplete},
    ).catchError((e) {
      // handle errors
      messenger.showSnackBar(createErrorSnackBar(e.toString()));
      todos.remove(newTodo);
    });

    inputController.text = '';
    setState(() {
      todos.add(newTodo);
    });
  }

For a sample app with Offline Support, check out our Todo with Flutter.

Next Steps

Join us on Discord if you need any help. We'd love to get your feedback on how offline support works for you, so feel free to post below!

[Vedsaga]

It would nice, if we can difference between the document that is already sync in server & document that is not sync.

distinction will allow help, show some warning to user or put some limitation on deleting document or etc... possible scenario.

[hortigado]

Hi, i need it in the 9,0,0 version flutter . Thanks

[stnguyen90]

@hortigado, what exactly are you looking for from 9.0.0?

[hortigado]

@stnguyen90 hi, relationships, I get the error User class does not exist

[TechupBusiness]

Wow finally, awesome!! You just won me as a new developer using appwrite over competing products! 👍

[Vedsaga]

I am not sure if it's supported yet. If it's already then it's HUGE...

Request is documents gets Sync Attribute data automatically that have changed from server. Which mean, if let's say user A created a order, then went offline and other side some other user B updated the item in that order. So, next-time when user A come online he want to see latest change to do that right now whole documents have to be re-fetched. As, in client side it doesn't know which portion of data have changed.

So, in future what could possible is when user A back-online a connection gets open immediately between client
& server and as Appwrite server keeps track of which part have changed it try to send only those and then that changes get saved locally.

[hortigado]

Hello, I have been testing it and it works very well.

• A feature that could be implemented I think would be to be able to queue "listDocuments" requests and allow an action to be performed when the request is made when the user connects to the Internet. This would help, for example, if the user goes to a page but does not have the data stored locally, send an alert that connects to the Internet and when the user connects to the Internet, in the background to be able to update the information on the page;
• The same for "createDocument" to be able to throw an alert or something when the information is sent to appwrite.

[Grober976]

Hola @hortigado queria saber si te funciono para la version 9.0.0

[hortigado]

@Grober976 si pero aún está muy verde, por ejemplo no puedes editar un documento creado offline. Ahora estoy implementando con el paquete brick.

[Grober976]

Gracias, Mi otra duda iba a que setOfflinePersistency. no esta definido para client, ¿lograste ver eso? Gracias Nuevamente

[hortigado]

@Grober976 seguramente no estás usando la rama offline de GitHub ya que no está en la rama principal está funcion

[ThalesVonMilet]

Hi I am so happy about this new feature and hope to use it in the future instead of my own solution.

The only questions/wishes I have would be that I could watch documents or stuff offline via realtime or listen to the local database somehow. Also I wanted to ask if theres a possibility to insert executions/Objects as documents for example I have some functions that return me a document of a certain collection. But the thing that would be very helpful for me would be away to look for something offline first before asking the server for it or even better look only offline for it.

But as said before most of all I am very thankful for this solution and think your doing great work at appwrite :)

[chernushevich]

This would be amazing. What is the theoretical timeline for this coming to Apple SDK - 6 months, a year, more?

[luke-stdev001]

I'm interested to know this as well. We're considering this for a sizeable project, and offline support in some form in both Swift and Kotlin SDK's would be incredible.

[zs-dima]

Awesome feature.
@stnguyen90 @eldadfux
It could be nice to use the most relible local storage for every platform.
For example, specially for Flutter
Mobile: SQLite (ACID + https://www.sqlite.org/testing.html)
Web: SQLite+Wasm when browser support it or IndexDB in other case.
https://drift.simonbinder.eu/web/#storages

Keen to see solution :)

[sabinjose]

Hi Could you please let me know when flutter offline support will be production ready?
Just waiting for it to migrate to Appwrite.

[hortigado]

I am using the package brick for the moment

[hortigado]

although electricsql seems much better to me.

[alterhuman]

Yeah I was planning to go for managed Postgres + Electric if Appwrite will take time to provide offline support.

[cahofmeyr]

I am waiting for AppWrite to support Postgres so that we can integrate PowerSync with it

[sabinjose]

I am stuck with firebase currently. Planning to swich to Appwrite or some other self hosted solution soon. Offline support is a blocker to do that.

[moshOntong-IT]

I prefer Isar Database for flutter offline database support

[hortigado]

Have you encountered any problems or limitations with isar?

[Xyndra]

Two questions:

1. What happens to the data after the app gets closed?
2. What happens to the pending requests if the app gets closed?

[fivestones]

Any progress on this lately? I'm especially looking forward to iOS.

[jamespet77]

Any updates? Current version is 11.0.1 and offline support is reporting 9.0.0 and is failing. Any plans on this? Roadmap?

[Sun3]

I am also looking for updates on this Offline Support features. It's a must feature for any mobile app.

Thanks.

[Sun3]

I am also looking for an update and any approximate timelines for offline sync support. A must for any mobile apps these days.

Thanks.

[minecrawler]

Offline sync is also great for any web app these days! OOTB support for general Progressive Web App standards would be great.

[AliYar-Khan]

yeah this is a must feature. Looking forward to have it

[nathanael540]

Hello, does anyone have an example of how to use Appwrite with brick?

[danieeelfc]

Looking forward for appwrite offline solution.

Currently I'm considering Supabase + Powersync but the cost would be $74 monthly. Appwrite would be only $15.

[algoflows]

Did this ever get implemented? @stnguyen90

[samuel-kings]

Did this ever get implemented? @stnguyen90

Not at the moment