R Bindings for 'Automerge' 'CRDT' Library

Provides R bindings to the 'Automerge' Conflict-free Replicated Data Type ('CRDT') library. 'Automerge' enables automatic merging of concurrent changes without conflicts, making it ideal for distributed systems, collaborative applications, and offline-first architectures. The approach of local-first software was proposed in Kleppmann, M., Wiggins, A., van Hardenberg, P., McGranaghan, M. (2019) . This package supports all 'Automerge' data types (maps, lists, text, counters) and provides both low-level and high-level synchronization protocols for seamless interoperability with 'JavaScript' and other 'Automerge' implementations.

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: a26e2fff578b912adf737c1f42b31cf6 
#> Root keys: 3 
#> Keys: experiment, humidity, temperature
bob
#> <Automerge Document>
#> Actor: 5c5c438d5790f152a619bc6f76ebef80 
#> 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 >= 1.85 (rustup.rs).

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

Related Projects

• autosync - automerge-repo compatible R sync server and client

License

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