I’m working on a web app for team document editing. I want it to be like Google Docs but hosted on our own servers. Here’s what I’m looking for:
Full text editing features
Real-time collaboration for multiple users
Custom storage solution
I’ve looked at a few options like OpenOffice API and Microsoft Office Web Apps, but I’m not sure which one fits all my needs. Can anyone suggest a good API or solution that covers all these bases?
Also, am I missing anything important? I feel like I might be overlooking some key features or limitations.
Have you considered using CKEditor 5 for your collaborative editing needs? It’s a powerful, open-source rich text editor that supports real-time collaboration out of the box. I’ve used it in a similar project, and it was quite robust.
For storage, you might want to look into Firebase Realtime Database or MongoDB with change streams. These can handle real-time updates efficiently and scale well.
One thing you might be overlooking is version control. It’s crucial for collaborative editing. Consider implementing a system to track changes and allow users to revert to previous versions if needed.
Also, don’t forget about user permissions and access control. You’ll want to ensure that only authorized users can edit specific documents.
Lastly, consider the performance implications of multiple users editing simultaneously. You may need to implement rate limiting or optimize your backend to handle concurrent edits smoothly.
I’ve been down this road before, and let me tell you, it’s not an easy journey. We tried building our own collaborative editing solution from scratch, and it was a nightmare. Eventually, we settled on using Quill.js as our rich text editor, coupled with ShareDB for real-time collaboration. It worked well for us, but it did require quite a bit of custom work to get it all integrated smoothly.
One thing I’d strongly recommend is focusing on conflict resolution. When multiple people are editing the same document, conflicts are bound to happen. Make sure your system can handle these gracefully. We spent weeks ironing out issues related to this.
Also, don’t underestimate the importance of a good undo/redo system in a collaborative environment. It’s much more complex than in a single-user scenario. And if you’re planning on supporting offline editing and syncing, be prepared for a whole new level of complexity. Trust me, it’s worth considering these aspects early in your development process.
hey ethant, check out ProseMirror. it’s pretty solid for collab editing and has good docs. i used it for a similar project. for storage, maybe look into CouchDB? it handles real-time sync well. don’t forget bout handling network issues tho - that can be a pain. good luck with ur project!