Real-time Sync

Experience seamless collaboration with instant updates across all your devices.

Et'al keeps your data synchronized in real-time across all devices and team members. Changes made anywhere appear everywhere instantly.

How It Works

WebSocket Connection

When you open Et'al, a persistent WebSocket connection is established:

1. Connection - Secure WebSocket connects to our servers
2. Subscription - You subscribe to relevant data channels
3. Updates - Changes are pushed instantly to all subscribers
4. Sync - Your local state updates automatically

Conflict Resolution

When multiple users edit the same item:

• Last write wins for simple fields (status, dates)
• Operational transforms for collaborative text editing
• Merge strategies for complex data
• Conflict notifications when manual resolution needed

Real-time Features

Live Presence

See who's viewing the same content:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Project: Q1 Marketing Campaign              │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ 👤 You    👤 Sarah (editing)    👤 Mike     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Instant Updates

Changes appear immediately:

Live Notifications

Get notified instantly when:

• You're @mentioned in a comment
• A task is assigned to you
• Someone replies to your comment
• A deadline is approaching

Connection Status

Status Indicators

The app shows your connection status:

Automatic Reconnection

If your connection drops:

1. Immediate retry - Attempts reconnection instantly
2. Exponential backoff - Retries with increasing delays
3. Queue changes - Local edits are queued
4. Sync on reconnect - All changes sync when connected

Offline Mode

Offline Capabilities

Work without internet:

• View cached data
• Create new tasks and notes
• Edit existing items
• Changes queue for sync

Sync Queue

View pending changes:

1. Tap the connection status indicator
2. See list of pending changes
3. Manually trigger sync when back online

Data Availability

What's available offline depends on caching:

Collaboration Features

Real-time Comments

Comments appear instantly:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Comments                                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 👤 Sarah (just now)                         │
│    Updated the deadline to next Friday      │
│ ────────────────────────────────────────    │
│ 👤 You (typing...)                          │
│    █                                        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Activity Stream

The activity stream updates live:

• No refresh needed
• New items appear at top
• Smooth animations for new entries
• Timestamps update automatically

Collaborative Editing

For supported fields:

• See cursors of other editors
• Changes merge automatically
• Undo/redo per user
• Version history available

Performance

Bandwidth Optimization

• Delta updates only (not full data)
• Compressed WebSocket messages
• Intelligent batching
• Selective subscriptions

Battery Efficiency

On mobile devices:

• Efficient background sync
• Adaptive polling when minimized
• Wake locks only when needed
• Respects battery saver mode

Security

Encrypted Connection

All sync traffic is encrypted:

• TLS 1.3 encryption
• Certificate pinning on mobile
• Secure WebSocket (WSS)

Access Control

Real-time updates respect permissions:

• Only authorized data is synced
• Permission changes take effect immediately
• Revoked access stops sync instantly

Troubleshooting

Sync Not Working

1. Check your internet connection
2. Refresh the page (Ctrl/Cmd + R)
3. Check for browser/app updates
4. Clear cache and try again

Stale Data

If data seems outdated:

1. Pull to refresh on mobile
2. Click the sync icon in the header
3. Check connection status
4. Try signing out and back in

Related

• Offline Mode - Working offline
• Dashboard - Real-time dashboard
• Mobile App - Sync on mobile