Kill the loading spinner with local-first data and reactive SQL

"Instead of asking a remote server for permission to change a number, your app writes state directly to a local SQLite database running in the browser (via WebAssembly). A sophisticated background engine then handles the hard work of syncing those changes to the cloud and other devices."

"For React developers, the best part is that we remain in the reactive paradigm. Even though we are writing raw SQL queries, the shuffling of the data is handled for us. Our UI components subscribe to the database, and when the data changes (whether locally from a user click or an inbound sync update from the cloud), the UI updates instantly."

"This idea isn't brand new. Developers have been doing this kind of thing in one fashion or another for years (think of how some apps work offline). But this new-generation stack feels different, and it's starting to see broader appeal."

"When you use Spotify, you don't download their entire multi-million song catalog. You just download your list and, even if you are offline, you listen to your music lag-free. This is the same kind of model we are building with local-first data, but with a lot of extra power."

A local-first architecture enables instant interactivity by writing app state directly to an in-browser SQLite database. Changes are made without requesting permission from a remote server. A background syncing engine then propagates those local updates to the cloud and other devices when connectivity is available. React developers keep a reactive programming model because UI components subscribe to database state. When data changes locally or arrives from inbound sync updates, the UI updates immediately. The approach avoids downloading entire remote datasets by syncing only needed state, similar to how music apps work offline while maintaining eventual data symmetry with the backend.

Read at InfoWorld