What it is
I wanted to build a suite of apps quickly, and have every one of them share the same values:
- Private by default. Your data belongs to you, and the server can't read it.
- Works anywhere. On the subway or in a coffee shop with bad Wi-Fi, the app keeps working.
- As accessible as possible. Everything runs on the web, so there's nothing to download and no app store in the way.
Starling is the library that gives each app those properties out of the box, so a new app can focus on what makes it different. Notebook is the first app built on it.
How it's built
- A local database in the browser. Each app reads and writes to its own database on the device, so everything is instant and works offline. Sync happens in the background.
- End-to-end encryption. Everything that syncs is encrypted on the device with a key only your passphrase unlocks. The server only ever relays data it can't read.
- A small server on Cloudflare. Each account's synced data lives in its own Durable Object, with sign-in by emailed code. One function call sets it all up for a new app.
- Three packages. A browser client, React hooks, and the server, so starting a new app is mostly wiring rather than rebuilding sync.