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StrataNote features built-in collaborative mechanisms that prevent authors from overwriting each other’s edits, coupled with comprehensive version tracking for each document.

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1. Document Locking (Conflict Prevention)

To prevent edit conflicts, the system uses real-time lock management powered by Socket.io:
  • Acquiring a Lock: Opening a note in Edit mode automatically requests an exclusive lock from the server. You become the active editor.
  • Read-only Mode for Others: Other users opening the same note will see a “Locked by: [Username]” indicator at the bottom of the screen, and their editor defaults to ReadOnly mode.
  • Releasing a Lock: Locks are released automatically when you switch to another tab/note, close the editor, or disconnect (e.g., closing your browser tab, tracked via heartbeat checks).

Screenshot: Locked Document in ReadOnly Mode

Interface Preview: Editor in viewing mode. The save button is disabled, and the status bar displays: 🔒 Locked by: John Doe (Read-only). Key elements: Lock status indicator and disabled editing tools.

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2. Suggest Mode

If a document is locked by another co-author, but you need to submit edits immediately, you can use Suggest Mode:
  1. Click the “Suggest Changes” button (available on locked documents).
  2. Edit the text and click “Save Suggestion” (or use the hotkey Ctrl + S / Cmd + S).
  3. Your changes are saved on the server as a draft suggestion without altering the live document.

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Suggestion Moderation

Only the document creator and system administrators can moderate suggestions:
  • The moderator opens the “Suggestions” panel on the right sidebar.
  • Reviews the line-by-line Diff (visual changes) between the original document and the proposed version.
  • Clicks “Accept” or “Reject”.
  • Upon acceptance, the system applies a Three-Way Merge algorithm to merge the edits cleanly without breaking other concurrent changes.

Screenshot: Suggestion Moderation Panel

Interface Preview: The “Suggestions” side panel is open. It lists active suggestions with authors’ names. Selecting a suggestion displays color-coded diff lines (green additions, red deletions) with Accept and Reject actions.

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3. Version History & Diff-Viewer

Every save event is recorded in the SQLite database as an independent revision. You can roll back changes at any time:
  • Viewing History: Click the “Version History” clock icon in the editor toolbar.
  • Comparing Changes (Diff): Select a version from the list to open the comparison view (DiffViewer.tsx):
    • Red lines represent deleted text.
    • Green lines represent added text.
    • The view compares version N against version N-1, showing exactly what changed in that specific revision.
  • Restoring a Version: Click the “Restore” button next to a revision. This overwrites the current file on the server’s disk with the selected revision and adds a new restore entry to the history.

Screenshot: Interactive Diff-Viewer

Interface Preview: A split-screen comparison window. The left sidebar list shows revision cards (Version #3, Version #2, Version #1), and the main workspace shows color-coded text diffs with a “Restore” button active in the header.

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4. Exporting & Downloading Files (.md)

You can download a copy of the note locally, even in read-only mode or when the document is locked by someone else.
  • Click the “Download MD” icon in the editor toolbar.
  • StrataNote saves the file directly to your computer as a .md file named after the note’s title.

Screenshot: Download Button in Editor Toolbar

Interface Preview: The toolbar at the top of the editor showing the arrow-down icon highlighted for downloading files.

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5. Document Ownership & Reassignment

Each document and folder in StrataNote has a designated owner (created_by field).
  • Direct Edit Rights: Non-admin users can directly edit files only if they are the document owner. Non-owners are directed to Suggest Mode.
  • External Files: Files created directly on disk or indexed at startup default to the “External System” owner.
  • Transferring Ownership (Admins only): System administrators can reassign document or folder ownership to any registered user or back to “External System”:
    1. Hover over a file or folder in the sidebar tree and click the “Change Owner” (user icon) button, or click “Change” next to the owner name in the Version History panel or editor footer.
    2. Select the new owner from the user dropdown list.
    3. For folders, option to check “Apply to all subfiles and folders” to update all nested items recursively.
    4. Click “Change”. Ownership and permissions update instantly across all connected clients via WebSockets.