Core Concepts

This page explains how the editor works at a high level — so you can understand what’s happening as you edit, save, and sync your data.

What this editor is designed for

Safe JSON editing
Full version history
Easy comparison between changes
Predictable behavior across tabs and devices

How everything works together

You open a document
You start editing — changes apply instantly
Changes are saved automatically in the background
A new version is created
Other tabs or devices receive updates
You can review, compare, or restore versions

One editor at a time

Only one tab can edit a document at a time.

The active tab → editable
Other tabs → read-only

You can take over editing at any time.

Learn more: Document Ownership

Panels

The editor has two panels:

Left panel — usually your main editor
Right panel — used for comparison, preview, or another document

You can:

Edit in one panel
Compare across panels
Load different versions

Learn more: Panel Modes

Versions

Every saved change becomes a version.

Latest → newest saved version
Baseline → version currently loaded in the editor

If a newer version exists:

You’ll see Update available

Version history

You can:

View past versions
Compare versions
Restore any version

Versions are:

Ordered
Immutable
Safe to explore

Learn more: Versioning

Editing vs Saving

Editing and saving are separate:

Editing → instant
Saving → happens in the background

You don’t need to press save.

Validation

You can type freely — even invalid JSON.

Errors appear inline
Invalid JSON cannot be saved
Fix errors before saving

Learn more: Validation & Repair

Compare & Diff

You can compare:

Two panels
Two versions

Differences are highlighted:

Green → added
Red → removed

Learn more: Diff & Compare

Remote sync

Changes sync across tabs and devices.

Updates appear after a short delay
You may see Update available
You choose when to apply updates

Learn more: Remote Sync

What this editor is NOT

Not real-time collaborative editing
Not multi-writer
Not automatic merging

Changes are never applied without your action.

State flow


Editing → Saving → Saved → Synced
Editing → Error → Fix → Saved

Where to go next

Advanced: Core System

For a deeper explanation of how this works, see Advanced: Core System.

Commit transaction

Each save creates a commit transaction.

A transaction includes:

The full document snapshot
A version number
Optional change data
Metadata (time, source)

The system never saves partial edits — only complete states.

Save behavior

Changes are grouped and saved shortly after editing
Multiple quick edits are combined into one save
This prevents unnecessary versions

Version creation

Each successful save creates a new version.

Versions are ordered
Each version represents a complete state
Older versions are never modified

Sync behavior

Tabs and devices receive updates after saving
Newer versions do not overwrite your current work automatically
You decide when to apply updates

Why this model works

Prevents conflicts
Keeps history reliable
Ensures predictable behavior

For more system details, see: