Inlyne is a real-time collaborative markdown editing platform that enables multiple users to simultaneously edit and synchronize documents across both web applications and a custom VS Code extension.
The system integrates a Java (Spring Boot) backend, PostgreSQL persistence, and WebSocket/STOMP messaging to maintain live document state consistency across concurrent collaborators.
Overview
Inlyne was built to explore the challenges of real-time collaborative systems, including:
The platform supports collaborative markdown editing in the browser and integrates directly into VS Code via an extension, allowing developers to work inside their local environments while syncing changes live.
System Architecture
Frontend
Backend
Communication
Real-Time Synchronization
Inlyne maintains consistent document state across connected clients using WebSockets and STOMP messaging.
When a user edits a document:
1. The change is emitted over a WebSocket connection.
2. The backend processes and broadcasts the update.
3. Other connected clients receive and apply the update in real time.
The system required careful handling of:
Debugging synchronization errors exposed common distributed-system challenges such as race conditions and message ordering conflicts.
VS Code Extension
Inlyne includes a custom VS Code extension that connects to the backend through the same WebSocket-based protocol.
This enables:
The extension demonstrates integration between backend APIs and developer tooling environments.