Component locking
Add component locking to specific parts of your app with this React starter-kit.
Get started with component locking
What is component locking? Component locking can be a valuable tool for collaborative applications. A lock or similar icon Comment end displayed over a particular component signals to other members that they are currently being edited. Based on that information they can choose to wait or move onto another task.
Reduce the chance of conflicts
Component locking provides much more than a visual cue. It helps reduce the instances where users accidentally overwrite each other's work, which needs to be consolidated in the backend.
Where to use component locking
Enabling users to lock the components they are editing can add value to a range of multiplayer collaboration experiences, especially when used in combination with other collaborative features.
Some example use cases include:
- Project management
- Chat
- CRM
- Slide decks
- Spreadsheets
- Collaborative forms
- Whiteboards
- CMS
Component locking best practices
,Release locks if the user has left
Make sure that components aren’t locked indefinitely. If a user forgets they have locked a field or their connection drops, tying the lock status to a member's online status will allow it to be released - the APIs in the Spaces SDK do this by default.
,Lock expiration date
Trigger a dialogue after a certain period of inactivity to check if the user is still there and working on the locked component. Lacking any response, the lock may be automatically released.
Discover more live demos
A host of collaborative features to enhance your user experience.
Live cursors
Live cursors show the mouse pointer position of other collaborators. They can be useful to show what someone is currently looking at and their movement around a space.
Avatar stack
Avatar stacks show all the users collaborating within a shared space. They can help users make informed decisions by indicating the connection state of fellow collaborators.
Member location
Member location is a way to show where fellow collaborators are located within a shared space. This can be useful for understanding what other members are working on.
Integrations, whatever your stack
From Webhooks to Lambdas to stream processors like Kafka, Ably has built integrations for a range of protocols, frameworks, databases and cloud services.
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