cache plugins for offline usage

[samuelstroschein]

Problem

Plugins are not cached locally, requiring a constant internet connection.

See #1008 as an example.

Proposal

Cache plugins to enable offline usage.

Requirements

• needs to be cached on a repo level (not project level; think NPM vs PNPM)

Additional information

Caching plugins requires persistent data storage see #1021 (reply in thread)

• apps can store metadata without spamming the root of a repo with .inlang, .lix, .nx, .vscode etc.

.
├── .library/
│   ├── inlang/
│   │   └── cached_modules/
│   │       ├── [email protected]
│   │       └── ...
│   └── ...
└── your repo

[buhodev]

I think I saw the answer for the following question in an issue somewhere but I can't find it rn. Why can't one import the inlang plugins from the node_modules folder like TailwindCSS does?

[samuelstroschein]

Because inlang does not and can not use node dependencies.

• node doesn't run in the browser
• inlang is stack agnostic (iOS, Android, Flutter, Web, etc.). Node (modules) is a stack-specific dependency.

It is more or less clear that something like #355 will be required to ensure that inlang can cache data while maintaining cross environment (server, browser) and cross-stack compatibility.

[Greenheart]

This feature would be really useful! I recently found this out the hard way 😅

What is needed to make this happen? Any blocking issues?

[samuelstroschein]

We need to introduce a new concept to repositories called "./app_data".

• the root "./library" folder works similarly to UNIX systems "library" folder
• apps can store metadata (like cache) in the directory

.
├── .library/
│   ├── inlang/
│   │   └── cached_modules/
│   │       ├── [email protected]
│   │       └── ...
│   └── ...
└── your repo

Why?

• caching modules should happen on a global repo scope, not project scope
• creating a .inlang folder at the root of the repo leads to a) .folder spam (npm, nx, etc.) and b) does not work well with *.inlang files (directories) + goes against the vision of lix

[Greenheart]

This makes sense, similar to how tools like pnpm have a global cache.

And when running inlang in the browser, the modules could be cached via a service worker and IndexedDB or the Cache API.

[samuelstroschein]

@Greenheart yes. small correctioN: inlang operates on lix repositories (lix repos are git compatible). operating on lix repos means operating on a filesystem. hence, the browser automatically caches everything without special APIs once a local storage fs is implemented, see #1042

[LorisSigrist]

Having modules cached locally as files would also be useful for side-stepping issues like #2133

[LorisSigrist]

Apparently there is now another Issue caused by data-url imports not being reliable in Github Actions.
I would suggest promoting this to an issue. Data URL imports are clearly not reliable & an afterthought in most runtimes

[samuelstroschein]

Yes, we can likely turn this discussion into a feature. We need to be sure about the requirements. This issue would introduce a .library folder similar to UNIX systems.

[billomore]

Thanks for the great extension!

it'd be so great and straightforward to have the plugins offline.
It blocks the ability to work from areas with poor internet connection - rural trains, busy areas like conferences etc, where inability of launching the dev server without internet connection paralyzes the ability to work :(

[samuelstroschein]

@LorisSigrist implemented cache of modules (plugins & lint rules) with #2940.

Merge will happen soon. Hence, closing this discussion as "basic version that enables offline work will be shipped this week".