Add P2P WebRTC Binary File Distribution to React Native Todo List Demo

[gaozuo]

Description

I propose adding a demo to the powersync-js project that enhances the existing react-native-todo-list example to support P2P WebRTC for binary file distribution. This feature would enable efficient handling of binary data streams (e.g., images, videos, or other large data) and real-time streaming, reducing costs, improving efficiency, and lowering latency compared to traditional server-based approaches.

Proposed Functionality

P2P WebRTC Integration: Implement WebRTC for peer-to-peer binary data transfer in the react-native-todo-list demo.

Binary Data Handling: Support arbitrary binary data streams (e.g., files, media) with efficient serialization and deserialization.

Real-Time Streaming: Enable real-time data streaming between peers for use cases like live updates or collaborative features.

Fallback Mechanism: Include a fallback to existing server-based sync for peers unable to establish a WebRTC connection.

Demo Enhancements: Extend the todo list demo to include a sample feature (e.g., sharing binary attachments like images or documents) to showcase WebRTC capabilities.

Benefits

Cost Savings: Reduces reliance on server bandwidth for large data transfers.

Improved Efficiency: Direct P2P communication minimizes server load and speeds up data exchange.

Lower Latency: Real-time streaming and binary transfers via WebRTC provide faster user experiences.

Support for Modern Live Streaming: Enables low-latency live streaming use cases, such as video conferencing, collaborative whiteboards, or real-time gaming data transfer.

Enhanced User Experience: Delivers smoother interactions through P2P transfers, particularly for applications requiring instant feedback (e.g., real-time collaboration tools).

Scalability: WebRTC’s P2P architecture supports multi-user scenarios, ideal for building decentralized collaborative applications.

Technical Considerations

WebRTC Library: Use a compatible library like react-native-webrtc for React Native integration.

Data Serialization: Ensure binary data is efficiently encoded (e.g., using ArrayBuffers or Blobs).

Security: Implement encryption for P2P data transfers to maintain privacy and security.

Compatibility: Ensure the demo works across iOS and Android platforms, handling WebRTC-specific quirks.

PowerSync Integration: Seamlessly integrate with PowerSync's existing sync engine to manage metadata or fallback sync.

Example Use Case

In the react-native-todo-list demo, users could attach binary files (e.g., photos or PDFs) to todo items. These files would be shared directly between devices via WebRTC, with metadata (e.g., file references) synced through PowerSync's database. Real-time streaming could enable collaborative features, like live preview of shared media or modern live streaming use cases (e.g., video calls or collaborative whiteboards).