docs

ODE Desktop Reference

Complete technical reference for ODE Desktop — the Open Data Ensemble desktop application for data stewardship and app development.

:::info Released in ODE v1.1.0

ODE Desktop joined the ODE ensemble in v1.1.0. See Installing ODE Desktop for download and setup.

:::

Overview

ODE Desktop is a Tauri application (React + Rust) that provides two modes in one window:

Mode	Purpose
Data management	Pull, inspect, correct, and sync observations; import JSON; manage conflicts and local workspace state.
Forms / app workbench	Develop and test app bundles, embedded formplayer, and custom apps — aligned with Formulus and the shared WebView contract.

Who it is for

Field and data staff managing observations and sync (Data management mode).
Form and app authors testing bundles and custom apps against Synkronus before mobile deploy (Workbench mode).

Relationship to other ODE components

ODE Desktop uses the same public Synkronus API as Formulus, Portal, and the CLI — there is no privileged desktop channel.

Component	Role relative to ODE Desktop
Synkronus	Server for sync, auth, and app bundle distribution
Formulus + formplayer	Runtime parity target for forms and custom apps
Portal	Browser admin for users, bundles, and export
Synkronus CLI	Scripting and automation against the same API

Technology stack

Shell: Tauri 2 (Rust backend, native WebView)
Frontend: React, TypeScript, Vite
Local storage: SQLite per profile workspace; attachments on disk
Formplayer: Bundled under public/formplayer_dist/ (same contract as Formulus)

Profiles and workspace

Each profile is a server-scoped unit of custody:

Synkronus server URL and credentials
Dedicated workspace folder (SQLite database, attachments, bundle cache)
Optional OS keyring storage for passwords

Typical workspace layout:

<workspace>/
  repository.sqlite
  attachments/
  bundles/
    active/          ← Synk-downloaded bundle (app/, forms/, etc.)
    dev-local/       ← Developer mode mirror (when enabled)
      app/
      forms/

Switch profiles from Data management → Profiles. Authentication is per profile.

Data management screens

Screen	Route	Purpose
Profiles	`#/data/profiles`	Configure server, workspace, and authentication
Observations	`#/data/observations`	Search, edit, and resolve local observations
Import	`#/data/import`	Import JSON observation files
Sync	`#/data/sync`	Pull, push, and workspace maintenance
About	`#/data/about`	Support links and license

See the ODE Desktop user guide for step-by-step workflows.

Workbench screens

Screen	Route	Purpose
Bundles	`#/workbench/bundles`	List server bundle versions; download and apply
Form preview	`#/workbench/form-preview`	Open forms from the bundle with init JSON
Custom app	`#/workbench/custom-app`	Embed the custom app WebView

Developer mode mirrors a local folder (with index.html) into bundles/dev-local/ so you can iterate without overwriting bundles/active/. See ODE Desktop developer mode.

Formplayer and bridge parity

ODE Desktop loads formplayer and custom apps with the same Formulus bridge contract (FormulusInterfaceDefinition). In Workbench preview:

Observations and attachments use the profile SQLite store and Tauri file APIs where applicable.
Device APIs (camera, GPS, QR, audio, video) are stubbed in preview — same limitation as before developer mode.
Nested sub-observations (openFormplayer with subObservationMode) open stacked preview sessions; child schemas validate independently.

Bundle extensions (forms/ext.json, per-form ext.json) follow the same merge rules as Formulus.

Observation indexes

Custom apps declare observationIndexes in app.config.json. ODE Desktop builds a local index table for fast getObservationsByQuery — indexes are device-local and never synced to Synkronus.

After changing index declarations or bulk imports, use Sync → Re-create index. When developer mode is on, indexes read from the mirrored app under bundles/dev-local/app/. See Observation queries.

Installation

End users: Installing ODE Desktop
Contributors: ODE Desktop Development

ODE Desktop user guide — screen-by-screen usage
ODE Desktop developer mode — local custom app iteration
Understanding app bundles — bundle structure and Synkronus distribution
Custom applications — custom app role in bundles
Architecture overview — full ODE ecosystem