Development & Engineering

Welcome to the Developer section! Whether you're contributing to ODE, building custom extensions, or deploying the platform, this guide covers development, architecture, and contribution workflows.

Who This Guide Is For

This section is designed for:

• Software engineers contributing to ODE
• Developers building custom applications with ODE
• System administrators deploying ODE
• Architects evaluating ODE architecture
• Contributors wanting to improve the codebase

Building custom applications (HTML, JS, CSS bundles and JSON forms) without cloning the ODE monorepo? Use the custom_app repository on GitHub (AGENTS.md and CONTEXT_*.md for assistants and authors), together with the main documentation site.

If you're collecting data, see the Data Collector Guide.
If you're designing forms, see the Implementer Guide.

Quick Start

Set up your development environment in 20 minutes:

1. Getting Started - Choose your path
2. Architecture Overview - Understand the system
3. Set Up Environment - Install dependencies
4. Run Tests - Verify your setup

What You'll Learn

🚀 Getting Started

Choose your development path and get started.

Start →

🏗️ Architecture

Deep dive into ODE system design and components.

Learn More →

🔧 Setup Environment

Configure your dev machine and install dependencies.

Setup →

🏗️ Build & Test

Build projects and run test suites.

Learn More →

🤝 Contributing

How to contribute to ODE development.

Contribute →

⚡ Extending ODE

Build custom extensions and integrations.

Learn More →

Documentation Roadmap

🚀 Get Started

• Development Paths
• Prerequisites & Requirements
• Quick Start Guide

🏗️ Understand Architecture

• System Overview
• Component Architecture
• Data Flow & Sync Protocol
• Authentication & Security

🔧 Set Up Environment

• macOS Setup
• Linux Setup
• Windows Setup
• Docker Setup

📚 Component Development

• Formulus (React Native)
• Synkronus Server (Go)
• Formplayer (React)
• Synkronus CLI (Go)

🏗️ Building & Testing

• Building Projects
• Running Tests
• Code Quality & Linting
• CI/CD Pipeline

🤝 Contributing

• Contributing Workflow
• Code Standards
• Commit Messages
• Pull Request Process
• Code of Conduct

⚡ Extending ODE

• Custom Applications
• Custom Form Controls
• Server Plugins
• Integration Patterns

📖 API Reference

• REST API Overview
• Authentication
• Sync Protocol
• App Bundle Format
• Attachments

Development Paths

Path 1: Contributing to ODE Core

You want to help improve Formulus, Synkronus, or Formplayer.

1. Clone the monorepo
2. Set up environment
3. Choose a component
4. Follow contributing guide

→ Best for: Passionate developers improving the platform

Path 2: Building Custom Applications

You want to build custom data collection applications on ODE.

1. Understand architecture
2. Learn the REST API
3. Set up development environment
4. Follow extending guide

→ Best for: Building organization-specific solutions

Path 3: System Administration & Deployment

You want to deploy and manage ODE in your infrastructure.

1. Understand system architecture
2. Read deployment guide
3. Learn configuration options
4. Set up monitoring

→ Best for: SysAdmins and DevOps engineers

Path 4: Integration & APIs

You want to integrate ODE with external systems.

1. Learn REST API
2. Understand app bundle format
3. Review sync protocol
4. Build custom integrations

→ Best for: Backend developers and integrations engineers

Tech Stack Overview

Formulus (Mobile App)

• Language: TypeScript/JavaScript
• Framework: React Native
• Database: WatermelonDB
• Platforms: Android, iOS

Synkronus (Server)

• Language: Go 1.22+
• Database: PostgreSQL
• API: REST + OpenAPI
• Deployment: Docker, Kubernetes

Formplayer (Form Renderer)

• Language: TypeScript/JavaScript
• Framework: React
• Rendering: JSON Forms
• Execution: WebView (Formulus) or Browser

Synkronus CLI

• Language: Go
• Distribution: Prebuilt binaries
• Package Manager: Homebrew, curl

Key Architecture Concepts

Offline-First Design

Device                          Server
├─ Local DB                      ├─ PostgreSQL
│  (WatermelonDB)                │
├─ Forms Cache                   ├─ REST API
└─ Sync Queue                    ├─ Sync Engine
   (offline buffer)              └─ Authentication

Client-Server Sync

1. Pull: Client requests new forms from server
2. Push: Client sends completed submissions
3. Merge: Server resolves conflicts
4. Acknowledge: Client marks submissions as synced

Authentication & Security

• JWT-based authentication
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• End-to-end encryption options
• Secure offline token storage

Getting Help

• Architecture questions? → Read Architecture Guide
• Setup issues? → Setup Environment
• Contributing questions? → Contributing Guide
• API documentation? → REST API
• Need community help? → Community Support

Contribution Ideas

Here are some ways to contribute:

Contribution	Difficulty	Impact
Fix typos in docs	Easy	High
Report bugs	Easy	High
Fix UI bugs	Medium	High
Add tests	Medium	High
Implement features	Medium-Hard	High
Add new form control	Hard	High
Database optimization	Hard	Medium
Mobile performance	Hard	High

Code Quality Standards

ODE maintains high code quality:

• ✅ ESLint + Prettier for JavaScript/TypeScript
• ✅ Go fmt for Go code
• ✅ Comprehensive test coverage
• ✅ Pre-commit hooks
• ✅ CI/CD validation on all PRs

Next Steps

Ready to contribute or develop?

→ Getting Started

Or dive into a specific area:

→ Architecture Deep Dive
→ Set Up Environment
→ Contributing Guide

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We're excited to have you contribute to ODE. Whether it's code, documentation, bug reports, or ideas—all contributions are valued!