DOCDOP

DOCDOP is a protocol and data model designed to standardize how applications manipulate and synchronize documents in distributed computing environments. It provides a common vocabulary for document operations, supports offline work, and aims to enable interoperability between different storage backends and clients.

The DOCDOP data model represents documents as content-addressed objects with an operation log that records create, update, delete, and structural changes along with metadata such as timestamps and authorship. Changes are propagated across replicas in a way that supports convergent state, enabling consistent document views despite intermittent connectivity. The model emphasizes immutability for stored content and uses cryptographic signatures to verify authorship and provenance of edits.

Architecture and mechanisms include client implementations that expose a DOCDOP-compliant API for document operations and subscribe to synchronization streams. The transport layer can be REST, WebSocket, or peer-to-peer protocols, carrying serialized operation records. Servers provide indexing, access control, and durable storage, while peer networks facilitate offline-first collaboration and resilience against central outages.

History and usage indicate that the specification emerged from an open standards effort in the mid-2020s and has undergone iterative updates. DOCDOP has been explored in open-source document editors and collaboration platforms to enable cross-service syncing and offline editing. Some observers note that while the protocol offers strong interoperability benefits, its complexity and the need to coordinate with existing formats can present adoption challenges for smaller projects.

Relation to related technologies includes ties to concepts such as CRDTs, content addressing, cryptographic signing, and access control lists. DOCDOP is intended to complement existing storage formats and protocols like IPFS and JSON Patch by providing a unified protocol layer for document operations.