# P2P Poll App — Implementation Plan
A simple peer-to-peer polling app where users can add options and vote, built with no central server (beyond a public relay for WebSocket sync).
---
## 1. Project Setup
```bash
# Scaffold a Waku project with Bun
bunx create-waku@latest . --template basic --package-manager bun
# Install dependencies
bun add @automerge/automerge @automerge/automerge-repo @automerge/automerge-repo-react-hooks @automerge/automerge-repo-network-websocket @automerge/automerge-repo-network-broadcastchannel @automerge/automerge-repo-storage-indexeddb
# Tailwind CSS v4
bun add tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite
```
Waku uses Vite under the hood, so add `@tailwindcss/vite` to the Vite plugin list in `waku.config.ts` (see file structure below). Import Tailwind in a global CSS file with `@import "tailwindcss"`.
---
## 2. Data Model
A single Automerge document represents one poll:
```typescript
interface Poll {
title: string;
options: PollOption[];
}
interface PollOption {
id: string; // nanoid or crypto.randomUUID()
text: string;
votes: string[]; // list of peer IDs who voted for this option
}
```
- **votes as `string[]`** — storing peer IDs instead of a count lets us prevent double-voting and support vote retracting. The count is derived via `.length`.
- Each peer generates a stable random ID on first visit (stored in `localStorage`).
---
## 3. File Structure
```
waku.config.ts — Waku + Vite config (Tailwind plugin)
src/
pages/
_layout.tsx — root layout (server component), imports Providers + global CSS
index.tsx — landing page: create new poll or join via URL
poll/
[id].tsx — main poll view (resolved from Automerge document URL)
components/
Providers.tsx — 'use client': initializes Automerge Repo + RepoContext.Provider
PollView.tsx — displays poll title, options, votes; contains AddOption form and VoteButtons
ConnectionStatus.tsx — shows sync/connection state
lib/
repo.ts — creates and exports the Automerge Repo singleton
types.ts — Poll and PollOption type definitions
peer.ts — get-or-create local peer ID from localStorage
poll.ts — poll mutation logic (pure functions)
__tests__/
poll.test.ts — tests for poll logic
styles/
global.css — Tailwind import
```
**Total: ~12 files** (5 components/pages + 1 config + 4 lib modules + 1 test file + 1 CSS)
---
## 4. Implementation Steps
### Step 1 — Scaffold and configure
- Run the setup commands from Section 1.
- Create `waku.config.ts`:
```typescript
import { defineConfig } from 'waku/config';
import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite';
export default defineConfig({
vite: {
plugins: [tailwindcss()],
},
});
```
- Create `src/styles/global.css` with `@import "tailwindcss"`.
- Verify `bun run dev` starts without errors.
### Step 2 — Define types, peer identity, and poll logic
- Create `src/lib/types.ts` with the `Poll` and `PollOption` interfaces.
- Create `src/lib/peer.ts`: read `localStorage.getItem("peerId")`, or generate one with `crypto.randomUUID()` and persist it.
- Create `src/lib/poll.ts`: extract poll mutation logic into pure functions (`createPoll`, `addOption`, `vote`, `unvote`, `hasVoted`) so they are testable independently of Automerge and React.
### Step 3 — Initialize Automerge Repo
- Create `src/lib/repo.ts`:
```typescript
import { Repo } from "@automerge/automerge-repo";
import { WebSocketClientAdapter } from "@automerge/automerge-repo-network-websocket";
import { BroadcastChannelNetworkAdapter } from "@automerge/automerge-repo-network-broadcastchannel";
import { IndexedDBStorageAdapter } from "@automerge/automerge-repo-storage-indexeddb";
export const repo = new Repo({
network: [
new WebSocketClientAdapter("wss://sync.automerge.org"),
new BroadcastChannelNetworkAdapter(),
],
storage: new IndexedDBStorageAdapter("p2p-poll"),
});
```
> **Sync server note:** `wss://sync.automerge.org` is a free public relay provided by the Automerge team. For production use or better reliability, you can run your own sync server using `@automerge/automerge-repo-network-websocket`'s server adapter with a simple Node/Bun WebSocket server.
### Step 4 — Providers (client component) and root layout (server component)
Waku layouts are **server components** — they cannot use browser APIs or React context directly. Instead, create a client component wrapper:
- Create `src/components/Providers.tsx`:
```typescript
'use client';
import { RepoContext } from "@automerge/automerge-repo-react-hooks";
import { repo } from "../lib/repo";
export const Providers = ({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) => {
return (
{children}
);
};
```
- Create `src/pages/_layout.tsx` (server component — no `'use client'`):
```typescript
import '../styles/global.css';
import { Providers } from '../components/Providers';
export default async function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
return (
{children}
);
}
```
### Step 5 — Landing page (create / join)
- `src/pages/index.tsx` (`'use client'`):
- "Create Poll" button: calls `repo.create()` to make a new Automerge doc, initializes it with a default title and empty options array, then navigates to `/poll/`.
- "Join Poll" input: paste a document ID or full URL, navigate to `/poll/`.
- Show a list of recently visited polls from `localStorage` for convenience.
### Step 6 — Poll view page
- `src/pages/poll/[id].tsx` (`'use client'`):
- Read `id` from the route segment prop (Waku passes dynamic segments as props automatically).
- Reconstruct the Automerge `DocumentUrl` from `id`.
- Use `useDocument(url)` from `@automerge/automerge-repo-react-hooks` to get `[doc, changeDoc]`.
- Wrap the document-dependent UI in `Loading poll...}>` — `useDocument` may suspend while the document is being fetched/synced.
- Render `` and ``.
### Step 7 — PollView component
- `src/components/PollView.tsx` (`'use client'`):
- Display poll title (editable inline).
- List each option with its text, vote count (`option.votes.length`), and a Vote/Unvote button.
- Vote button logic:
```typescript
changeDoc(d => {
const opt = d.options.find(o => o.id === optionId);
if (!opt.votes.includes(peerId)) {
opt.votes.push(peerId);
}
});
```
- Unvote: filter out the peer ID.
- "Add Option" form at the bottom: text input + submit button that pushes a new `PollOption` into `doc.options`.
- Show a shareable link/document ID so users can invite peers.
### Step 8 — ConnectionStatus component
- `src/components/ConnectionStatus.tsx` (`'use client'`):
- Simple indicator (green dot / grey dot) based on whether the WebSocket adapter is connected.
- Can use `repo.networkSubsystem.on("peer", ...)` to track connected peers.
### Step 9 — Polish and test
- Style with Tailwind: center layout, card-style poll, colored vote bars.
- Test with two browser tabs (BroadcastChannel sync).
- Test with two devices on the same network pointing at the sync server.
- Handle loading state (doc is `undefined` until synced — use `` or a null check).
- Handle invalid/missing document IDs gracefully.
---
## 5. UI Components Summary
| Component | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| `_layout.tsx` | Server-component root layout, imports Providers + global styles |
| `Providers.tsx` | Client component: Repo initialization, RepoContext provider |
| `index.tsx` | Create new poll, join existing poll by ID |
| `[id].tsx` | Load Automerge doc by URL, wrap in Suspense, pass to PollView |
| `PollView.tsx` | Render poll title, options list, vote buttons, add-option form, share link |
| `ConnectionStatus.tsx` | Show online/offline and peer count |
---
## 6. P2P Setup Details
**How peers connect:**
1. Creator makes a new poll — Automerge generates a unique document URL (e.g., `automerge:2Xp9Q3...`).
2. The app extracts the document ID and puts it in the page URL: `https://localhost:3000/poll/2Xp9Q3...`.
3. Creator shares that URL with others (copy button in UI).
4. When another peer opens the URL, the app reconstructs the Automerge document URL and calls `useDocument(url)` — Automerge syncs the doc via the WebSocket relay automatically.
5. Cross-tab sync happens instantly via BroadcastChannel (no network needed).
6. IndexedDB ensures the poll persists across page reloads.
**No server to deploy** — the public `wss://sync.automerge.org` relay handles document sync. For production, consider running your own sync server for reliability and control.
---
## 8. Tests
Tests use **Bun's built-in test runner** (`bun test`) — no extra test dependencies needed. Bun provides `describe`, `it`, and `expect` out of the box.
Tests target the pure functions in `src/lib/poll.ts`, not React components. Test file: `src/lib/__tests__/poll.test.ts`.
**Pure functions under test:**
- `createPoll(title: string): Poll`
- `addOption(poll: Poll, text: string): Poll`
- `vote(poll: Poll, optionId: string, peerId: string): Poll`
- `unvote(poll: Poll, optionId: string, peerId: string): Poll`
- `hasVoted(poll: Poll, optionId: string, peerId: string): boolean`
**Test cases (6 total):**
- **Peer ID management** — `getPeerId()` generates a UUID and returns the same value on subsequent calls (persisted in localStorage)
- **Poll creation** — `createPoll("Lunch?")` returns a poll with the given title and an empty options array
- **Adding an option** — `addOption(poll, "Pizza")` appends an option with the given text, a generated ID, and an empty votes array
- **Voting** — `vote(poll, optionId, peerId)` adds the peer ID to that option's votes array
- **Double-vote prevention** — calling `vote` twice with the same peer ID and option does not duplicate the entry
- **Vote retracting** — `unvote(poll, optionId, peerId)` removes the peer ID from the votes array
> Run with: `bun test`
---
## 9. Nice-to-Haves (if time permits)
- **Poll title editing** — inline editable title field (trivial with `changeDoc`).
- **Vote retracting** — toggle vote on/off (already supported by the data model).
- **Peer count display** — show how many peers are currently connected to this document.
- **Option reordering** — drag to reorder or sort by vote count.
- **Results visualization** — simple bar chart showing vote distribution using Tailwind width utilities.
- **Multiple polls** — list/manage multiple polls from the landing page.
- **Poll closing** — creator can lock a poll to prevent further votes.