SoftN

What is SoftN?

SoftN combines a user-interface language, visual editing tools and an application runtime. A .softn bundle carries editable source rather than only a compiled screen. Its interface, client behaviour, assets and optional data seeds can be reopened in the tools, changed and exported again. That makes the project itself a useful deliverable, not just the URL where one version happens to run.

The core workflow is to create a project in Builder, generate or edit one in Studio, or open an existing bundle. The same project can be previewed at different screen sizes and run in a browser or a supported desktop host. Hosting choices determine which network, data and device capabilities are available.

Visual when it helps. Source when you need it.

The Visual Builder brings layout editing, a source editor, schema editing and live previews into one workspace. Straightforward interfaces can be adjusted on the canvas. Files that cannot safely be rewritten by the canvas remain available in Code view, so a complex project does not have to be flattened into a limited visual representation.

Studio provides AI-assisted creation using a configured provider. You can also author .ui and .logic files directly. The interface language supplies layouts, inputs, tables, charts, navigation and other reusable components. ZIPP runs the JavaScript-compatible logic, while the host connects the application to permitted services.

• Keep interface and client logic together in an editable project.
• Inspect local collection schemas and the data seeds shipped with an app.
• Preview desktop, tablet and mobile layouts before publishing.
• Use audio, animation and 3D components where the runtime supports them.
• Open existing examples to learn from a working interaction.

Local records, hosted actions and different trust models

SoftN’s browser runtime provides its own TypeScript XDB service for app-scoped local records. Studio and Builder keep preview records separate from the running application. Native hosts can use the XDB Rust crate to persist records in SQLite. The shared name describes an integration surface, not one identical implementation running everywhere.

There are separate peer and server synchronisation paths. Browser peer rooms, native XDB peer synchronisation and the SoftN server transport have different support and security boundaries. An application should explicitly request the capabilities it needs; opening a bundle is not permission to expose its data to other people.

When an app needs hosted business records, it can connect to FormLogic through the host bridge. The parent platform owns the session and enforces the selected app’s permissions. A backend action is not a direct invitation for client code to open the database or receive server credentials.

What is inside a .softn project?

A typical bundle includes a manifest, a permission declaration, .ui pages, .logic behaviour, assets and optional collection seeds. A .xdb seed document inside a bundle is JSON, not a live SQLite database or a backup. Include only source and assets you intend to distribute to the person downloading that bundle.

A local app can remain useful without a remote account when its required assets and capabilities are available. A connected app still depends on its backend for authenticated operations. Portability describes the project format and host choices; it does not automatically make every application offline-capable or remove all server dependencies.

The application layer between an engine and a platform

ZIPP executes SoftN’s app logic. XDB supports local/native records through the appropriate adapter. FormLogic adds a hosted workspace, business records and private backend actions. Together, those pieces let a small editable app grow into a connected service without hiding where its data or execution lives.

The platform also supports standalone deployment paths, including a single-app web runtime and private backend hosts. The correct route depends on whether the app only needs browser features, needs its own server logic and SQLite, or should use an existing FormLogic workspace.

Start with a complete, inspectable example

Fieldnotes is a task-planning example in the main repository. Its form calls .logic functions, its task collection stores records, and its dashboard reflects changes. Use it to trace the whole path from an input to a record and back to the interface. The separate SoftN Examples collection expands that approach into tools, simulations, games and emulator experiments.

For local development, use the Node version supported by the repository, install its npm dependencies and build the shared packages before starting the launcher. Browser applications use the checked-in WebAssembly runtime; Rust is needed for native hosts or rebuilding the engine. Directory publishing and server storage require their own backend setup.

SoftN is released under Apache-2.0. Example assets, third-party libraries and connected projects can carry additional notices or different terms. Check the project and asset notices when redistributing a bundle.