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Architecture Overview

1. System Communication Flow​

The application processes data across four distinct layers, moving sequentially from the user interface down to the computer operating system:

  • Renderer (React): The frontend user interface. It owns the UI state and triggers operations by calling a global window.api object.
  • Preload Bridge: The secure intermediary layer. It exposes a strictly typed, context-isolated API to the renderer and passes messages back and forth across the process boundary.
  • Main Process IPC: The core background application. It validates all incoming requests, checks message senders, verifies system paths, and coordinates backend actions.
  • Subsystems: The individual specialized modules managed directly by the Main Process. These include:
    • Local Filesystem: Handles raw reading and writing of document files.
    • Export Modules: Converts and packages documents for output.
    • File Watcher: Monitors project directories for automated file changes and sends real-time update notifications back through the Main Process to the Renderer.

2. Step-by-Step File Open Flow​

When a user opens a file, the application executes a sequential 7-step process across its operational layers:

  1. Renderer initiates the request by invoking the readFile(path) function on the bridge API.
  2. Preload Bridge translates this function call into a secure background communication token named IPC READ_FILE and forwards it to the main environment.
  3. Main Process intercepts the token and instantly runs security checks to validate both the message sender and the requested filesystem path safety.
  4. Main Process queries the Filesystem to read the specific markdown file text on the disk.
  5. Filesystem reads the hard drive storage and returns the raw file content bytes back up to the Main Process.
  6. Main Process forwards that document content back across the security boundary to the awaiting Preload Bridge.
  7. Preload Bridge delivers the final content package directly into the Renderer application state to be displayed on the screen.