Differential Synchronization
Differential Synchronization is a data synchronization algorithm that enables real-time collaboration by efficiently merging changes between multiple copies of a document or dataset. It works by maintaining a shadow copy of the document to track differences, allowing it to compute and apply patches incrementally without requiring full document transfers. This approach is particularly effective for collaborative editing applications like Google Docs, where multiple users edit simultaneously.
Developers should learn Differential Synchronization when building real-time collaborative applications, such as document editors, code editors, or shared whiteboards, to ensure data consistency across clients with minimal latency. It's useful because it handles concurrent edits gracefully, reduces network bandwidth by transmitting only changes (diffs), and provides conflict resolution mechanisms. This makes it ideal for scenarios where users need to see each other's updates instantly without manual synchronization steps.