Best Practices for Developers

Here are some guidelines for using DID Spaces.

Respect storage space. Storage space is a limited resource that users must manage effectively. Use DID Spaces to store information they create and interpret, avoiding its use for application resources or reproducible content. Minimize space consumption by carefully selecting the content to be stored.

Ensure your app functions correctly when DID Spaces is unavailable. If the user manually disconnects their space or loses connection, you don't need to display a prompt alerting them to the unavailability. However, you can subtly inform the user that changes made will not appear on other devices until the connection is restored.

Integrate your Blocklet seamlessly with DID Spaces. Users connect to DID Spaces upon login and expect Blocklets to function automatically. If you anticipate users might prefer to choose whether or not to utilize DID Spaces within your application, present a simple option upon the Blocklet's initial launch, allowing them to either process all data using DID Spaces or to bypass it entirely.

Avoid asking users which files they want to keep in DID Spaces. Most people want all their files accessible within their personal space and prefer not to manage individual documents. Consider how your Blocklet can process and present content, and try to automate file management tasks as much as possible.

Keep content up-to-date whenever possible. In a Blocklet that supports DID Spaces, providing users with access to the latest content is considered best practice. However, you need to balance this need with device storage and bandwidth limitations. If your Blocklet handles very large documents, it may be better to let users decide when to download updated content. In this case, design a mechanism to indicate within their DID Space that a document update is available. When a document is updating, provide subtle feedback if the download takes more than a few seconds.

Consequences of Deleting a Document. In DID Spaces-enabled applications, deleting a document removes it from the user's DID Space and all other devices. Display a warning and request confirmation before deletion.

Ensure swift and straightforward conflict resolution. Aim for automatic detection and resolution of version conflicts. If automatic resolution is not feasible, provide discreet notifications to help users readily distinguish and select between conflicting versions. Ideally, conflicts should be resolved early to prevent wasted time on the incorrect version.

Include DID Space content in search results. People expect their content in personal spaces to be widely accessible and want search results to reflect this.