Agape-Apps: Building Baruch Together

[Jonathan1]

Zero Version Stress

In many distributed systems, versioning is a hidden source of friction.

• One device updates.
• Another does not.
• A schema changes.
• Suddenly everyone must upgrade.

Baruch was designed differently. It allows phones, tablets, desktops, different app versions to synchronize seamlessly — without forcing everyone to upgrade at the same time.

• No version panic.
• No synchronization lockouts.
• No emergency update requirements.

The Core Principle: Versioned Events

 

Baruch does not synchronize raw database tables. It synchronizes versioned domain events. Instead of sending “state,” it sends structured, versioned messages.

For example:

Congregation_v1

Each event contains:

• A versioned DTO (Data Transfer Object)

• Serialized event data

• Metadata describing origin and event type

Every update — create, modify, remove — is wrapped in a versioned message. This is crucial. Because versioned messages allow older clients to understand newer data structures — as long as compatibility rules are respected.

 

Backward Compatibility by Design

When Baruch evolves, the system does not “break” older clients. 
Why? Because:

• Event types are versioned

• DTOs are versioned

• Mappers are controlled

• Unknown fields can safely be ignored

For example:

Congregation_v1

If a future version introduces:

Congregation_v2

Older clients that only understand v1 can still process:

• Shared fields

• Known structure

• Existing properties

Newer fields do not disrupt older versions. This is classic backward compatibility. 
But implemented deliberately.

 

Why Database Schema Changes Don’t Force Updates

In traditional systems, when a database schema changes:

• Clients must update immediately.

• API contracts break.

• Serialization fails.

• Users are blocked.

Baruch avoids this entirely. Because:

1. The database schema is internal.

2. Clients never consume raw schema.

3. Clients consume versioned events.

Even if the database evolves internally:

• Events remain stable.

• DTO versions remain supported.

• Mapping layers handle transformations.

This decouples database structure from client compatibility.
Which means:

A schema change never requires every device to update simultaneously.

 

How Synchronization Actually Works

Here’s the simplified flow:

1. A device issues a command.

2. The command creates a versioned event.

3. The event is stored.

4. Other devices fetch unpublished events.

5. Each event is deserialized into its DTO version.

6. The appropriate command handler reconstructs the domain model.

Example conceptually:

ModifyCongregationCommand
→ EventCreateCommand
→ Serialize DTO_v1
→ Store Event
→ Other device processes event
→ Map DTO → Domain → Entity

The processor:

• Checks idempotency

• Applies the event

• Marks it as processed

Even if a device is one or two versions behind, it can still:

• Deserialize known fields

• Ignore unknown ones

• Apply safe changes

No version lock.

 

Event Versioning Makes Parallel Versions Safe

This means:

• A mobile phone can run an older version.

• A tablet can run the latest version.

• A desktop can be somewhere in between.

All three can:

• Create events

• Process events

• Stay synchronized

Because the event contract is stable and versioned. The system does not assume:

“Everyone must upgrade now.”

Instead, it assumes:

“Different versions will coexist.”

And it is built to support that.

 

Idempotency Protects Against Duplication

Each event is processed only once. Even if:

• Network retries happen

• A device reconnects

• Events are replayed

The processor checks whether an event was already applied. This ensures:

• Safe replay

• No double writes

• No corruption

• Reliable offline synchronization

This is critical for mobile environments.

 

Why This Architecture Matters for Congregations

From a user perspective, this translates into:

• No forced update weekends

• No emergency patch rollouts

• No “please update before you can continue”

• No version mismatch errors

Updates can roll out gradually.  Devices can update when convenient.
The congregation keeps working.

 

Separation of Concerns: The Real Strength

Baruch separates:

• Domain model

• DTO layer

• Database entity layer

• Event layer

• Command handling

• Synchronization processing

Because of this separation: Internal change does not break external communication.

Baruch is not just cross-platform. It is cross-version safe.
Every device — mobile, tablet, desktop — can:

• Run different versions

• Continue synchronizing

• Process events correctly

• Remain stable

Without forcing immediate upgrades. Without version chaos. 
Without operational stress.

Baruch synchronizes devices through versioned domain events — making database evolution invisible to users and eliminating forced upgrade cycles.

[Eryk]

My brother, the concepts you present sound very good, but (honestly) it all looks like it's AI generated. Keeping it simple will help the rest of us understand (and accept) more readily ;-)