Skip to main content
Build with AI

PowerSync SDK on NPM

The JavaScript part of the SDK is distributed via NPM

PowerSync SDK on crates.io

The Rust part of the SDK is available via crates.io

Source Code

Refer to packages/tauri in the powersync-js repo on GitHub

API Reference

Full API reference for the SDK

Example Projects

Gallery of example projects/demo apps built with Tauri and PowerSync

Changelog

Changelog for the SDK
This SDK is currently in alpha, intended for external testing and public feedback. While it exposes the same stable JavaScript APIs as other PowerSync JavaScript SDKs, the underlying Rust SDK and the IPC protocol between the JavaScript and Rust packages are subject to change. Expect breaking changes and instability as development continues.There are known limitations currently.

SDK Features

  • Real-time streaming of database changes: Changes made by one user are instantly streamed to all other users with access to that data. This keeps clients automatically in sync without manual polling or refresh logic.
  • Direct access to a local SQLite database: Data is stored locally, so apps can read and write instantly without network calls. This enables offline support and faster user interactions.
  • Asynchronous background execution: The SDK performs database operations in the background to avoid blocking the application’s main thread. This means that apps stay responsive, even during heavy data activity.
  • Query subscriptions for live updates: The SDK supports query subscriptions that automatically push real-time updates to client applications as data changes, keeping your UI reactive and up to date.
  • Automatic schema management: PowerSync syncs schemaless data and applies a client-defined schema using SQLite views. This architecture means that PowerSync SDKs handle schema changes without explicit migrations on the client side.

Installation

Add the PowerSync Tauri NPM package to your project:
Like all trusted PowerSync packages, the Tauri plugin is only available through the @powersync/ scope on npm. The PowerSync Tauri plugin cannot be installed with the tauri add command.
Additionally, add the Tauri plugin crate to your Rust app (in the src-tauri directory):
In your lib.rs, ensure the plugin is loaded:
In src-tauri/capabilities/default.json, ensure powersync:default is listed under permissions to make PowerSync APIs available to JavaScript.

Getting Started

Prerequisites: Before you start, connect your source database to the PowerSync Service and deploy Sync Streams. These are steps 1-4 in the Setup Guide.

1. Define the Client-Side Schema

The client-side schema defines the tables and columns of the SQLite database that the PowerSync client SDK manages and that your app reads from and writes to. It is usually derived from your backend database schema and your Sync Streams, and it can also include local-only tables. You apply the schema when you instantiate the database in the next step. Schema migrations are not required. The SDK syncs schemaless data and applies the schema to that data with SQLite views. The exception is raw tables, which you create and migrate yourself.
Generate schema automaticallyIn the PowerSync Dashboard, select your project and instance and click the Connect button in the top bar to generate the client-side schema in your preferred language. The schema is generated from your Sync Streams. The CLI offers the same function.The generated schema does not include an id column. The client SDK creates an id column of type text automatically, so you do not need to declare it. See Client ID for details.
The available column types are text, integer, and real. These should match the values produced by your Sync Streams. If a value does not match, it is cast automatically. For details on how source database types map to SQLite types, see Types.
The Tauri SDK inherits the same APIs from the JavaScript Web SDK via @powersync/common, with a few exceptions detailed below. See the Web SDK schema definition section for more advanced examples.
Example:
You do not need to declare an id column. PowerSync creates it automatically.

2. Instantiate the PowerSync Database

Next, instantiate the PowerSync database. PowerSync streams changes from your backend source database into the client-side SQLite database, based on your Sync Streams. Your app reads from and writes to this local database whether the user is online or offline. Example:
Finally, instruct PowerSync to sync data from your backend. For Tauri apps, the sync client must be driven from Rust code. To do that, add a new Tauri command to your Rust application:
Register the command by including it in the invoke handler with tauri::generate_handler![connect]. You can then invoke that command from your JavaScript code to connect:

3. Integrate with Your Backend

The backend connector connects the PowerSync client SDK to your application backend. The SDK uses it to:
  1. Get an auth token to connect to the PowerSync instance.
  2. Upload client-side writes to your backend API. The SDK places every write to the SQLite database in an upload queue and uploads the queue to your backend when the user is connected. Your backend then applies the changes to the source database.
At the moment, backend connectors for the Tauri SDK must be implemented in Rust. This allows the connector to be used across multiple windows and even when no JavaScript is running. Let us know if you want to implement a backend connector in JavaScript.
The connector must implement two methods:
  1. fetch_credentials - The SDK calls this method to get authentication credentials. It caches the credentials and calls the method again only when needed, for example on the first connection or when the token is near expiry. See When fetchCredentials() is Called for details and Authentication Setup for how to generate credentials.
  2. upload_data - The SDK calls this method whenever it has client-side writes to upload to your backend API. Implement how those writes are processed and uploaded. See When uploadData() is Called for triggers, throttling, and retry behavior, and Writing Client Changes for the app backend implementation.
Example:

4. Subscribe to Sync Streams

Streams defined with auto_subscribe: true start syncing as soon as the client connects. For all other streams, your app must subscribe before their data downloads. The basic pattern is: subscribe to a stream, wait for its data to sync, then unsubscribe when the data is no longer needed.
After you unsubscribe, the synced data stays in the local database for the stream’s time-to-live (TTL), which is 24 hours by default. If the app subscribes again within that time, the data is already available. See Client-Side Usage for framework hooks, per-subscription sync status, custom TTLs, priority overrides, and connection parameters.

Using PowerSync: CRUD Functions

Once the PowerSync database is connected and your streams have synced, the data is in the local SQLite database.
All CRUD examples from the JavaScript Web SDK apply: The Tauri SDK exposes the same JavaScript database API as the Web SDK. See the JavaScript Web SDK CRUD functions section for examples of get, getAll, watch, execute, writeTransaction, incremental watch updates, and differential results.
The most commonly used CRUD functions to interact with your SQLite data are:

Fetching a Single Item

The get method executes a read-only (SELECT) query and returns a single result. It throws an exception if no result is found. Use getOptional to return a single optional result (returns null if no result is found).

Querying Items (PowerSync.getAll)

The getAll method returns a set of rows from a table.

Watching Queries (PowerSync.watch)

The watch method executes a read query whenever a change to a dependent table is made.
For advanced watch query features such as incremental updates and differential results, see Live Queries / Watch Queries.

Mutations (PowerSync.execute, PowerSync.writeTransaction)

The execute method can be used for executing single SQLite write statements.
When using the default client-side JSON-based view system, writes are applied to a view, with triggers writing to the underlying table. Because of this, result.rowsAffected from db.execute() can be 0 even when an UPDATE or DELETE succeeds.When you need to confirm whether a mutation changed any rows, add a RETURNING clause and check the returned rows:
If you need direct table writes, use raw tables.

Configure Logging

The Rust SDK uses the log crate which can be enabled using the Tauri logging plugin.

Sharing a Database with Rust Code

A PowerSyncTauriDatabase instance can be shared with Rust code:
  1. Call and await .init() on the database to ensure the database has been opened.
  2. Use the .rustHandle getter, which returns a number representing the database instance.
  3. This handle can now be passed as an argument to one of your Tauri commands. In Rust SDK, you can use AppHandle::powersync() and PowerSync::database_from_javascript_handle to inspect the database from Rust. See the Rust SDK guide for more information.
Connection locks and table updates are automatically shared between Rust and JavaScript code.

Limitations

  • The Rust SDK, which is used to implement the Tauri plugin, does not provide lastSyncedAt, hasSynced and priorityStatusEntries on SyncStatus. Use the status on individual Sync Streams through SyncStatus.forStream instead.
  • Connecting to the PowerSync Service is only possible from Rust. Calling connect() from JavaScript will throw.

Additional Usage Examples

For more usage examples including accessing connection status, monitoring sync progress, and waiting for initial sync, see the Usage Examples page.

ORM Support

See JavaScript ORM Support for details.

Troubleshooting

See Troubleshooting for pointers to debug common issues.