> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://stratanote.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Collaboration & Version Control

> Use document locking, moderated change suggestions, and version history in StrataNote to co-author notes safely and roll back edits when needed.

StrataNote features built-in collaborative mechanisms that prevent authors from overwriting each other's edits, coupled with comprehensive version tracking for each document.

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## 1. Document Locking (Conflict Prevention)

To prevent edit conflicts, the system uses real-time lock management powered by Socket.io:

* **Acquiring a Lock:** Opening a note in **Edit** mode automatically requests an exclusive lock from the server. You become the active editor.
* **Read-only Mode for Others:** Other users opening the same note will see a **"Locked by: \[Username]"** indicator at the bottom of the screen, and their editor defaults to **ReadOnly** mode.
* **Releasing a Lock:** Locks are released automatically when you switch to another tab/note, close the editor, or disconnect (e.g., closing your browser tab, tracked via heartbeat checks).

<Card title="Screenshot: Locked Document in ReadOnly Mode" icon="lock" iconType="solid" color="#8b5cf6">
  **Interface Preview:** Editor in viewing mode. The save button is disabled, and the status bar displays: `🔒 Locked by: John Doe (Read-only)`.
  **Key elements:** Lock status indicator and disabled editing tools.
</Card>

***

## 2. Suggest Mode

If a document is locked by another co-author, but you need to submit edits immediately, you can use **Suggest Mode**:

1. Click the **"Suggest Changes"** button (available on locked documents).
2. Edit the text and click **"Save Suggestion"** (or use the hotkey **`Ctrl + S`** / **`Cmd + S`**).
3. Your changes are saved on the server as a draft suggestion without altering the live document.

### Suggestion Moderation

Only the **document creator** and **system administrators** can moderate suggestions:

* The moderator opens the "Suggestions" panel on the right sidebar.
* Reviews the line-by-line Diff (visual changes) between the original document and the proposed version.
* Clicks **"Accept"** or **"Reject"**.
* Upon acceptance, the system applies a **Three-Way Merge** algorithm to merge the edits cleanly without breaking other concurrent changes.

<Card title="Screenshot: Suggestion Moderation Panel" icon="code-pull-request" iconType="solid" color="#8b5cf6">
  **Interface Preview:** The "Suggestions" side panel is open. It lists active suggestions with authors' names. Selecting a suggestion displays color-coded diff lines (green additions, red deletions) with Accept and Reject actions.
</Card>

***

## 3. Version History & Diff-Viewer

Every save event is recorded in the SQLite database as an independent revision. You can roll back changes at any time:

* **Viewing History:** Click the **"Version History"** clock icon in the editor toolbar.
* **Comparing Changes (Diff):** Select a version from the list to open the comparison view (`DiffViewer.tsx`):
  * **Red lines** represent deleted text.
  * **Green lines** represent added text.
  * The view compares version N against version N-1, showing exactly what changed in that specific revision.
* **Restoring a Version:** Click the **"Restore"** button next to a revision. This overwrites the current file on the server's disk with the selected revision and adds a new restore entry to the history.

<Card title="Screenshot: Interactive Diff-Viewer" icon="clock-rotate-left" iconType="solid" color="#8b5cf6">
  **Interface Preview:** A split-screen comparison window. The left sidebar list shows revision cards (Version #3, Version #2, Version #1), and the main workspace shows color-coded text diffs with a "Restore" button active in the header.
</Card>

***

## 4. Exporting & Downloading Files (.md)

You can download a copy of the note locally, even in read-only mode or when the document is locked by someone else.

* Click the **"Download MD"** icon in the editor toolbar.
* StrataNote saves the file directly to your computer as a `.md` file named after the note's title.

<Card title="Screenshot: Download Button in Editor Toolbar" icon="download" iconType="solid" color="#8b5cf6">
  **Interface Preview:** The toolbar at the top of the editor showing the arrow-down icon highlighted for downloading files.
</Card>

***

## 5. Document Ownership & Reassignment

Each document and folder in StrataNote has a designated owner (`created_by` field).

* **Direct Edit Rights:** Non-admin users can directly edit files only if they are the document owner. Non-owners are directed to **Suggest Mode**.
* **External Files:** Files created directly on disk or indexed at startup default to the **"External System"** owner.
* **Transferring Ownership (Admins only):** System administrators can reassign document or folder ownership to any registered user or back to "External System":
  1. Hover over a file or folder in the sidebar tree and click the **"Change Owner"** (user icon) button, or click **"Change"** next to the owner name in the Version History panel or editor footer.
  2. Select the new owner from the user dropdown list.
  3. For folders, option to check **"Apply to all subfiles and folders"** to update all nested items recursively.
  4. Click **"Change"**. Ownership and permissions update instantly across all connected clients via WebSockets.