Prerequisites

What you’ll install

Each tool is introduced in the module that first uses it, but here’s the full list so you can set up ahead of time.

• Node.js 20+ and pnpm 9+ — the app is a pnpm-workspaces monorepo (the web app and the sync server live together).
• Rust (via rustup) and wasm-pack — the CRDT engine is written in Rust and compiled to WebAssembly. rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknown is added when Module 5 needs it.
• A Chromium-based browser with DevTools — you’ll live in the Application panel (IndexedDB, Service Workers, Cache, Manifest) and toggle the Offline throttle constantly.
• git — you’ll deploy the PWA and the sync server independently later.

No global framework CLI is required — the app is scaffolded with Astro inside the monorepo.

What the course assumes

OfflineNotes is an intermediate-to-advanced project. You’ll get the most out of it if you’re comfortable with:

• TypeScript — types, modules, async/await, and Promises. The client is all TypeScript.
• The browser platform — the DOM, custom events, and a first taste of Web Components (custom elements) and IndexedDB. Both are taught from the ground up, but prior exposure helps.
• A little Rust — you don’t need to be fluent; Modules 5–6 teach the Rust you need for the CRDT, and lean on comparisons where they help. Comfort with ownership/borrowing basics smooths the ride.
• HTTP basics — the sync server is tiny, but you should be comfortable with requests and JSON.

You do not need prior CRDT, WASM, or PWA experience — those are the point of the course.

Verify

You’re set up when:

• node --version shows 20+, pnpm --version shows 9+.
• rustc --version and wasm-pack --version both work.
• You can open your browser’s DevTools Application panel and find the IndexedDB and Service Workers sections.

Next, the roadmap shows where OfflineNotes fits in the wider series.