So, Darwino! I've mentioned it quite a few times on Twitter and, particularly, in person, but I think it's high time I write some proper blog posts about it.

To start with, I'll cover what Darwino is. The short version is it's a Java-based development framework with a replicating document database. The interesting aspects go beyond that, though:

• In addition to Java web servers, it targets mobile devices, both Android and, through RoboVM, iOS. Those devices store their own replicas of the databases for offline work in the same conceptual way as Notes, but with native (or hybrid web, if you're so inclined) mobile user interfaces.
• The document database sits on top of SQL servers. Many modern SQL servers have native support for JSON data, and Darwino takes advantage of this to get document-DB flexibility with SQL features.
• Business logic is shared between platforms. Because Java acts as a common language between each platform, and the document DB works the same way locally and remotely, the core business logic of the app can be identical across each targetted platform, with only the UI changing between them.
• Along those lines, Darwino isn't prescriptive with the UI: it's not a front-end framework itself, instead providing the basis for using other front-end tools, such as Ionic, JSF, and Vaadin for web/hybrid UIs and the native OS toolkits on mobile.
• The Darwino syncing protocol is designed to be adaptable to other services. This is immediately notable for Domino developers, but can also be (and has been, in some cases) adapted for arbitrary other back ends, like Connections social data or other databases.

How does this relate to Domino/XPages development? That depends on your desires, really.

In some ways, it doesn't. Darwino is its own platform, running on Java web servers like WebSphere and Tomcat, using independent SQL servers like DB2 and PostgreSQL. Darwino's replication between the server and mobile devices is similar to Domino's, but is its own thing. Similarly, the document model, though conceptually similar to Domino (including enhanced reader and author fields), is not NSF.

However, there are a number of reasons why it's of interest to a Domino developer, and the most immediate of those is its ability to do two-way replication with Domino databases. I'm a little biased on this point because of how much time I've spent working on it, but this replication is capable of some nifty tricks to make it capable and adaptable, including transformation of the data, two-way maintenance of document time stamps, and so forth. With this syncing, it makes it very practical to extend your existing Domino app - be it a classic-style Notes/web app or an XPages one - with a Darwino-side UI that uses the same data, synced down to mobile devices for offline access. And this doesn't require migration; since the changes replicate back, the app can remain chugging away unchanged on the Domino side if desired. This also can be tremendously useful for reporting, by syncing the data over to a full SQL database that can be viewed and queried by normal tools.

And, really, it's also of interest to Domino developers personally by virtue of being a platform that has learned a lot of valuable lessons from Domino and extended them in new ways. Those years of accumulated document-database knowledge will carry over nicely, with some extra benefits if you're SQL-familiar too. Any Java knowledge will come in handy immediately, as Darwino is thoroughly Java-based on all target platforms. And, thanks to its pedigree, a lot of the platform support concepts are similar to aspects of XPages (the good parts). In general, the more XPages development you've done, the more it will benefit you (especially if you want to use JSF for the UI!). You could also, with some servlet-implementation limitations, run Darwino apps on Domino via OSGi, and I've been putting some side work into accessing Darwino databases from XPages directly - Darwino could make a solid basis for Domino-run apps.

So this turned into a bit of a sales pitch, but there's no getting around it - I find this thoroughly compelling and exciting. As I have time, I plan to expand on Darwino's various capabilities (along with the other various blog series I still plan to get to). For now, you can register for and download the Community Edition, read the documentation there, and/or track me down with any questions.