GitNext

A modern Git reimagination in Rust with WASM compilation, keeping Git compatibility while fixing fundamental issues.

GitNext is a next-generation Git implementation built in pure Rust, designed for safety, performance, flexibility, and browser/embedded compatibility.

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Design Principles

GitNext fixes fundamental Git limitations while remaining fully compatible with GitHub/GitLab workflows, enabling browser-based, embedded, and cloud-native Git operations.

1. Data model first, storage second – Abstract DAG & operations
2. Pure Rust + WASM – Run everywhere (CLI, browser, edge, embedded)
3. Git protocol compatibility – Interop with GitHub/GitLab
4. Storage agnostic – Memory, SQLite, PostgreSQL, IndexedDB, S3
5. Parallel & async by default – Modern concurrency primitives
6. Type-safe & memory-safe – Zero UB, no crashes
7. Queryable from day 1 – Built-in indexes, no full scans
8. Never lose work – Operation log, undo/redo anything

Features

• Safe: Rust, memory-safe, zero UB
• Fast: Parallel, async, indexed operations
• Flexible: Pluggable storage backends, WASM support
• Compatible: Works with existing Git workflows
• Recoverable: Never lose work, full operation log

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2. Rust Workspace & Crate Organization

GitNext is structured as a multi-crate workspace:

gitnext/                  # Workspace root
├─ crates/                      # All library crates
│  ├─ gitnext-core/             # Core data model
│  ├─ gitnext-storage/          # Storage abstraction traits
│  ├─ gitnext-storage-memory/   # In-memory backend
│  ├─ gitnext-storage-sqlite/   # SQLite backend
│  ├─ gitnext-storage-indexeddb/# Browser backend
│  ├─ gitnext-storage-postgres/ # PostgreSQL backend
│  ├─ gitnext-storage-s3/       # Cloud backend
│  ├─ gitnext-objects/          # Object model (commits, trees, blobs)
│  ├─ gitnext-operations/       # High-level repository operations
│  ├─ gitnext-merge/            # Merge algorithms
│  ├─ gitnext-query/            # Query layer
│  ├─ gitnext-identity/         # Artifact tracking
│  ├─ gitnext-protocol/         # Git wire protocol
│  ├─ gitnext-compat/           # Git compatibility layer
│  ├─ gitnext-cli/              # CLI tool
│  ├─ gitnext-wasm/             # WASM bindings
│  └─ gitnext-server/           # Git server
├─ examples/                     # Example apps & usage demos
├─ docs/                         # Architecture docs, design specs, diagrams
├─ tests/                        # Integration and regression tests
├─ benchmarks/                   # Performance benchmarks
├─ scripts/                      # Build/deployment/CI scripts
├─ Cargo.toml                    # Workspace definition & dependencies
└─ ReadMe.md                     # This document

Notes

• crates/: All core functionality, backends, operations, and bindings are organized into separate crates.
• examples/: Showcases how to use multiple crates together, including CLI and WASM usage.
• docs/: Architecture diagrams, TSDs, ADRs, and semantic specifications.
• tests/: End-to-end and cross-backend integration tests.
• benchmarks/: Performance benchmarks for repository operations, query, and clone/push/pull.
• scripts/: Utility scripts for building, releasing, or testing across multiple platforms.

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Crates Overview

Crate	Responsibility	Notes
gitnext-core	Core DAG & data model	Immutable commit graph, trees, blobs, tags
gitnext-objects	Object model	Low-level objects and content-addressed storage representation
gitnext-operations	Repository operations	High-level operations: commit, branch, undo/redo
gitnext-merge	Merge algorithms	Three-way merges, semantic merge strategies
gitnext-query	Query layer	Indexed queries, filters, ancestry checks
gitnext-identity	Artifact tracking	Stable IDs for commits, trees, and objects
gitnext-storage	Storage abstraction	Unified trait for backends
gitnext-storage-memory	In-memory backend	Fast, ephemeral storage for testing or caching
gitnext-storage-sqlite	SQLite backend	Async, transactional, local storage
gitnext-storage-indexeddb	Browser backend	WASM-compatible persistent storage
gitnext-storage-postgres	PostgreSQL backend	Server-side persistent storage
gitnext-storage-s3	Cloud backend	Remote object storage
gitnext-protocol	Git wire protocol	Push/fetch/packfile handling
gitnext-compat	Git compatibility layer	Maps GitNext objects to standard Git objects
gitnext-cli	CLI tool	User-facing command-line interface
gitnext-wasm	WASM bindings	Browser & edge runtime support
gitnext-server	Git server	Multi-user server implementation

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Architecture Layers

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CLI / WASM / Server                 │  User interfaces
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Git Protocol Compatibility Layer     │  Push/pull/fetch translation
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Repository Operations                │  High-level operations (commit, merge, query)
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Query / Identity / Merge             │  Indexed ancestry, artifact tracking
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Core Data Model                      │  Commits, trees, blobs, tags
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Storage Abstraction                  │  Backend trait (Storage)
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Backends: SQLite│Postgres│S3│Memory  │  Concrete implementations
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

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CLI Example

# Install
cargo install gitnext-cli

# Initialize repo
gitnext init my-project
cd my-project

# Make a commit
echo "hello" > README.md
gitnext commit -m "Initial commit"

# Query commits
gitnext log -n 10
gitnext query --since $(date -d '1 week ago' +%s)

# Undo last operation
gitnext undo

# Clone from Git
gitnext clone https://github.com/user/repo.git

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WASM Example

import { Repository } from "gitnext-wasm";

const repo = await Repository.open("browser_repo");
await repo.commit("Browser commit");

• Uses IndexedDB as backend
• Fully async and parallel

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Roadmap

Phase 1: MVP

• Core data model, storage trait, SQLite & memory backend, repository ops, CLI basics

Phase 2: Performance

• Indexed commit graph, generation numbers, parallel ops, benchmarks

Phase 3: WASM

• IndexedDB backend, browser demo, service worker sync

Phase 4: Git Compatibility

• Git object format, protocol handlers, clone/push/pull, test GitHub/GitLab

Phase 5: Advanced Features

• Artifact tracking, semantic merge, query DSL, operation log UI

Phase 6: Production

• PostgreSQL & S3 backend, server implementation, multi-user support, security audit

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