Operational Transform

Definitions

1. An algorithm for maintaining consistency in collaborative editing by transforming concurrent operations against each other. When two users type at the same position simultaneously, OT adjusts the offsets so both changes are applied correctly. Used by Google Docs. Notoriously difficult to implement correctly — CRDTs are the modern alternative.

   In plain English: An algorithm that makes real-time collaborative editing work by adjusting conflicting changes so they merge correctly.

   Example: "Google Docs uses operational transform for real-time editing — every keystroke is an operation that gets transformed against concurrent edits."

Related Terms

• Code Review
• Data Structure
• Game Loop
• WebRTC
• Feature Branch
• Stream Processing
• CRDTs
• Server-Sent Events
• Dijkstra's Algorithm
• Divide and Conquer
• Two Pointers