‹ Reports
The Dispatch

OSS Report: AppFlowy-IO/AppFlowy


AppFlowy Faces Critical Usability Challenges Amidst Active Development

AppFlowy, an open-source collaborative workspace, is experiencing significant usability issues related to authentication, synchronization, and UI responsiveness, despite ongoing active development efforts.

The project has been addressing a wide array of user-reported issues, particularly focusing on login and authentication problems (#6105), synchronization errors across devices (#6095), and UI/UX concerns such as lag during text input. Feature requests for improved functionality in both mobile and desktop environments are also prevalent. The development team is actively working on these areas, with recent commits indicating efforts to enhance the client API, fix synchronization processes, and improve UI elements.

Recent Activity

Recent issues and pull requests (PRs) highlight ongoing challenges and development focus areas. Critical bugs such as login failures (#6105) and table display problems (#6104) have been logged recently. Concurrently, feature requests like advanced account management (#6092) indicate user demand for enhanced functionalities.

Development Team Activities

  1. Nathan.fooo:

    • Recent commits include version bumps and fixes for database filters and sync issues.
    • Collaborated with Lucas.Xu on various enhancements.
  2. Lucas.Xu:

    • Implemented sign-in options, optimized mobile UI, and resolved document handling bugs.
    • Worked closely with Nathan.fooo on overlapping tasks.
  3. Kilu.He:

    • Focused on web app improvements, addressing file block issues and UI consistency.
  4. Bartosz Sypytkowski:

    • Conducted dependency updates for compatibility maintenance.
  5. Francisco Di Marzo Borghi:

    • Made minor fixes for Linux distribution support.
  6. Evililim:

    • Updated translations to enhance accessibility.
  7. Annie:

    • Worked on UI improvements and bug fixes across components.
  8. Mathias Mogensen:

    • Developed AI integration features and billing functionalities.

Of Note

Quantified Reports

Quantify Issues



Recent GitHub Issues Activity

Timespan Opened Closed Comments Labeled Milestones
7 Days 30 4 6 17 1
30 Days 113 28 128 79 1
90 Days 260 90 322 161 1
All Time 2709 1850 - - -

Like all software activity quantification, these numbers are imperfect but sometimes useful. Comments, Labels, and Milestones refer to those issues opened in the timespan in question.

Quantify commits



Quantified Commit Activity Over 30 Days

Developer Avatar Branches PRs Commits Files Changes
Nathan.fooo 3 52/49/3 60 391 23358
Kilu.He 2 15/14/0 15 537 18379
Lucas.Xu 2 61/55/6 58 392 16974
Bartosz Sypytkowski 1 7/3/3 3 215 11845
Stefan Weiberg 1 2/1/0 1 30 4734
Mathias Mogensen 2 4/4/0 7 50 4358
Annie 1 9/9/0 9 66 1410
Evililim 1 2/1/1 1 1 848
Mohammad Zolfaghari 1 1/1/0 1 9 247
Sota 1 1/1/0 1 27 58
Francisco Di Marzo Borghi 1 1/1/0 1 2 55
Khor Shu Heng 1 1/1/0 1 3 17
Yurmin (Yurmin) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
koukemo (koukemo) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
None (vavenCV) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Aymane Boumaaza (Aymane11) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
MIckael (mick3211) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
plague69 (plague69) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Sean Siders (SeanSiders) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Simon (OriginalSimon) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0

PRs: created by that dev and opened/merged/closed-unmerged during the period

Detailed Reports

Report On: Fetch issues



Recent Activity Analysis

The AppFlowy project has seen a substantial amount of recent activity, with a total of 859 open issues currently logged. Notably, there are several critical bugs and feature requests that have emerged, highlighting areas where user experience may be suffering. The issues range from login problems and synchronization errors to feature requests for improved functionality in mobile and desktop environments. A significant number of these issues appear to be related to the handling of user input and UI responsiveness, indicating potential usability challenges.

Several recurring themes can be identified among the issues:

  • Login and Authentication Issues: Multiple users report problems logging in via email or third-party services like Google.
  • Synchronization Problems: Users are experiencing difficulties with syncing data across devices, particularly when using self-hosted instances.
  • UI/UX Concerns: Many reports focus on the responsiveness of the application, including lag during text input and issues with the display of elements in both mobile and desktop versions.
  • Feature Requests for Enhanced Functionality: Users are requesting additional features such as improved image handling, better formatting options, and enhanced navigation capabilities.

Issue Details

Recently Created Issues

  1. Issue #6105: [Bug] Can't login with email

    • Priority: High
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 0 days ago
    • Description: Users are unable to log in using their email due to an issue with the link provided in the login email.
  2. Issue #6104: [Bug] Table not displaying problem

    • Priority: High
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 0 days ago
    • Description: A bug causing tables not to display correctly, leading to errors in rendering.
  3. Issue #6101: [Bug] Link to page not referenced

    • Priority: Medium
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 1 day ago
    • Description: The "Link to page" option is not functioning as expected when searched.
  4. Issue #6100: [Bug] ISO-8601 format should have leading zeros

    • Priority: Low
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 0 days ago
    • Description: Dates in ISO-8601 format are not displaying leading zeros for single-digit months or days.

Recently Updated Issues

  1. Issue #6099: [FR] Ability to add 'Link to Grid' on a page

    • Priority: Low
    • Status: Open
    • Last Updated: 2 days ago
    • Description: Feature request for linking grids similar to linking pages.
  2. Issue #6096: Appflowy can't input with fcitx5 before lose focus

    • Priority: Medium
    • Status: Open
    • Last Updated: 2 days ago
    • Description: Input method fcitx5 fails until focus is lost from the application.
  3. Issue #6095: [Bug] Where is sync status indicator?

    • Priority: Medium
    • Status: Open
    • Last Updated: 2 days ago
    • Description: Missing sync status indicator after updates.
  4. Issue #6092: [FR] More advanced account management

    • Priority: Low
    • Status: Open
    • Last Updated: 2 days ago
    • Description: Request for enhanced account management features including linked services and session management.

Summary

The AppFlowy project is currently facing significant challenges related to user authentication, synchronization, and overall UI responsiveness. The recent influx of issues indicates that while user interest remains high, there are critical areas requiring attention to improve usability and functionality across platforms. The themes emerging from these issues suggest a need for focused development efforts on enhancing user experience through bug fixes and new feature implementations.

Report On: Fetch pull requests



Report on Pull Requests

Overview

The AppFlowy project has a total of 30 open pull requests (PRs) and a significant number of closed PRs, indicating active development and community engagement. The recent PRs focus on various enhancements, bug fixes, and feature additions, including translation updates, UI improvements, and new functionalities.

Summary of Pull Requests

Open Pull Requests

  1. PR #6107: Update translations

    • State: Open
    • Created: 0 days ago
    • Description: Added some Portuguese translations.
    • Significance: Enhances localization support for Portuguese-speaking users.
  2. PR #6106: Update translations

    • State: Open
    • Created: 0 days ago
    • Description: Some French translations updated with formatting corrections.
    • Significance: Improves the accuracy of French translations in the application.
  3. PR #6103: feat: support account deletion

    • State: Open
    • Created: 0 days ago
    • Description: Introduces functionality to allow users to delete their accounts.
    • Significance: A critical feature for user control and privacy.
  4. PR #6090: [WIP] feat: media type option

    • State: Open
    • Created: 2 days ago
    • Description: Work in progress to add media type options in the application.
    • Significance: Potentially expands the functionality of media handling within the app.
  5. PR #6084: Update translations

    • State: Open
    • Created: 2 days ago
    • Description: Adds Arabic and French translations.
    • Significance: Enhances localization for Arabic-speaking users.
  6. PR #6065: fix: Modified to launch the app from docker-compose

    • State: Open
    • Created: 4 days ago
    • Description: Fixes errors related to launching the app using Docker Compose.
    • Significance: Essential for developers using Docker for local development.
  7. PR #6058: Update translations

    • State: Open
    • Created: 5 days ago
    • Description: Updates Italian translations with approximately 100 messages translated.
    • Significance: Improves user experience for Italian-speaking users.
  8. PR #6022: chore: Update German translations

    • State: Open
    • Created: 9 days ago, edited 1 day ago
    • Description: Updates German translations with missing entries and corrections.
    • Significance: Enhances the application's accessibility for German-speaking users.
  9. PR #6015: chore: non work stealing thread pool

    • State: Open
    • Created: 10 days ago, edited 9 days ago
    • Description: Introduces a dedicated non work-stealing thread pool for better performance.
    • Significance: Aims to improve application performance by optimizing thread management.

Closed Pull Requests

  1. PR #6102: chore: bump collab version that write collab in one transaction
  2. PR #6098: chore: bump client api
  3. PR #6097: fix: reset first page when switching space
  4. PR #6094: chore: fix database filter
  5. PR #6093: fix: expand the icon to be the same size as the text in the heading block

Note: The closed PRs mainly consist of bug fixes and minor enhancements, indicating ongoing maintenance alongside feature development.

Analysis of Pull Requests

The current state of pull requests in AppFlowy reflects a vibrant development environment characterized by active contributions from various developers focused on enhancing user experience through localization, new features, and bug fixes.

Themes and Commonalities

  • A significant number of PRs are dedicated to improving localization support across multiple languages (e.g., Portuguese, French, Arabic, Italian). This indicates a strong commitment to making AppFlowy accessible to a diverse user base.
  • Several PRs focus on adding new features such as account deletion (#6103) and media type options (#6090), which are crucial for enhancing user control and functionality within the application.
  • Bug fixes related to Docker support (#6065) and UI improvements (e.g., fixing icon sizes in headings) demonstrate an ongoing effort to maintain application stability and usability.

Notable Anomalies

  • The presence of multiple open PRs related to translation updates suggests that while there is active engagement in this area, it may also indicate a need for better coordination among contributors to avoid overlapping efforts.
  • The high number of open issues (889) alongside active PRs could signal challenges in managing contributions effectively or highlight areas where more contributors are needed.

Lack of Recent Merge Activity

While there are many open PRs, some have been open for several days without merging or review comments, which may lead to contributor frustration or disengagement if not addressed promptly.

Old PRs

Some older PRs remain unmerged or unresolved, such as those related to implementing complex features like multi-pane support (#3337). This could reflect either technical challenges or shifts in project priorities that need addressing.

Conclusion

Overall, the pull request activity in AppFlowy showcases a dynamic project with robust community involvement aimed at improving functionality and user experience through continuous updates and enhancements. However, attention should be given to managing open issues effectively and ensuring timely reviews of contributions to maintain momentum within the community.

Report On: Fetch commits



Repo Commits Analysis

Development Team and Recent Activity

Team Members:

  • Nathan.fooo (appflowy)

    • Recent activity includes multiple "chore" commits for version bumps and dependency updates, as well as fixes related to database filters and sync issues. He has also worked on enhancing the client API and addressing various bugs across different components.
  • Lucas.Xu (LucasXu0)

    • Focused on bug fixes and feature enhancements, including optimizing UI elements, fixing alignment issues, and implementing new features such as sign-in options and mobile optimizations. He has been actively collaborating on various aspects of the mobile application.
  • Kilu.He (qinluhe)

    • Contributed to fixing specific issues in the web app, including file block problems and icon adjustments. His recent commits indicate a focus on improving the user interface and resolving bugs.
  • Bartosz Sypytkowski (Horusiath)

    • Engaged in dependency updates and general maintenance tasks. His contributions are primarily focused on ensuring compatibility with the latest versions of libraries used in the project.
  • Francisco Di Marzo Borghi (frandmb)

    • Involved in minor fixes related to the AppImage recipe for Linux, indicating a focus on cross-platform support.
  • Evililim

    • Made updates to translations, showing involvement in enhancing accessibility for non-English speaking users.
  • Annie (annieappflowy)

    • Worked on UI improvements and bug fixes across various components, focusing on enhancing user experience.
  • Mathias Mogensen (Xazin)

    • Contributed to significant features like AI integration and billing functionalities, indicating a focus on expanding the platform's capabilities.

Recent Activities Summary:

  1. Nathan.fooo:

    • Bumped client API versions, fixed database filters, optimized sync processes.
    • Collaborated with Lucas.Xu on multiple features and fixes.
  2. Lucas.Xu:

    • Implemented features like sign-in with Apple, optimized mobile UI elements, resolved various bugs related to document handling and editor functionalities.
    • Active collaboration with Nathan.fooo on several tasks.
  3. Kilu.He:

    • Addressed web app issues including file block functionality and icon adjustments.
    • Focused on improving user interface consistency.
  4. Bartosz Sypytkowski:

    • Conducted routine maintenance tasks including dependency updates.
  5. Francisco Di Marzo Borghi:

    • Minor fixes related to Linux distribution packaging.
  6. Evililim:

    • Updated translations for improved accessibility.
  7. Annie:

    • Enhanced UI elements and fixed various bugs across the application.
  8. Mathias Mogensen:

    • Developed features related to AI capabilities and billing systems within the application.

Patterns and Themes:

  • The team is actively engaged in both feature development and maintenance tasks, indicating a balanced approach to enhancing functionality while ensuring stability.
  • Collaboration among team members is evident, particularly between Nathan.fooo and Lucas.Xu, who frequently work together on overlapping tasks.
  • There is a strong emphasis on improving user experience through UI optimizations and bug fixes, particularly for mobile platforms.
  • The integration of AI features suggests a strategic direction towards enhancing productivity tools within the application.
  • Regular updates to dependencies reflect a commitment to keeping the project modern and secure.

Conclusions:

The development team is demonstrating robust activity with a clear focus on both new feature implementation and ongoing maintenance. Their collaborative efforts are fostering an environment conducive to rapid iteration and improvement of the AppFlowy platform.