Overview
HLC_Dart is a Dart implementation of a Hybrid Logical Clock (HLC), designed to provide causally consistent timestamps in distributed systems. Inspired by the paper on logical physical clocks, it combines the benefits of logical and physical time to ensure strong consistency across globally distributed databases. HLC_Dart enables precise ordering of events while maintaining synchronization with real-world time, making it ideal for CRDTs and distributed ledgers. The package supports multiple platforms including Android, iOS, Web, macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Use cases
- Distributed database timestamping
- CRDT conflict resolution
- Global event ordering in microservices
- Consistent snapshots in replicated systems
- Real-time collaborative applications
Key features
- Hybrid logical-physical time synchronization
- Causal consistency across nodes
- Low-latency timestamp generation
- Cross-platform support
- Integration with CRDTs
Suitable for
- Developers building distributed systems
- Teams using CRDTs for data consistency
- Applications requiring global event ordering
- Backend services in multi-region deployments
Considerations
- Requires careful handling of clock drift
- Not suitable for high-precision timing needs
- Depends on accurate system time sources
- May need network coordination in edge cases
- Best used in environments with stable network connectivity