This comprehensive guide documents the architecture of Trilium Notes, providing developers with detailed information about the system's core components, data flow, and design patterns.

Overview

Trilium Notes is built as a TypeScript monorepo using NX, featuring a sophisticated architecture that balances performance, flexibility, and maintainability. The system is designed around several key architectural patterns:

Three-layer caching system for optimal performance across backend, frontend, and shared content
Entity-based data model supporting hierarchical note structures with multiple parent relationships
Widget-based UI architecture enabling modular and extensible interface components
Multiple API layers for internal operations, external integrations, and real-time synchronization
Monorepo structure facilitating code sharing and consistent development patterns

Quick Start for Developers

If you're new to Trilium development, start with these sections:

Monorepo Structure - Understand the project organization
Entity System - Learn about the core data model
Three-Layer Cache System - Understand data flow and caching

For UI development, refer to:

Widget-Based UI Architecture

For API integration, see:

API Architecture

Architecture Principles

Performance First

Lazy loading of note content
Efficient caching at multiple layers
Optimized database queries with prepared statements

Flexibility

Support for multiple note types
Extensible through scripting
Plugin architecture for UI widgets

Data Integrity

Transactional database operations
Revision history for all changes
Synchronization conflict resolution

Security

Per-note encryption
Protected sessions
API authentication tokens

Development Workflow

Setup Development Environment
```
pnpm install
pnpm run server:start
```
Make Changes
- Backend changes in apps/server/src/
- Frontend changes in apps/client/src/
- Shared code in packages/

Test Your Changes

pnpm test:all
pnpm nx run <project>:lint

Build for Production

pnpm nx build server
pnpm nx build client

README.md

Trilium Architecture Documentation

Table of Contents