Files
tolaria/docs/adr/0004-vault-vs-app-settings-storage.md
Test 99ae8260cb docs: add Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) — 5 backfill + process in CLAUDE.md
- docs/adr/README.md: format spec, rules, index
- 0001: Tauri v2 + React stack
- 0002: filesystem as source of truth
- 0003: single note model (no tabs)
- 0004: vault vs app settings storage
- 0005: Tauri iOS for iPad (vs SwiftUI)
- CLAUDE.md: ADR process — when to read, when to create, when to supersede
2026-03-28 10:05:23 +01:00

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1.9 KiB
Markdown

---
type: ADR
id: "0004"
title: "Vault vs app settings for state storage"
status: active
date: 2026-03-24
---
## Context
As features were added, there was recurring ambiguity about where to persist configuration and state: in the vault (as frontmatter in `.md` files) or in app settings (`~/.config/com.laputa.app/settings.json` / localStorage). Without a clear rule, some decisions were inconsistent.
## Decision
**Ask: "Would the user want this to follow the vault across all their installations?"**
- If **yes** → store in the vault (as frontmatter in the relevant `.md` file, using the `_` convention for system properties)
- If **no** → store in app settings
Examples:
| Data | Storage | Reason |
|------|---------|--------|
| Note type icon (`_icon`) | Vault frontmatter | Follows the vault everywhere |
| Note type color (`_color`) | Vault frontmatter | Follows the vault everywhere |
| Note sort preference | Vault frontmatter (type file) | Per-vault, consistent across devices |
| API keys (Anthropic, OpenAI) | App settings | Installation-specific |
| GitHub token | App settings | Installation-specific |
| Window size / zoom | App settings | Device-specific |
| Editor zoom level | App settings | Device-specific |
| Telemetry consent | App settings | Installation-specific |
## Alternatives considered
- **Everything in localStorage**: simple, but breaks cross-device sync for vault-level config.
- **Everything in vault**: pure, but makes device-specific settings (zoom, window size) propagate to all devices — confusing.
## Consequences
- Config that "belongs to a note or type" lives in frontmatter — readable/diffable in git
- The `_` prefix convention (see ABSTRACTIONS.md) distinguishes system properties from user properties
- App rebuilds from vault state on open — no stale config files to manage
- Triggers re-evaluation if: vault files become too polluted with system frontmatter properties