How Offline Documentation Works
DocNative uses efficient compression, local storage, and smart synchronization to deliver instant documentation access without internet dependency.
Offline-First Architecture
DocNative is built around a simple principle: documentation should work without the internet. This requires solving several technical challenges—efficient storage, fast retrieval, and painless updates.
We process official documentation into compressed bundles that you download once. These bundles contain everything needed to render documentation locally: HTML content, search indexes, and metadata.
No internet required after download. The app never phones home, never requires authentication, and never blocks functionality based on network status.
From Web to Mobile
1. Documentation Extraction
We crawl official documentation sources and extract the content. HTML is processed to remove navigation, ads, and tracking scripts. Only the documentation content remains.
2. Compression
Content is compressed using Zstandard (zstd), which offers excellent compression ratios and fast decompression. A 50 MB documentation set becomes 8 MB.
3. Distribution
Compressed bundles are distributed via CDN. When you download documentation, the app fetches the bundle and stores it locally on your device.
4. Local Storage
Documentation is decompressed on-demand as you navigate. Each page decompresses in under 10ms. Storage uses the compressed format to minimize space.
Technical Specifications
Efficient Storage
Documentation can be verbose. A full framework documentation set might be 50-100 MB of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Storing this uncompressed would quickly fill mobile storage.
We use Zstandard compression, which achieves 5:1 compression ratios on documentation content while decompressing in milliseconds. A 50 MB documentation set becomes 10 MB on disk.
Decompression happens on-demand. Only the page you are viewing is decompressed. This means even large documentation sets load instantly without consuming excessive memory.
Zstandard compression achieves ~5:1 ratio on documentation HTML
Offline Search
Search is critical for documentation. We build search indexes during the extraction process and include them in documentation bundles. Search works entirely locally.
Inverted Index
Each documentation bundle includes a pre-built inverted index mapping terms to pages. Search queries return results in milliseconds.
Relevance Scoring
Results are ranked by relevance. Title matches score higher than body matches. Exact phrases score higher than individual terms.
AI-Powered Search (Pro)
Pro subscribers can use AI-powered semantic search that understands intent, not just keywords. Ask questions in natural language.
Update Process
Weekly Checks
When connected to the internet, the app checks for documentation updates in the background. This happens at most once per week per source.
User-Controlled Downloads
You decide when to download updates. No automatic downloads that consume data. No forced updates that change documentation mid-project.
Version History
Need an older version? We keep previous documentation versions available. Switch between versions if a newer release introduced breaking changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try It Yourself
Download DocNative and see offline documentation in action. Fast, efficient, and always available.