db-core-mutations-optimistic

# Mutations & Optimistic State > **Depends on:** `db-core/collection-setup` -- you need a configured collection > (with `getKey`, sync adapter, and optionally `onInsert`/`onUpdate`/`onDelete` > handlers) before you can mutate. TanStack DB mutations follow a unidirectional loop: **optimistic mutation -> handler persists -> handler waits for sync/ack -> confirmed state**. Optimistic state is applied in the current tick and dropped when the handler resolves. --- ## Setup -- Collection Write Operations ### insert ```ts import { safeRandomUUID } from '@tanstack/db' // Single item todoCollection.insert({ id: safeRandomUUID(), text: 'Buy groceries', completed: false, }) // Multiple items todoCollection.insert([ { id: safeRandomUUID(), text: 'Buy groceries', completed: false }, { id: safeRandomUUID(), text: 'Walk dog', completed: false }, ]) // With metadata / non-optimistic todoCollection.insert(item, { metadata: { source: 'import' } }) todoCollection.insert(item, { optimistic: false }) ``` ### update (Immer-style draft proxy) ```ts // Single item -- mutate the draft, do NOT reassign it todoCollection.update(todo.id, (draft) => { draft.completed = true draft.completedAt = new Date() }) // Multiple items todoCollection.update([id1, id2], (drafts) => { drafts.forEach((d) => { d.completed = true }) }) // With metadata todoCollection.update( todo.id, { metadata: { reason: 'user-edit' } }, (draft) => { draft.text = 'Updated' }, ) ``` ### delete ```ts todoCollection.delete(todo.id) todoCollection.delete([id1, id2]) todoCollection.delete(todo.id, { metadata: { reason: 'completed' } }) ``` All three return a `Transaction` object. Use `tx.when('settled')` to await settlement or catch rollback errors. For a non-empty transaction, this normally means its `mutationFn` returned; it proves upload, confirmation, or read-back only when that function waits for the backend observation before returning. Do not start or await collection preloads, live-query preloads, or direct `loadSubset()` calls inside `mutationFn`. Sync commits queue behind mutation persistence, so the preload can wait on the mutation that is waiting on it. Use the collection adapter's documented mutation acknowledgement pattern. --- ## Core Patterns ### 1. createOptimisticAction -- intent-based mutations Use when the optimistic change is a _guess_ at how the server will transform the data, or when you need to mutate multiple collections atomically. ```ts import { createOptimisticAction } from '@tanstack/db' const likePost = createOptimisticAction<string>({ // MUST be synchronous -- applied in the current tick onMutate: (postId) => { postCollection.update(postId, (draft) => { draft.likeCount += 1 draft.likedByMe = true }) }, mutationFn: async (postId, { transaction }) => { await api.posts.like(postId) // IMPORTANT: wait for server state to sync back before returning await postCollection.utils.refetch() }, }) // Returns a Transaction const tx = likePost(postId) await tx.when('settled') ``` Multi-collection example: ```ts const createProject = createOptimisticAction<{ name: string; ownerId: string }>( { onMutate: ({ name, ownerId }) => { projectCollection.insert({ id: safeRandomUUID(), name, ownerId }) userCollection.update(ownerId, (d) => { d.projectCount += 1 }) }, mutationFn: async ({ name, ownerId }) => { await api.projects.create({ name, ownerId }) await Promise.all([ projectCollection.utils.refetch(), userCollection.utils.refetch(), ]) }, }, ) ``` ### 2. createPacedMutations -- auto-save with debounce / throttle / queue ```ts import { createPacedMutations, debounceStrategy } from '@tanstack/db' const autoSaveNote = createPacedMutations<string>({ onMutate: (text) => { noteCollection.update(noteId, (draft) => { draft.body = text }) }, mutationFn: async ({ transaction }) => { const mutation = transaction.mutations[0] await api.notes.update(mutation.key, mutation.changes) await noteCollection.utils.refetch() }, strategy: debounceStrategy({ wait: 500 }), }) // Each call resets the debounce timer; mutations merge into one transaction autoSaveNote('Hello') autoSaveNote('Hello, world') // only this version persists ``` Other strategies: ```ts import { throttleStrategy, queueStrategy } from '@tanstack/db' // Evenly spaced (sliders, scroll) throttleStrategy({ wait: 200, leading: true, trailing: true }) // Sequential FIFO -- every mutation persisted in order queueStrategy({ wait: 0, maxSize: 100 }) ``` ### 3. createTransaction -- manual batching ```ts import { createTransaction } from '@tanstack/db' const tx = createTransaction({ autoCommit: false, // wait for explicit commit() mutationFn: async ({ transaction }) => { await api.batchUpdate(transaction.mutations) }, }) tx.mutate(() => { todoCollection.update(id1, (d) => { d.status = 'reviewed' }) todoCollection.update(id2, (d) => { d.status = 'reviewed' }) }) // User reviews... then commits or rolls back await tx.commit() // OR: tx.rollback() ``` Inside `tx.mutate(() => { ... })`, the transaction is pushed onto an ambient stack. Any `collection.insert/update/delete` call joins the ambient transaction automatically via `getActiveTransaction()`. That scope is synchronous: collection operations after an `await` do not join it. Put async work in `mutationFn`, or call `mutate()` again before committing. For mutations captured by a manual transaction, collection-level `onInsert`/`onUpdate`/`onDelete` handlers are not invoked automatically. The manual transaction's `mutationFn` is responsible for persisting `transaction.mutations`. This makes `createTransaction({ autoCommit: false })` a good fit for draft-style flows where local state updates immediately but the server call waits for Save/Blur; call `tx.rollback()` to discard the optimistic changes. ### 4. Mutation handlers with automatic refetch (QueryCollection pattern) ```ts const todoCollection = createCollection( queryCollectionOptions({ queryKey: ['todos'], queryFn: () => api.todos.getAll(), getKey: (t) => t.id, onInsert: async ({ transaction }) => { await Promise.all( transaction.mutations.map((m) => api.todos.create(m.modified)), ) // Query Collection refetches after the handler completes and awaits it. }, onUpdate: async ({ transaction }) => { await Promise.all( transaction.mutations.map((m) => api.todos.update(m.original.id, m.changes), ), ) }, onDelete: async ({ transaction }) => { await Promise.all( transaction.mutations.map((m) => api.todos.delete(m.original.id)), ) }, }), ) ``` For ElectricCollection, return `{ txid }` instead of refetching: ```ts onUpdate: async ({ transaction }) => { const txids = await Promise.all( transaction.mutations.map(async (m) => { const res = await api.todos.update(m.original.id, m.changes) return res.txid }), ) return { txid: txids } } ``` --- ## Common Mistakes ### CRITICAL: Passing an object to update() instead of a draft callback ```ts // WRONG -- silently fails or throws collection.update(id, { ...item, title: 'new' }) // CORRECT -- mutate the draft proxy collection.update(id, (draft) => { draft.title = 'new' }) ``` ### CRITICAL: Hallucinating mutation API signatures The most common AI-generated errors: - Inventing handler signatures (e.g. `onMutate` on a collection config) - Confusing `createOptimisticAction` with `createTransaction` - Wrong PendingMutation property names (`mutation.data` does not exist -- use `mutation.modified`, `mutation.changes`, `mutation.original`) - Missing the ambient transaction pattern Always reference the exact types in `references/transaction-api.md`. ### CRITICAL: onMutate returning a Promise `onMutate` in `createOptimisticAction` **must be synchronous**. Optimistic state is applied in the current tick. Returning a Promise throws `OnMutateMustBeSynchronousError`. ```ts // WRONG createOptimisticAction({ onMutate: async (text) => { collection.insert({ id: await generateId(), text }) }, ... }) // CORRECT createOptimisticAction({ onMutate: (text) => { collection.insert({ id: safeRandomUUID(), text }) }, ... }) ``` ### CRITICAL: Mutations without handler or ambient transaction Collection mutations require either: 1. An `onInsert`/`onUpdate`/`onDelete` handler on the collection, OR 2. An ambient transaction from `createTransaction`/`createOptimisticAction` Without either, throws `MissingInsertHandlerError` (or the Update/Delete variant). ### HIGH: Calling .mutate() after transaction is no longer pending Transactions only accept new mutations while in `pending` state. Calling `mutate()` after `commit()` or `rollback()` throws `TransactionNotPendingMutateError`. Create a new transaction instead. ### HIGH: Changing primary key via update The update proxy detects key changes and throws `KeyUpdateNotAllowedError`. Primary keys are immutable once set. If you need a different key, delete and re-insert. ### HIGH: Inserting item with duplicate key If an item with the same key already exists (synced or optimistic), throws `DuplicateKeyError`. Always generate a unique key (e.g. `safeRandomUUID()`) or check before inserting. ### HIGH: Manually refetching inside a Query Collection handler Query Collection automatically refetches after `onInsert`, `onUpdate`, and `onDelete` complete, and waits for that refetch before the mutation finishes. Calling `utils.refetch()` inside the handler sends a redundant request. ```ts // WRONG -- causes one manual and one automatic refetch onInsert: async ({ transaction }) => { await api.createTodo(transaction.mutations[0].modified) await collection.utils.refetch() } // CORRECT -- automatic refetch is awaited after this returns onInsert: async ({ transaction }) => { await api.createTodo(transaction.mutations[0].modified) } ``` When the handler writes the confirmed server result with direct-write utilities, return `{ refetch: false }` to skip the automatic refetch. --- ## Tension: Optimistic Speed vs. Data Consistency Instant optimistic updates create a window where client state diverges from server state. If the handler fails, the rollback removes the optimistic state -- which can discard user work the user thought was saved. Consider: - Showing pending/saving indicators so users know state is unconfirmed - Using `{ optimistic: false }` for destructive operations - Designing idempotent server endpoints so retries are safe - Handling `tx.when('settled')` rejection to surface errors to the user --- ## References - [Transaction API Reference](references/transaction-api.md) -- createTransaction config, Transaction object, PendingMutation type, mutation merging rules, strategy types - [TanStack DB Mutations Guide](https://tanstack.com/db/latest/docs/guides/mutations)