gristlabs_grist-core/README.md

# Grist

Grist is a modern relational spreadsheet. It combines the flexibility of a spreadsheet with the
robustness of a database to organize your data and make you more productive.

> :warning: This repository is in a pre-release state. Its release will be announced when it has
all the planned components, and a solid independent build and test set-up. Currently, stand-alone
server functionality is present, along with a single-user web client.

This repository, [grist-core](https://github.com/gristlabs/grist-core), is maintained by Grist
Labs. Our flagship product, available at [getgrist.com](https://www.getgrist.com), is built from the code you see
here, combined with business-specific software designed to scale it to many users, handle billing,
etc.

If you are looking to use Grist in the cloud, head on over to [getgrist.com](https://www.getgrist.com).
If you are curious about where Grist is going heading,
see [our roadmap](https://github.com/gristlabs/grist-core/projects/1), drop a
question in [our forum](https://community.getgrist.com),
or browse [our extensive documentation](https://support.getgrist.com).


## Opening and editing a Grist document locally

The easiest way to use Grist locally on your computer is with [Docker](https://www.docker.com/get-started).
From a terminal, do:

```sh
docker pull gristlabs/grist
docker run -p 8484:8484 -it gristlabs/grist
```

Then visit `http://localhost:8484` in your browser. You'll be able to create and edit documents,
and to import documents downloaded from the https://docs.getgrist.com host. You'll also be able
to use the Grist API.

To preserve your work across docker runs, provide a directory to save it in:

```sh
docker pull gristlabs/grist
docker run -p 8484:8484 -v $PWD/persist:/persist -it gristlabs/grist
```

## Building from source

Here are the steps needed:

```sh
yarn install
yarn run build:prod
yarn run install:python
yarn start
# grist client available at http://localhost:8484
# grist api available at http://localhost:8484/api/
```

Then you can use the Grist client, or the API. You can view and edit Grist documents
throught the client and the API.  All imported/created documents will appear in the `docs`
subdirectory.  You cannot (yet) edit Grist documents in place on your file system.

Grist does not have a login system built in.  To activate one, you can configure Grist
to talk to an identity provider such as Auth0 using
[SAML](https://github.com/gristlabs/grist-core/blob/main/app/server/lib/SamlConfig.ts).
For running on your own computer, this isn't necessary, but it is important if you are
self-hosting Grist for use by a team.

## Why Open Source?

By opening its source code and offering an [OSI](https://opensource.org/)-approved free license,
Grist benefits its users:

- **Open Source Community.** An active community is the main draw of open-source projects. Anyone
  can examine source code, and contribute bug fixes or even new features. This is a big deal for a
  general-purpose spreadsheet-like product, where there is a long tail of features vital to
  someone somewhere.
- **Increased Trust.** Because anyone can examine the source code, “security by obscurity” is not
  an option. Vulnerabilities in the code can be found by others and reported before they can cause
  damage.
- **Independence.** The published source code—and the product built from it—are available to you
  regardless of the fortunes of the Grist Labs business. Whatever happens to us, this repo or its
  forks can live on, so that you can continue to work on your data in Grist.
- **Price Flexibility.** You can build Grist from source and use it for yourself all you want
  without paying us a cent. While you can’t go wrong with our fully set-up and supported online
  service, some organizations may choose the do-it-yourself route and pay for their own server and
  maintenance, rather than a per-user price. DIY users are often the ones to develop new features,
  and can contribute them back to benefit all users of Grist.
- **Extensibility.** For developers, having the source open makes it easier to build extensions (such as the
  experimental [Custom Widget](https://support.getgrist.com/widget-custom/)). You can more easily
  include Grist in your pipeline. And if a feature is missing, you can just take the source code and
  build on top of it!

# License

This repository, `grist-core`, is released under the [Apache License, Version
2.0](http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0), which is an
[OSI](https://opensource.org/)-approved free software license. See LICENSE.txt and NOTICE.txt for
more information.