Apps

Apps are web applications that run inside General Text, embedded in your workspace alongside your files. They provide specialized interfaces for working with your data — a spreadsheet viewer for CSV files, a diagram editor, a kanban board, or anything else you can build as a web app.

Installing an app

Go to Settings > Apps, click Add app, and paste the URL where the app is hosted. This can be a public URL or a localhost address during development. General Text fetches the app's assets and caches them in your workspace storage.

Once installed, the app appears in the sidebar under the Apps section. Click it to open it in the main content area, right alongside your files.

How it works

When you install an app, General Text:

• Fetches gt.json (the app manifest) from the URL
• Fetches index.html and all referenced JS/CSS assets
• Stores everything in workspace storage (under _gtApps/)
• Serves the cached assets from General Text's own server

This means apps work even if the original source goes offline. The cached version is what runs. Apps also sync to all workspace members and devices — install once, available everywhere.

Updating apps

General Text checks for updates by comparing the installed version with the source's gt.json. When a newer version is available, you'll see an update indicator in Settings > Apps. Click Update to re-fetch the latest assets.

App data

Each app has a reserved data directory at _gtApps/{name}/v1/ where it can store its own state. This directory persists across app updates — only the asset files are replaced.