What is ChunkFlow?

ChunkFlow is a universal large file upload solution that provides a complete, production-ready SDK for handling file uploads of any size. It's designed with a layered architecture that makes it highly flexible, performant, and easy to integrate into any project.

The Problem

Uploading large files on the web is challenging:

• Network Instability: Long uploads can fail due to network interruptions
• Memory Constraints: Loading entire files into memory can crash browsers
• Poor User Experience: Users have no visibility into upload progress or ability to pause/resume
• Duplicate Uploads: Same files uploaded multiple times waste bandwidth and storage
• Performance: One-size-fits-all approaches don't adapt to varying network conditions

The Solution

ChunkFlow solves these problems with a comprehensive set of features:

🚀 Smart Upload Strategy

Automatically selects the optimal upload strategy based on file size:

• Files < 5MB: Direct upload for speed
• Files ≥ 5MB: Chunked upload for reliability

📦 Dynamic Chunking

Adapts chunk size based on network conditions, similar to TCP slow start:

• Fast network → Larger chunks (up to 10MB)
• Slow network → Smaller chunks (down to 256KB)
• Optimizes for both speed and reliability

⚡ Instant Upload (Deduplication)

Hash-based deduplication enables instant uploads:

• Full Instant Upload: File already exists → Skip entire upload
• Partial Instant Upload: Some chunks exist → Upload only missing chunks
• Saves bandwidth and time

🔄 Resumable Upload

Continue from where you left off:

• Progress persisted to IndexedDB
• Automatic recovery on page reload
• Manual pause/resume controls

🎯 Framework Agnostic

Works with any framework or vanilla JavaScript:

• React Hooks and Components
• Vue Composables and Components
• Framework-independent Core layer

🛠️ Highly Extensible

Plugin system for custom functionality:

• Logging
• Analytics
• Custom validation
• Progress tracking
• And more...

Architecture

ChunkFlow uses a layered architecture where each layer has a specific responsibility:

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│     Component Layer                 │  Ready-to-use UI components
│  (React/Vue Components)             │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│     Client Layer                    │  Framework adapters
│  (React Hooks / Vue Composables)   │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│     Core Layer                      │  Upload logic & state machine
│  (UploadManager, UploadTask)       │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│     Shared Layer                    │  Common utilities
│  (Events, Concurrency, File Utils) │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│     Protocol Layer                  │  Type definitions & interfaces
│  (TypeScript Types)                │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Each layer is independent and can be used separately, giving you maximum flexibility.

Key Features

Parallel Hash Calculation

Hash calculation and upload happen simultaneously:

• Don't wait for hash to complete before starting upload
• Cancel ongoing upload if file already exists
• Prioritize first few chunks for quick feedback

Concurrency Control

Smart management of parallel uploads:

• Configurable concurrent chunk uploads (default: 3)
• Queue management for optimal resource usage
• Dynamic adjustment based on performance

Error Handling & Retry

Robust error handling with automatic retry:

• Exponential backoff strategy
• Configurable retry count and delay
• Graceful degradation when features unavailable

Progress Tracking

Real-time progress information:

• Upload percentage
• Upload speed (bytes/second)
• Estimated remaining time
• Per-chunk progress

Lifecycle Events

Complete event system for custom logic:

• onStart: Upload begins
• onProgress: Progress updates
• onSuccess: Upload completes
• onError: Error occurs
• onPause: Upload paused
• onResume: Upload resumed
• onCancel: Upload cancelled

Use Cases

ChunkFlow is perfect for:

• Media Platforms: Video and image upload platforms
• Cloud Storage: File storage and backup services
• Content Management: CMS with large file support
• E-Learning: Course material and video uploads
• Enterprise Apps: Document management systems
• Any Application: That needs reliable large file uploads

Next Steps

Ready to get started? Check out the Getting Started guide to begin using ChunkFlow in your project.