Actors

This section defines the user types that interact with Papyrus. Each actor represents a distinct user group with specific needs, goals, and interaction patterns.

Actor summary

Actor	Type	Description
Reader	Primary	Core user who reads and manages books
Anonymous user	Primary	Uses app without account (offline mode)
Registered user	Primary	Has account for sync and cloud features
System administrator	Secondary	Manages self-hosted server instances
Developer	Secondary	Integrates via API or builds extensions

Reader

The core usee who uses the application for reading and managing their book collection.

Profile

Regularly consumes digital and/or physical books, often using multiple devices such as phones, tablets, computers, or e-readers. They value a seamless reading experience across platforms, and their technical expertise ranges from beginner to advanced.

Goals

• Read books comfortably on any device

• Organize and manage book collections efficiently

• Track reading progress and build reading habits

• Take notes and highlights while reading

• Achieve personal reading goals

Use cases

• Import book files (UC-2_1)

• Organize books into shelves (UC-2_4)

• Tag books (UC-2_5)

• Search books (UC-2_6)

• Read books with integrated ... (UC-3_1)

• Customize reading experience (UC-3_2)

• Create text annotations (UC-4_1)

• Track reading progress (UC-5_1)

• Create reading goals (UC-6_1)

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Anonymous user

A user who accesses the system without creating an account, using the application entirely offline.

Profile

Privacy-conscious individuals who avoid cloud services, users evaluating the application before committing, people in areas with limited or unreliable internet, and those who prefer complete data control.

Goals

• Use all reading features without registration

• Maintain complete privacy and local data control

• Access the application without internet dependency

• Optionally convert to registered user later without data loss

Constraints

• No cross-device synchronization

• No cloud storage options

• All data stored locally on device

• Must manually transfer data between devices

Use cases

• Use application offline (UC-1_4)

• Import book files (UC-2_1)

• Read books with integrated ... (UC-3_1)

• Export books and data (UC-2_7)

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Registered user

A user with an account who can access synchronization and cloud features.

Profile

Users who need cross-device synchronization and cloud backup for their reading data. They often use multiple devices and value the ability to recover their library and progress if a device is lost. They may utilize the official cloud service or opt for self-hosted server deployments, depending on their privacy preferences and technological literacy.

Goals

• Synchronize library and progress across all devices there the app is installed

• Back up reading data securely

• Access books from anywhere

• Recover data if device is lost

Use cases

• Create user account (UC-1_1)

• Login with credentials (UC-1_2)

• Login with Google account (UC-1_3)

• Recover password (UC-1_5)

• Configure storage options (UC-7_1)

• Synchronize data across dev... (UC-7_3)

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System administrator

A technical user responsible for deploying and maintaining self-hosted Papyrus server instances.

Profile:

Technically proficient users with expertise in server administration. They manage deployments for personal use or within organizations, taking responsibility for security, maintenance, and overall system health. Their skill set typically includes familiarity with Docker, databases, and networking.

Goals

• Deploy Papyrus server with minimal friction

• Ensure system security and data protection

• Monitor performance and resource usage

• Manage user accounts (for organization deployments)

• Perform backups and disaster recovery

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Developer

A technical user who interacts with the system via API or develops app extensions.

Profile

Users who are capable of building integrations, plugins and extensions to enhance the application’s functionality, third-party service providers connecting external systems, and researchers or data analysts who access and analyze reading data programmatically.

Goals

• Integrate Papyrus with other systems

• Build custom clients or frontends

• Develop plugins for extended functionality

• Export/analyze reading data programmatically

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Actor relationships

        flowchart TB
    subgraph PapyrusSystem["Papyrus System"]
        subgraph PrimaryActors["Actors"]
            Anonymous["Anonymous User"]
            Reader["Reader<br/>"]
            Registered["Registered user"]
            Anonymous --> Reader
            Registered --> Reader
            Admin["System Administrator"]
            Developer["Developer"]
            Admin <--> Developer
            Anonymous -.->|"May upgrade to"| Registered
        end
    end