What is the 'Neural Link'?

The Neural Link is a bi-directional bridge that connects AI agents (like Gemini or Claude) directly to the Neo.mjs runtime. It allows agents to 'see' the application's Scene Graph, inspect component state, verify event listeners, and even mutate the running application in real-time. This turns the application into a 'glass box' for AI, enabling autonomous debugging and feature development.

Why is Neo.mjs called an 'Application Engine' instead of a framework?

Traditional frameworks are general-purpose libraries (like a Toyota) that help you organize code, but they compile away into ephemeral DOM nodes. Neo.mjs is a precision-engineered runtime (like an F1 car), similar to Unreal Engine for games. It maintains a persistent 'Scene Graph' of objects in a separate worker thread. These objects retain their identity, state, and relationships, allowing for advanced capabilities like multi-window orchestration, runtime permutation, and deep AI introspection that are impossible with 'melted plastic' DOM-based frameworks.

What is 'Context Engineering'?

Context Engineering is the practice of curating the environment and information flow for AI agents to maximize their autonomy. In Neo.mjs, this is implemented via three Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers: a Knowledge Base for semantic code understanding, a Memory Core for learning from past sessions, and a GitHub Workflow server for project management. This ecosystem allows agents to work as fully integrated members of the development team.

What is 'Object Permanence' in the context of Neo.mjs?

In Neo.mjs, UI components are persistent JavaScript objects living in the App Worker, not just transient rendering results. This 'Object Permanence' means a component (like a Dashboard) maintains its state (scroll position, user input, internal logic) even if it is detached from the DOM or moved to a different browser window. This is the 'Lego Technic' approach versus the 'Duplo' approach of traditional frameworks.

What is an 'Agent Operating System'?

Neo.mjs v11 introduced the concept of an Agent OS, where the platform itself provides the tools and interfaces for AI agents to operate. It combines a standalone, type-safe AI SDK for autonomous 'Code Execution' with the Neural Link for runtime control. This enables agents to monitor, debug, and heal the application autonomously, effectively acting as an operating system for synthetic intelligence.

How does Neo.mjs handle multi-window applications?

Neo.mjs uses shared web workers to run a single application instance across multiple browser windows. All windows share the same application state and data in real-time. Components can even move between windows while retaining their JavaScript instances. This enables desktop-class experiences like multi-window IDEs, browser-based email clients, and multi-screen control rooms.

What makes Neo.mjs different from React, Angular, or Vue?

Neo.mjs is fundamentally different in its architecture: (1) It uses True Multithreading via web workers to prevent UI jank, (2) It is an AI-Native Application Engine with built-in bridges for AI collaboration, and (3) It treats components as persistent objects in a Scene Graph, enabling native multi-window support and runtime permutation.

Frontmatter

id	8468
title	Fix Unit Test Failures after VDOM ID Stabilization
state	Closed
labels	bugaitestingcore
assignees	tobiu
createdAt	Jan 9, 2026, 3:02 PM
updatedAt	Jan 9, 2026, 4:12 PM
githubUrl	https://github.com/neomjs/neo/issues/8468
author	tobiu
commentsCount	1
parentIssue	null
subIssues	[]
subIssuesCompleted	0
subIssuesTotal	0
blockedBy	[]
blocking	[]
closedAt	Jan 9, 2026, 4:12 PM

Fix Unit Test Failures after VDOM ID Stabilization

Name: Neo.mjs Application Engine
Author: Neo.mjs

Closed v11.19.1 bugaitestingcore

tobiu commented on Jan 9, 2026, 3:02 PM

After implementing the stable VDOM ID fix (Issue #8465), several unit tests are failing. The failures are likely due to tests assuming auto-generated IDs (neo-vnode-X) which are now being replaced by stable wrapper IDs (neo-component-X__wrapper), or real regressions.

Failing Tests:

test/playwright/unit/draggable/container/SortZone.spec.mjs
test/playwright/unit/manager/domEvent/Fire.spec.mjs
test/playwright/unit/vdom/RealWorldUpdates.spec.mjs

Goal: Investigate and fix the failing tests. If the failures are due to the test assumptions, update the tests. If they reveal a regression, fix the code.

tobiu added the bug label on Jan 9, 2026, 3:02 PM

tobiu added the ai label on Jan 9, 2026, 3:02 PM

tobiu added the testing label on Jan 9, 2026, 3:02 PM

tobiu added the core label on Jan 9, 2026, 3:02 PM

tobiu referenced in commit 4d623c1 - "fix: ensure stable VDOM IDs are assigned in mergeConfig to resolve event registration timing (#8468)" on Jan 9, 2026, 4:11 PM

tobiu assigned to @tobiu on Jan 9, 2026, 4:11 PM

tobiu Jan 9, 2026, 4:11 PM

Input from Gemini 3 Pro:

✦ I have resolved the unit test failures by adjusting the initialization timing of stable VDOM IDs.

Root Cause

The Fire.spec.mjs test failures (event bubbling) revealed a timing issue. DomEvent listeners are registered during initConfig (via domListeners config). At this stage, the component's _vdom object had not yet received its stable ID (which was previously assigned in onConstructed). This caused listeners to be registered with an undefined vnodeId, breaking the event delegation logic.

Resolution

Moved the ensureStableIds() call from onConstructed to mergeConfig in src/component/Base.mjs.

mergeConfig creates the instance-specific _vdom clone.

By calling ensureStableIds() immediately after cloning, we guarantee that vdom.id is correct before any other configs (like domListeners) are processed in initConfig.

Verification

Fire.spec.mjs: Event bubbling and firing now work correctly.

RealWorldUpdates.spec.mjs: ID matching for updates is now correct.

SortZone.spec.mjs: VDOM lookups by ID now succeed.

AutoId.spec.mjs: The original collision fix remains verified.

All unit tests are passing.

Commit: 4d623c17b (#8468)

tobiu closed this issue on Jan 9, 2026, 4:12 PM