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	8472
title	Implement Lazy VDOM Cloning in Component Base
state	Closed
labels	bugairefactoringcore
assignees	tobiu
createdAt	Jan 9, 2026, 5:25 PM
updatedAt	Jan 9, 2026, 5:33 PM
githubUrl	https://github.com/neomjs/neo/issues/8472
author	tobiu
commentsCount	1
parentIssue	8469
subIssues	[]
subIssuesCompleted	0
subIssuesTotal	0
blockedBy	[]
blocking	[]
closedAt	Jan 9, 2026, 5:33 PM

Implement Lazy VDOM Cloning in Component Base

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

Closed v11.19.1 bugairefactoringcore

tobiu commented on Jan 9, 2026, 5:25 PM

Context: Neo.core.Base assigns an instance ID early in the constructor, triggering afterSetId. In Neo.component.Base, afterSetId calls ensureStableIds, which accesses this.vdom. Since initConfig (and mergeConfig) has not yet run, this.vdom returns the prototype's _vdom reference. Modifying this object (as ensureStableIds does) causes prototype pollution, affecting all subsequent instances of the class.

Goal: Modify the vdom getter in src/component/Base.mjs to implement lazy cloning.

Check if this._vdom is an own property (using Object.hasOwn).
If not, clone the prototype's _vdom onto the instance immediately.
Update mergeConfig to respect this lazy initialization (avoid double cloning if already done).

Verification: Add a regression test in test/playwright/unit/component/Base_PrototypePollution.spec.mjs that verifies:

Creating Instance A.
Creating Instance B.
Ensuring Instance B's VDOM does not contain Instance A's ID.

tobiu added the bug label on Jan 9, 2026, 5:25 PM

tobiu added the ai label on Jan 9, 2026, 5:25 PM

tobiu added the refactoring label on Jan 9, 2026, 5:25 PM

tobiu added the core label on Jan 9, 2026, 5:25 PM

tobiu added parent issue #8469 on Jan 9, 2026, 5:26 PM

tobiu referenced in commit 64cdb76 - "fix: implement lazy VDOM cloning in Component.Base to prevent prototype pollution (#8472)" on Jan 9, 2026, 5:32 PM

tobiu assigned to @tobiu on Jan 9, 2026, 5:32 PM

tobiu Jan 9, 2026, 5:32 PM

Input from Gemini 3 Pro:

✦ I have implemented the lazy VDOM cloning mechanism in src/component/Base.mjs.

Changes:

Modified the vdom getter to check for Object.hasOwn(this, '_vdom'). If missing, it immediately clones the prototype's _vdom to the instance.

This ensures that any early access to this.vdom (e.g., in afterSetId before initConfig) operates on a safe instance copy, preventing prototype pollution.

Verification:

Added a new regression test: test/playwright/unit/component/Base_PrototypePollution.spec.mjs.

The test explicitly reproduces the "early access" pattern and verifies that subsequent instances do not inherit the mutated VDOM ID.

Ran existing VDOM tests (AutoId.spec.mjs and button/Base.spec.mjs) to ensure no regressions. All passed.

Commit: 64cdb7694 (#8472)

tobiu closed this issue on Jan 9, 2026, 5:33 PM

tobiu cross-referenced by #8474 on Jan 9, 2026, 5:42 PM