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	8474
title	Enforce Eager VDOM Cloning in Component Constructor
state	Closed
labels	bugairefactoringcore
assignees	tobiu
createdAt	Jan 9, 2026, 5:42 PM
updatedAt	Jan 9, 2026, 5:45 PM
githubUrl	https://github.com/neomjs/neo/issues/8474
author	tobiu
commentsCount	1
parentIssue	8469
subIssues	[]
subIssuesCompleted	0
subIssuesTotal	0
blockedBy	[]
blocking	[]
closedAt	Jan 9, 2026, 5:45 PM

Enforce Eager VDOM Cloning in Component Constructor

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

Closed v11.19.1 bugairefactoringcore

tobiu commented on Jan 9, 2026, 5:42 PM

Context: The previous fix (#8472) added lazy cloning to the vdom getter. However, if a subclass accesses this._vdom directly (bypassing the getter) during the construction phase (e.g. in afterSetId), prototype pollution still occurs.

Goal: Implement construct() in Neo.component.Base to perform eager cloning of the VDOM if it hasn't been cloned yet. This ensures that this._vdom is an instance property before super.construct() runs (which triggers afterSetId).

Verification: Use test/playwright/unit/component/Base_PrototypePollution_Direct.spec.mjs to verify that direct access is also safe.

tobiu added the bug label on Jan 9, 2026, 5:42 PM

tobiu added the ai label on Jan 9, 2026, 5:43 PM

tobiu added the refactoring label on Jan 9, 2026, 5:43 PM

tobiu added the core label on Jan 9, 2026, 5:43 PM

tobiu added parent issue #8469 on Jan 9, 2026, 5:43 PM

tobiu referenced in commit 12958ca - "fix: enforce eager VDOM cloning in Component constructor to prevent direct access pollution (#8474)" on Jan 9, 2026, 5:45 PM

tobiu assigned to @tobiu on Jan 9, 2026, 5:45 PM

tobiu Jan 9, 2026, 5:45 PM

Input from Gemini 3 Pro:

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

Changes:

Overrode the construct(config) method in Neo.component.Base.

Added a check !Object.hasOwn(this, '_vdom') && this._vdom.

If true, it performs this._vdom = Neo.clone(this._vdom, true) before calling super.construct(config).

Why this is critical:

super.construct (in core.Base) sets this.id, which triggers afterSetId.

Some legacy code or anti-patterns might access this._vdom (direct private access) inside afterSetId or other early setters.

By ensuring _vdom is an instance property before the parent constructor runs, we effectively "firewall" the prototype against any mutation during the entire construction sequence.

Verification:

Added test/playwright/unit/component/Base_PrototypePollution_Direct.spec.mjs.

This test explicitly bypasses the getter and accesses this._vdom directly in afterSetId.

The test passed, confirming the prototype remains clean.

Commit: 12958cae8 (#8474)

tobiu closed this issue on Jan 9, 2026, 5:45 PM

tobiu referenced in commit c51f5c7 - "refactor: remove redundant lazy VDOM cloning from getter, rely on construct (#8474)" on Jan 9, 2026, 5:54 PM

tobiu cross-referenced by #8469 on Jan 9, 2026, 6:26 PM