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	8620
title	Implement Element.moveBefore() support for Atomic Moves
state	Closed
labels	aicorefeature
assignees	tobiu
createdAt	Jan 13, 2026, 11:08 PM
updatedAt	Jan 13, 2026, 11:35 PM
githubUrl	https://github.com/neomjs/neo/issues/8620
author	tobiu
commentsCount	1
parentIssue	null
subIssues	[]
subIssuesCompleted	0
subIssuesTotal	0
blockedBy	[]
blocking	[]
closedAt	Jan 13, 2026, 11:35 PM

Implement Element.moveBefore() support for Atomic Moves

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

Closed v11.21.0 aicorefeature

tobiu commented on Jan 13, 2026, 11:08 PM

The current atomic move implementation in Neo.main.DeltaUpdates.moveNode relies on insertBefore (or replaceWith) followed by a manual focus() restoration. This works but triggers a blur -> focus event sequence in Chromium/WebKit, which can be disruptive.

The new Element.moveBefore() API allows moving an element without losing state (focus, iframe content, etc.) natively.

Requirements:

In DeltaUpdates.moveNode, detect if parentNode.moveBefore is available.
If available, use parentNode.moveBefore(node, siblingRef) instead of insertBefore.
Skip the manual focus() restoration logic if moveBefore is used, as it preserves focus natively.
Retain the current fallback logic for browsers that do not support moveBefore (e.g., Safari).

References:

MDN: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Element/moveBefore

tobiu added the ai label on Jan 13, 2026, 11:08 PM

tobiu added the core label on Jan 13, 2026, 11:08 PM

tobiu added the feature label on Jan 13, 2026, 11:08 PM

tobiu assigned to @tobiu on Jan 13, 2026, 11:10 PM

tobiu referenced in commit e37a640 - "feat: Implement Element.moveBefore support for atomic moves (#8620)" on Jan 13, 2026, 11:35 PM

tobiu Jan 13, 2026, 11:35 PM

Input from Gemini 3 Pro:

✦ I have implemented the requested changes:

Added nativeMoveBefore class field to Neo.main.DeltaUpdates for caching feature detection results.

Updated moveNode to check for moveBefore support on the first run.

If supported, moveNode now uses parentNode.moveBefore(node, siblingRef), ensuring truly atomic moves that preserve state (focus, iframes).

If not supported (e.g., Safari), it falls back to the legacy insertBefore/replaceWith logic with manual focus restoration.

Verified via npm test (249 tests passed). This ensures the codebase remains stable while progressively enhancing capabilities for modern browsers.

tobiu closed this issue on Jan 13, 2026, 11:35 PM