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	8903
title	Implement Scoped Deterministic IDs for Functional Components
state	Closed
labels	enhancementaicore
assignees	tobiu
createdAt	Jan 28, 2026, 6:08 PM
updatedAt	Jan 28, 2026, 6:35 PM
githubUrl	https://github.com/neomjs/neo/issues/8903
author	tobiu
commentsCount	1
parentIssue	8899
subIssues	[]
subIssuesCompleted	0
subIssuesTotal	0
blockedBy	[]
blocking	[]
closedAt	Jan 28, 2026, 6:35 PM

Implement Scoped Deterministic IDs for Functional Components

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

Closed v11.24.0 enhancementaicore

tobiu commented on Jan 28, 2026, 6:08 PM

Objective: Implement "Scoped Deterministic ID Generation" for Functional Components to ensure stable, persistent identities across re-renders without relying on Worker state.

Problem: Functional Components currently generate stateless VDOMs. With the new "App Authority" model, TreeBuilder assigns random IDs on every render, causing full-tree replacements on updates.

Strategy: Scoped Deterministic IDs We will implement a generator that assigns IDs based on structure and hierarchy.

Prefix-Based: IDs are generated as prefix + '__' + index.
Scoping:
- Start with the Component ID as the base prefix.
- If a node has a Custom ID (developer provided), use THAT ID as the New Prefix for its descendants.
- Reset the index counter for the new scope.
Result: Adding an id to a container "shields" its children from index shifts in the parent container. Moving the container moves the whole stable sub-tree.

Implementation:

Modify src/functional/component/Base.mjs:
- Implement generateIds(vdom, prefix) method (or helper).
- Call this in continueUpdateWithVdom before processVdomForComponents.
Algorithm:
- Traverse VDOM.
- Maintains a Map<Prefix, Counter>.
- For each node:
  - If id exists: Use it. Update currentPrefix = node.id.
  - If id missing: node.id = currentPrefix + '__' + counter++.
  - Recurse.

Impact:

Static Stability: Static structures get identical IDs every time.
Optimization: Developers can optimize dynamic lists/containers simply by adding IDs.
Independence: Fully decouples App Worker from VDOM Worker state.

tobiu added the enhancement label on Jan 28, 2026, 6:08 PM

tobiu added the ai label on Jan 28, 2026, 6:08 PM

tobiu added the core label on Jan 28, 2026, 6:08 PM

tobiu added parent issue #8899 on Jan 28, 2026, 6:09 PM

tobiu referenced in commit 01151c5 - "feat: Implement Scoped Deterministic ID Generation for Functional Components (Ticket #8903)" on Jan 28, 2026, 6:15 PM

tobiu Jan 28, 2026, 6:15 PM

Input from Gemini 3 Pro:

✦ I have implemented the "Scoped Deterministic ID Generation" strategy.

Changes:

Modified src/functional/component/Base.mjs:

Implemented generateIds(vdom, prefix, scopeMap):

Traverses the VDOM tree.

Uses custom id as a new prefix (scope) if present.

Generates prefix + '__' + index if id is missing.

Updated continueUpdateWithVdom to call generateIds instead of the obsolete syncVdomState.

Verification:

Button.spec.mjs (Functional Component) passed. Delta counts match expectations (1 delta for text update), confirming ID stability.

All 256 Unit Tests passed.

Outcome: Functional components now have stable, persistent IDs for static structures and keyed sub-trees, without relying on the VDOM Worker's state. This aligns perfectly with the "App Authority" architecture.

tobiu cross-referenced by #8904 on Jan 28, 2026, 6:19 PM

tobiu assigned to @tobiu on Jan 28, 2026, 6:35 PM

tobiu closed this issue on Jan 28, 2026, 6:35 PM