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	9005
title	Feat: Refactor Portal Header to Framework (using Dynamic Worker Arch)
state	Closed
labels	enhancementairefactoring
assignees	tobiu
createdAt	Feb 5, 2026, 3:51 PM
updatedAt	Feb 7, 2026, 5:01 PM
githubUrl	https://github.com/neomjs/neo/issues/9005
author	tobiu
commentsCount	1
parentIssue	8930
subIssues	[]
subIssuesCompleted	0
subIssuesTotal	0
blockedBy	[]
blocking	[]
closedAt	Feb 7, 2026, 5:01 PM

Feat: Refactor Portal Header to Framework (using Dynamic Worker Arch)

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

Closed v12.0.0 enhancementairefactoring

tobiu commented on Feb 5, 2026, 3:51 PM

Refactor the Portal Header (Toolbar and Canvas) into a reusable framework module src/app/header and update DevRank to use it.

Context: Leverage the new Dynamic Worker Architecture (Epic #8948) used by Sparkline. We will also refactor Portal.view.shared.Canvas into the framework as it contains valuable shared logic (DOM listeners, etc.).

Tasks:

Canvas Infrastructure (Renderer):
- Move apps/portal/canvas/Base.mjs to src/canvas/Base.mjs (renaming to Neo.canvas.Base).
- Move apps/portal/canvas/HeaderCanvas.mjs to src/canvas/Header.mjs (renaming to Neo.canvas.Header).
- Update Neo.canvas.Header to extend the new Neo.canvas.Base.
Shared Canvas Component:
- Move apps/portal/view/shared/Canvas.mjs to src/component/CanvasShared.mjs (naming TBD, maybe Neo.component.CanvasShared or similar).
- Update it to be compatible with the new Dynamic Worker Architecture (removing dependency on Portal.canvas.Helper).
App Worker Components (src/app/header):
- Create src/app/header/Canvas.mjs:
  - Based on apps/portal/view/HeaderCanvas.mjs.
  - Extend the new Neo.component.CanvasShared (or whatever we name it).
  - Implement initAsync to use Neo.worker.Manager.startWorker and Neo.worker.Canvas.loadModule (Pattern: Neo.component.Sparkline).
- Create src/app/header/Toolbar.mjs:
  - Based on apps/portal/view/HeaderToolbar.mjs.
  - Update items to use the new src/app/header/Canvas.mjs.
- Create src/app/header/ToolbarController.mjs:
  - Based on apps/portal/view/HeaderToolbarController.mjs.
DevRank Integration:
- Update apps/devrank/view/Viewport.mjs:
  - Layout: vbox (Main container).
  - Item 1: Neo.app.header.Toolbar (The new reusable header).
  - Item 2: Container with card layout (flex: 1).
    - Card 1: GridContainer (DevRank Grid).
    - Card 2: Placeholder Container (About/Todo).
Portal App Update:
- Refactor Portal app to use the new Neo.app.header.* components and the new Neo.component.CanvasShared.

tobiu added the enhancement label on Feb 5, 2026, 3:51 PM

tobiu added the ai label on Feb 5, 2026, 3:51 PM

tobiu added the refactoring label on Feb 5, 2026, 3:51 PM

tobiu added parent issue #8930 on Feb 5, 2026, 3:51 PM

tobiu referenced in commit 2630be9 - "refactor: Finalize Header refactoring and path fixes (#9005)" on Feb 5, 2026, 5:01 PM

tobiu Feb 5, 2026, 5:01 PM

Input from Gemini 3 Pro:

✦ I have finalized the refactoring of the Portal Header into the framework.

Corrected Architecture:

Framework (src/app):

src/app/SharedCanvas.mjs: Generic base for worker-backed canvases (Dynamic Worker Architecture).

src/app/header/Toolbar.mjs: Generic base Toolbar (Structure + Canvas injection, no items).

src/app/header/Canvas.mjs: Header background visualization bridge.

Portal App (apps/portal):

apps/portal/view/HeaderToolbar.mjs: Extends Neo.app.header.Toolbar. Adds Portal-specific navigation items.

Updated Viewport.mjs to use local HeaderToolbar.

Fixed import paths in all apps/portal/canvas/ files (../../../src/canvas/Base.mjs).

DevRank App (apps/devrank):

apps/devrank/view/HeaderToolbar.mjs: Extends Neo.app.header.Toolbar. Adds DevRank branding.

Updated Viewport.mjs to use local HeaderToolbar.

Bug Fixes:

Resolved "Renderer Remote Stub not found" race condition in SharedCanvas.initAsync by polling for the remote stub availability.

Corrected import path levels for Neo.canvas.Base.

The solution is now robust, generic, and correctly separated.

tobiu referenced in commit 8be9295 - "#9005 Portal.view.HeaderToolbar: restored cls" on Feb 5, 2026, 5:05 PM

tobiu referenced in commit a9366d0 - "#9005 Neo.app.header.Canvas: theming and cleanup" on Feb 5, 2026, 5:09 PM

tobiu referenced in commit a260fbc - "#9005 class names and cleanup" on Feb 5, 2026, 5:47 PM

tobiu referenced in commit 5e34471 - "#9005 DevRank.view.HeaderToolbar: theming" on Feb 5, 2026, 5:54 PM

tobiu referenced in commit bcabba3 - "#9005 DevRank.view.ViewportController, styling, main thread addons, favicon" on Feb 5, 2026, 6:16 PM

tobiu closed this issue on Feb 7, 2026, 5:01 PM

tobiu assigned to @tobiu on Feb 7, 2026, 5:01 PM