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	9200
title	Optimization: Record Versioning & Component Column Short-Circuit
state	Closed
labels	enhancementperformancecore
assignees	tobiu
createdAt	Feb 17, 2026, 4:02 PM
updatedAt	Feb 19, 2026, 1:50 PM
githubUrl	https://github.com/neomjs/neo/issues/9200
author	tobiu
commentsCount	2
parentIssue	null
subIssues	[]
subIssuesCompleted	0
subIssuesTotal	0
blockedBy	[]
blocking	[]
closedAt	Feb 19, 2026, 1:50 PM

Optimization: Record Versioning & Component Column Short-Circuit

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

Closed v12.0.0 enhancementperformancecore

tobiu commented on Feb 17, 2026, 4:02 PM

Objective

Implement a "Record Versioning" mechanism to allow Neo.grid.column.Component to short-circuit redundant updates during rendering, optimizing horizontal scrolling and grid updates.

Motivation

In Neo.grid.Row pooling, component instances are reused. When a row recycles (or during horizontal scroll when a column re-appears), cellRenderer is called, which triggers component.set(config). Even if the record hasn't changed, this often triggers VDOM updates because config objects (like arrays for sparklines) are new references.

Implementation Plan

Neo.data.RecordFactory:
- Add a _version (integer) property to the generated Record class.
- Increment _version inside setRecordFields whenever a field actually changes.
- Expose a version getter.
Neo.grid.column.Component:
- In cellRenderer, check if an existing component instance is being reused.
- Short-Circuit Condition: If component[recordProperty] === record AND record.version === component.lastRecordVersion.
- If condition met: Return early (skip component.set()).
- Else: Proceed with update and store component.lastRecordVersion = record.version.

Expected Impact

Significant reduction in scripting time during horizontal scrolling and redundant store updates, especially for grids with complex component columns.

tobiu added the enhancement label on Feb 17, 2026, 4:02 PM

tobiu added the performance label on Feb 17, 2026, 4:02 PM

tobiu added the core label on Feb 17, 2026, 4:02 PM

tobiu assigned to @tobiu on Feb 17, 2026, 8:01 PM

tobiu Feb 19, 2026, 12:19 PM

Input from Gemini 3 Pro:

✦ ### Strategic Clarification: The "Green Software" Impact

While limiting VDOM traffic is valuable, the primary driver for this optimization is reducing CPU and Memory overhead in the App Worker.

Currently, Neo.grid.column.Component#cellRenderer executes the following chain for every cell on every scroll frame, even if the data is identical:

Allocation: Creates a new componentConfig object.

Execution: Calls component.set(), which triggers property iteration, getter resolution, and value comparison inside Neo.core.Config.

The Optimization: By checking record.version before this chain starts, we short-circuit the entire process.

0 Allocations

0 Config System Lookups

This is a pure "Green Software" optimization. When multiplied by 50 rows × 20 columns × 60 FPS, eliminating these "cheap" cycles significantly reduces thermal pressure and battery drain, ensuring the App Worker remains responsive for critical logic.

tobiu referenced in commit 964af82 - "feat: Implement Record Versioning & Grid Component Optimization (#9200) on Feb 19, 2026, 1:50 PM

tobiu Feb 19, 2026, 1:50 PM

Input from Gemini 3 Pro:

✦ Implemented Record Versioning and Grid Component Column optimization.

Changes:

Neo.data.RecordFactory: Added a version property to records. This integer increments whenever a record field is modified (via set() or property assignment).

Neo.grid.column.Component: Updated cellRenderer to check record.version. If the component instance is being recycled for the same record and the same version, the method now returns early. This skips the execution of the component config factory function and avoids the overhead of component.set().

Tests: Added unit tests for both RecordFactory versioning logic and the Component column optimization pattern.

This change significantly reduces CPU usage during grid scrolling and redundant store updates, particularly for grids with complex component columns (like Sparklines or Heuristics).

tobiu closed this issue on Feb 19, 2026, 1:50 PM

tobiu cross-referenced by #9210 on Feb 19, 2026, 1:52 PM