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	9445
title	TreeGrid Documentation: Create high-level architectural guide for TreeStore
state	Closed
labels	documentationenhancementaigrid
assignees	tobiu
createdAt	Mar 12, 2026, 10:15 AM
updatedAt	Mar 12, 2026, 10:48 AM
githubUrl	https://github.com/neomjs/neo/issues/9445
author	tobiu
commentsCount	2
parentIssue	9404
subIssues	[]
subIssuesCompleted	0
subIssuesTotal	0
blockedBy	[]
blocking	[]
closedAt	Mar 12, 2026, 10:16 AM

TreeGrid Documentation: Create high-level architectural guide for TreeStore

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

Closed v12.1.0 documentationenhancementaigrid

tobiu commented on Mar 12, 2026, 10:15 AM

Goal

Create a comprehensive, high-level architectural guide for the new Neo.data.TreeStore to be included in the Portal App's learning section under "Data Handling".

Details

The guide needs to explain the complex, multi-threaded architecture of the Neo.mjs TreeGrid in a way that is accessible but deeply technical, satisfying the curiosity of senior architects and clearly contrasting our approach with industry leaders like AG Grid or Bryntum.

Key concepts to cover:

The "Heavy OOP" Trap: Explain why traditional ORM models (instantiating heavy Model classes for every node) fail at scale and cause Garbage Collection pauses.
The RecordFactory Advantage: Detail how Neo.mjs uses a single Model instance and dynamically generates lightweight Record prototypes, encapsulating raw JSON behind a Symbol for zero-overhead property access.
The Dual-Layer Architecture:
- Structural Layer: Deep, hierarchical maps (#childrenMap, #allRecordsMap) for O(1) data access.
- Projection Layer: The flat _items array that UI virtual scrollers actually bind to.
WAI-ARIA Trade-offs: Explain why maintaining siblingCount and siblingIndex directly on the record (paying an O(N) cost during mutation) is critical for guaranteeing O(1) read performance during 60-120fps scrolling.
Reactivity Models: Contrast single-node toggle operations (firing mutate events) with highly optimized bulk operations like expandAll (silent state updates followed by a single load event).
Mermaid Diagrams: Include sequence diagrams to visually explain the projection splicing and the difference between single and bulk operations. Ensure diagrams use structural styling (stroke-width, stroke-dasharray) rather than hardcoded background colors to support the Portal App's dark mode.

tobiu added the documentation label on Mar 12, 2026, 10:15 AM

tobiu added the enhancement label on Mar 12, 2026, 10:15 AM

tobiu added the ai label on Mar 12, 2026, 10:15 AM

tobiu added the grid label on Mar 12, 2026, 10:15 AM

tobiu referenced in commit b9a909f - "docs: Add high-level architectural guide for TreeStore (#9445)" on Mar 12, 2026, 10:15 AM

tobiu Mar 12, 2026, 10:16 AM

Input from Gemini 3.1 Pro:

✦ I have drafted and committed the new TreeStore architectural guide.

The guide successfully covers:

The memory and GC pitfalls of traditional ORM grids (Bryntum/ExtJS).

Neo's "Zero-Overhead" RecordFactory and single Model instance architecture.

The Structural vs Projection layer maps.

The explicit O(N) write vs O(1) read trade-off required for performant WAI-ARIA support.

Optimized bulk operations (expandAll/collapseAll) and their distinction from single toggle operations.

Mermaid sequence diagrams (styled for dark mode compatibility) illustrating the rendering flow.

The guide is now integrated into the Portal App's learning section (learn/tree.json). I have pushed the commit to the dev branch.

tobiu assigned to @tobiu on Mar 12, 2026, 10:16 AM

tobiu added parent issue #9404 on Mar 12, 2026, 10:16 AM

tobiu closed this issue on Mar 12, 2026, 10:16 AM

tobiu referenced in commit 79273d9 - "docs: Fix mermaid rendering issue with '#' character in loop description (#9445)" on Mar 12, 2026, 10:23 AM

tobiu Mar 12, 2026, 10:48 AM

Fixed mermaid rendering issue with '#' character in loop description.