Architecture Overview
Ztron is a Tauri-style cross-platform desktop framework rewritten in TypeScript, built on
txiki.js (an ~2MB embedded JS runtime) and the system
WebView (binding the C API of webview/webview via tjs:ffi).
Two-Process Data Flow
The framework consists of two processes communicating over TCP/JSON (the Plan A native host approach):
- ztron-host (native C process): holds the system WebView and GUI capabilities, owning native-side resources such as windows, tray, menus, and dialogs.
- tjs backend (txiki.js process): an async JS backend hosting
@zturnlibs/ztron-core's IPC, events, commands, ACL capability layer, plugins, and the updater.
The frontend is a plain Vite page that calls capabilities like
invoke/listen/Channel/fs/http/os/store/log/shell via @zturnlibs/ztron-api; at
packaging time the backend is compiled into a standalone executable with
tjs compile, and ztron build then produces a macOS .app (signed).
The Five Packages
| Package | Responsibility |
|---|---|
@zturnlibs/ztron-api |
Frontend API (translated from @tauri-apps/api) + fs/path/http/os/store/log/shell/updater/window/tray/menu/dialog wrappers |
@zturnlibs/ztron-core |
Main-process core: IPC, events, Channel, commands, plugins, ACL capability layer, PathScope, 25 plugins, MockRuntime test facility |
@zturnlibs/ztron-runtime-ffi |
HostRuntime socket adapter (Plan A) + FFI reference bindings |
@zturnlibs/ztron-inject |
window.__ZTRON_INTERNALS__ bootstrap (embedded into page HTML) |
@zturnlibs/ztron-cli |
dev/build/codegen/init; vite build + ztron-host + tjs backend |
How the Processes Cooperate
After startup, the backend connects to the host via the runtime-ffi socket;
every frontend invoke enters the IPC channel through the injected script
window.__ZTRON_INTERNALS__ (embedded by the inject package), and the
backend's command/plugin system replies following Tauri's protocol semantics.
Window creation, event broadcasting, and Channel streaming data all travel over
the same TCP/JSON path.
Further Reading
- Architecture decisions, milestones, and risk records are in the repo root's
DESIGN.md - Capability gaps versus Tauri and the phased plan are in
ROADMAP.md - For a fast start see "Quick Start"; for command-call details see Calling Backend Commands
适用版本：ztron 0.3.1