Architecture Overview

../../_images/Example_workflow.png

What the Platform Does

AstronomicAL separates shared application infrastructure from feature code.

The platform owns common runtime state and services. Plugins use those services to provide visualisation, astronomy tools, machine learning, annotations, data integrations, and other workflows.

A useful rule is:

  • if unrelated plugins need a capability to work together, it probably belongs in the platform;

  • if it performs a scientific or user workflow, it probably belongs in a plugin.

AppContext

AppContext is the main dependency boundary between the application and plugins. It provides access to shared services such as:

  • datasets and semantic mappings;

  • focused records and selections;

  • artifacts and events;

  • background jobs;

  • services registered by plugins;

  • the workspace and persistence layer;

  • plugin management and runtime status.

Plugins should use these shared services instead of creating their own copies of application-wide state.

Ownership

Each kind of runtime state should have one clear owner.

For example, the Dataset Manager owns loaded datasets, the Selection Manager owns the current selection, and the Workspace Manager owns live panel instances. This avoids different panels maintaining conflicting versions of the same state.

How Plugins Fit In

Plugins register capabilities through the plugin API. Common contributions include panels, actions, services, workflows, and artifact viewers.

Reusable operations should normally be exposed as actions rather than hidden inside panel callbacks. Results that need to be shared with other features should use datasets, artifacts, events, or registered services.

Threading

UI callbacks and event delivery are synchronous. Expensive or blocking work belongs in the Job Manager. Work that updates the visible interface must return to the correct Panel/Bokeh document before changing UI state.

Startup

The host creates the platform services before discovering and enabling plugins. Plugins are enabled before saved layouts are restored so persisted plugin panels can be reconstructed where possible.