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Core Overview

Graph-routed, type-safe orchestration for reactive apps — more like a distributed command pattern than an event bus, with ownership (only the owner neuron can emit signals through its collaterals) and explicit data flow.

CNStra models your app as a typed neuron graph. You explicitly start a run with cns.stimulate(...); CNStra then performs a deterministic, hop-bounded traversal from collateral → dendrite → returned signal.

Why CNStra​

  • Zero dependencies: No third-party packages. Works in browsers, Node.js, serverless, edge, React Native, embedded systems.
  • Simple implementation: The core is a set of TypeScript types, factory methods that enforce type safety, and a straightforward queue-based graph traversal. No magic, no complex runtime.
  • Deterministic routing: Signals follow an explicit neuron graph with ownership guarantees, not broadcast to whoever "happens to listen".
  • Readable flows: Each step is local and typed; branches are explicit, so debugging feels like reading a storyboard.
  • Backpressure & concurrency gates: Built-in per-stimulation and per-neuron concurrency limits.
  • Saga-like orchestration: Multi-step reactions with retries/cancellation (AbortSignal) via explicit branches.

Key Features​

  • Deterministic routing
  • Readable flows with explicit branches
  • Backpressure & concurrency gates
  • Saga-like orchestration via explicit branches and abort

See also: Quick Start, API, Stimulation Options.

Execution model: synchronous vs asynchronous​

  • Dendrite response may be synchronous or async (returning a Promise of signal(s)).
  • onResponse (local) and global listeners may also be sync or async.
  • If all listeners are synchronous for a given response, CNStra does not introduce extra async steps.
  • If any listener returns a Promise, CNStra waits for all listeners in parallel before proceeding to enqueue next subscribers for that response.
  • cns.stimulate(...) returns a CNSStimulation instance. Use stimulation.waitUntilComplete() to await completion; it rejects if any listener throws or rejects.