Kernel & plugin host

How Zorid’s non-disableable kernel and lazy-loading plugin host work together to run core plugins today and third-party extensions later.

Kernel vs plugin host

Kernel
  non-disableable app OS: lifecycle, services, events, commands, settings, capabilities

Plugin Host
  extension runtime: manifests, platform checks, dependency graph, lazy triggers,
  permissions, cleanup, error isolation

Platform APIs
  typed public surfaces: vault, workspace, editor, metadata, objects/.zbase, search, storage

Shell
  app control UI: command palette, settings, main layout, plugin manager

Core plugins
  official bundled features under plugins/core

Lifecycle-owned cleanup

Every plugin contribution registers through lifecycle-owned APIs and returns a disposable. The plugin host disposes registered resources in reverse order on unload or failure.

ctx.register.command(command);
ctx.register.event(ctx.events.on("vault:file-created", handler));
ctx.register.viewRenderer(renderer);
ctx.register.domEvent(element, "click", handler);
ctx.register.interval(intervalId);

Cleanup applies to commands, settings schemas, views, .zbase renderers, Markdown processors, editor extensions, event listeners, DOM listeners, timers, metadata subscriptions, status items, and exported plugin APIs.

Platform split

Manifests declare where a plugin runs and which capabilities it needs:

{
  "platforms": ["desktop", "mobile"],
  "capabilities": {
    "required": ["vault.read", "workspace.views", "metadata.read"],
    "optional": ["haptics", "nativeShare"]
  }
}

• Default to cross-platform where possible.
• Declare desktop-only or mobile-only support explicitly.
• Native features go through Zorid platform APIs, not raw Electron/Node/Capacitor.
• Incompatible plugins are hidden, disabled, or shown with a clear reason.

Plugin dependency model

Dependencies are first-class because core plugins like Fields and Data Views are meant to become extension platforms.

{
  "dependsOn":         { "zorid.core.fields":     "^0.1.0" },
  "optionalDependsOn": { "zorid.core.data-views": "^0.1.0" }
}

const fields = await ctx.plugins.getApi("zorid.core.fields");

Dependencies enable deterministic load order, lazy activation of dependency graphs, compatibility checks, and declared public-API lookup. They are not permission to import another plugin’s internals.

Lazy loading sequence

Source

Full kernel & plugin host spec on GitHub.