System Runtime

What is System Runtime ?

When you code, you do not create an application, you create in fact a system. System Runtime gives you the APIs to create the model, components and behaviors of your system.

What is a system ?

A system:

• is defined by a model,
• is composed by components and
• reacts to events with actions that we call behaviors.

How does System Runtime work?

Create a system

Use System Runtime APIs to create your system:

// create a systemconstsystem=runtime.system('system');// add some business logic in the start methodsystem.on('start',()=>console.log('Hello world !'));// run the systemsystem.start();

Now you can bundle your system into a JSON object:

// create a bundleruntime.bundle();

It will return this JSON:

{
"_id": "154cd18d0210516",
"name": "system",
"description": "",
"version": "0.0.1",
"schemas": {},
"models": {},
"types": {},
"behaviors": {
"1ea9c1d5f811ae1": {
"_id": "1ea9c1d5f811ae1",
"component": "154cd18d0210516",
"state": "start",
"action": "() => console.log('Hello world !')",
"useCoreAPI": false,
"core": false
}
},
"components": {}
}

Install the bundle in HTML

Just add a link tag in your HTML to install and start your bundle:

<!-- install your bundle --><linkrel="system" type="application/json" href="system.json">

Install the bundle in Node.js

Just call install API to install and start your bundle:

// require System Runtimeconstruntime=require('system-runtime');// install your bundle runtime.install('system.json');

How System runtime helps you to create your system ?

Create your system

Creating a system in System Runtime is very simple, you do not have to code but just to define its model in a human readable format called MSON.

With MSON you can define types, classes, one to one / one to many relationships and multi inheritance between classes.

constmetamodel=runtime.require('metamodel');// create the Jedi schemametamodel.schema('Jedi',{'firstName': 'property','lastName': 'property','nickname': 'property','father': 'link','shout': 'method'});metamodel.create();

Create your components

Once your model is created, you will be able to get the classes of your model and create components based on your model.

Because you have defined a model for your system, a Dynamic Type Check is done on every action of your system.

// get your component classconstJedi=runtime.require('Jedi');// create componentsconstluke=newJedi({'firstName': 'Luke','lastName': 'Skywalker'});constanakin=newJedi({'firstName': 'Anakin','lastName': 'Skywalker'});// add a linkluke.father(anakin);// get the first name of luke fatherluke.father().firstName();

Manage your components

All your components are stored in System Runtime NoSQL Database. In fact, System Runtime acts as an ODM (Object-Document Mapper) to manage your components as NoSQL Documents.

You can find, create, update, delete components like you do in a NoSQL Database.

// get a collectionconstJedi=runtime.require('db').collections().Jedi;// find componentsJedi.find({'firstName': 'Luke'});// update componentsJedi.update({'firstName': 'Anakin'},{'nickname': 'Darth Vader'});// remove componentsJedi.remove({'firstName': 'Anakin'});;

What contains System Runtime ?

A metamodel

System Runtime contains a metamodel to help you to design your model. The definition of the model is made on a JSON format called MSON, no code is needed.

With MSON you can define types, classes, one to one / one to many relationships and multi inheritance between classes.

MSON is based on UML, so learning it is very easy.

A component factory

System Runtime uses the Model-Driven Architecture approach to create classes based on your design. Use them to instantiate your components.

A NoSQL Database

System Runtime acts as an ODM (Object-Document Mapper) to manage your components as NoSQL Documents.

System Runtime has a micro NoSQL Database that stores your components and you can export/import them into another System Runtime NoSQL Database.

Thanks to System Runtime NoSQL Database, you can compose your system with an another system.

A workflow engine

System Runtime checks at runtime if the signatures of invoked methods are compliant with your model.

With System Runtime your components really behave the way you designed them.

Build

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/design-first/system-runtime.git

Once you have cloned the repository, install the dependencies:

npm i

Build

Then build System Runtime:

npm run build

It will:

• build System Runtime core module for the server library and
• build System Runtime client library on /dist directory

Development

To start System Runtime in development mode:

npm run dev

All the modifications to the source code of System Runtime will rebuild the project.

Documentation

• Quick Start
• Guide
• Examples

Community

• Code of Conduct
• Contributing Guidelines

License

Copyright 2026 Erwan Carriou

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at

http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.

Do not use System Runtime if you do not believe in Equality and Diversity.

System Runtime is not for people of hate.