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Core Concepts

This section is the architecture narrative for Rust web developers who want to understand how Coil is put together.

Each page focuses on one concept and answers five questions:

  • what it is
  • why it exists
  • how it works
  • what people commonly get wrong
  • what to read next

How To Use This Chapter​

Use Core Concepts when you want the architectural model first.

  • Start here if you are asking "how is Coil shaped?"
  • Switch to Reference when you need exact fields, APIs, or supported surfaces.
  • Switch to Use Cases when you want to see how the concepts appear in a real customer app.
  • Switch to Operations when you are ready to run or ship an app rather than just understand its design.

In practice, most readers should move through these sections in a loop:

  1. read the concept page
  2. open the matching Shoppr or Gitly example
  3. jump to the exact reference or operations page when you need mechanics

Where To See This In Practice​

  • Shoppr is the main reference app for multi-site commerce, CMS, checkout, and admin: Shoppr overview
  • Gitly is the main reference app for a non-commerce product shape, linked Rust, and bounded WASM: Gitly overview

If you want the exactness layer while reading:

Recommended order:

  1. Glossary and mental model
  2. Customer-root workspace
  3. Runtime and module composition
  4. Content schema vs content instances
  5. Render pipeline and model composition
  6. Dynamic blocks and live-data sections
  7. Request and render lifecycle
  8. Sites, locales, and markets
  9. Customer apps vs official modules
  10. Themes, rendering, and assets
  11. Internationalisation, localisation, and content
  12. Accessibility as a platform contract
  13. SEO and discoverability

If you prefer to start from a running app first, go back to the Quickstart and return here after you have looked at Shoppr or Gitly.

Suggested Follow-On Paths​

Choose one of these after the concept chapter: