Getting Started with Application

This guide demonstrates how to create and run an Astra application.

Basic Application

Every Astra application follows three steps: initialize, start, then run.

#include "application.hpp"

using namespace astralix;

int main() {
    Application* app = Application::init();
    app->start();
    app->run(); // blocks until window closes, then cleans up
    return 0;
}

What init() Sets Up

Application::init() creates the singleton instance and initializes all core subsystems in order:

1. EventDispatcher
2. EventScheduler
3. Time
4. ProjectManager
5. Engine
6. SystemManager
7. WindowManager

What start() Does

start() activates the three runtime subsystems:

• WindowManager - opens the window and prepares the rendering context
• Engine - starts the ECS engine
• SystemManager - starts all registered systems

The Run Loop

run() executes the main loop until the window is closed, then deletes the application instance:

while window is open:
    time->update()
    wm->update()
    scheduler POST_FRAME events
    system->fixed_update(1/60)
    system->update(deltaTime)
    scheduler IMMEDIATE events
    wm->swap()

// on exit: ~Application() ends Engine, Time, WindowManager

The destructor handles cleanup automatically - no explicit shutdown call is needed.

Accessing From Anywhere

Use the static accessor to retrieve the singleton from any context:

Application* app = Application::get();

Explicit Teardown

If you need to destroy the application before run() exits (e.g. in a headless context), call:

Application::end();

This deletes the instance and triggers the same destructor cleanup as the normal run loop exit.

Next Steps

• Learn about the Engine module for ECS architecture
• Explore Window for input and rendering context
• Review Project for configuration management