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IDE Architecture & Project Model

The ZPLC IDE relies on a strict separation of concerns to provide a highly responsive, modern development experience.

Package Boundaries​

The ZPLC tooling is divided into two distinct logical areas under the hood:

  • @zplc/ide — The user interface, project state management, code editors, simulation adapters, and deployment flows.
  • @zplc/compiler — The underlying engine handling parsing, transpilation of visual languages to ST, bytecode emission, standard library resolution, and debug-map generation.

This separation ensures the compiler can be run headlessly in CI/CD pipelines while the IDE handles the visual orchestration.

Application State Model​

The IDE uses a robust, reactive state architecture internally to manage complex industrial projects smoothly.

Project Configuration: zplc.json​

The zplc.json file is the heart of any ZPLC project. It declaratively defines the entire automation scope:

  • target — Hardware board selection, CPU, and required clock constraints.
  • network — Wi-Fi credentials or Ethernet IP settings.
  • io — Hardcoded mappings between physical pins and logical variables.
  • communication — MQTT broker settings, Modbus node IDs, and tag routing.
  • tasks — Declaration of Cyclic/Event tasks, interval speeds, priorities, and bound executable programs.

Contextual Project Editing​

The IDE can handle projects across multiple environments:

  • Local Directory Mode: Reads and writes files directly to your hard drive (typical desktop workflow).
  • Virtual / Memory Mode: Allows testing code snippets, viewing examples, and interacting with ZPLC in environments without a filesystem.

Target Auto-Awareness​

When you select a hardware target in the project settings, the IDE automatically imports the board's capability manifest. This means you cannot accidentally assign Ethernet configurations to a Serial-only Arduino board, or map an ESP32-S3 pin that doesn't exist. All I/O and networking options are dynamically filtered to match real hardware specifications.