Files
zed/crates/gpui/docs/contexts.md
Mohamad Khani b9819977a5 logiguard fork v3: full patch set on verified 8c74db0 tree
Includes prior-session patches (carry forward so the app compiles):
  - crates/gpui/build.rs: cross-compile manifest fix
  - crates/gpui/src/platform.rs: PlatformWindow::activate_with_token trait method
  - crates/gpui/src/window.rs: Window::activate_with_token public API
  - crates/gpui_linux/src/linux/wayland/window.rs: WaylandWindow::activate_with_token + activate() keyboard-serial fix

Plus the focus-serial fix:
  - serial.rs: SerialKind::KeyboardEnter
  - client.rs: store wl_keyboard.enter serial; latest_serial_of()

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-07-14 01:52:12 +03:30

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# Contexts
GPUI makes extensive use of _context parameters_ (typically named `cx`) to provide access to application state and services. These contexts are references passed to functions, enabling interaction with global state, windows, entities, and system services.
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## `App`
The root context granting access to the application's global state. This context owns all entities' data and can be used to read or update the data referenced by an `Entity<T>`.
## `Context<T>`
A context provided when interacting with an `Entity<T>`, with additional methods related to that specific entity such as notifying observers and emitting events. This context dereferences into `App`, meaning any function which can take an `App` reference can also take a `Context<T>` reference, allowing you to access the application's global state.
## `AsyncApp` and `AsyncWindowContext`
Whereas the above contexts are always passed to your code as references, you can call `to_async` on the reference to create an async context, which has a static lifetime and can be held across `await` points in async code. When you interact with entities with an async context, the calls become fallible, because the context may outlive the window or even the app itself.
## `TestAppContext`
These are similar to the async contexts above, but they panic if you attempt to access a non-existent app or window, and they also contain other features specific to tests.
---
# Non-Context Core Types
## `Window`
Provides access to the state of an application window. This type has a root view (an `Entity` implementing `Render`) which it can read/update, but since it is not a context, you must pass a `&mut App` (or a context which dereferences to it) to do so, along with other functions interacting with global state. You can obtain a `Window` from an `WindowHandle` by calling `WindowHandle::update`.
## `Entity<T>`
A handle to a structure requiring state. This data is owned by the `App` and can be accessed and modified via references to contexts. If `T` implements `Render`, then the entity is sometimes referred to as a view. Entities can be observed by other entities and windows, allowing a closure to be called when `notify` is called on the entity's `Context`.