Applications and Entry Points

This document maps the app entry points in Source/Applications/ and how they are wired by BuildTools.

Build target ownership

Application source files are engine-owned, but target names and enablement are often project-dependent. BuildTools/cmake/stages/Applications.cmake creates targets from these entry points using project variables such as FO_DEV_NAME, platform options, and feature toggles like client/server/library/headless modes.

Because of that, this doc names source entry points and roles, not universal final target names.

Source paths inspected

• Source/Applications/ASCompilerApp.cpp
• Source/Applications/BakerApp.cpp
• Source/Applications/BakerLib.cpp
• Source/Applications/ClientApp.cpp
• Source/Applications/ClientLib.cpp
• Source/Applications/EditorApp.cpp
• Source/Applications/MapperApp.cpp
• Source/Applications/ServerApp.cpp
• Source/Applications/ServerDaemonApp.cpp
• Source/Applications/ServerHeadlessApp.cpp
• Source/Applications/ServerServiceApp.cpp
• Source/Applications/TestingApp.cpp
• BuildTools/cmake/stages/Applications.cmake
• BuildTools/cmake/helpers/Build.cmake

Entry-point files

• Source/Applications/ClientApp.cpp — client executable host entry point.
• Source/Applications/ClientLib.cpp — client runtime library entry point used by host/runtime split workflows.
• Source/Applications/ServerApp.cpp — standard server application entry point.
• Source/Applications/ServerDaemonApp.cpp — daemon-style server variant.
• Source/Applications/ServerHeadlessApp.cpp — headless server variant.
• Source/Applications/ServerServiceApp.cpp — service-style server variant.
• Source/Applications/MapperApp.cpp — mapper tool entry point.
• Source/Applications/EditorApp.cpp — editor tool entry point.
• Source/Applications/BakerApp.cpp — build/resource baking entry point.
• Source/Applications/BakerLib.cpp — baking library entry point when baking is composed as a library.
• Source/Applications/ASCompilerApp.cpp — AngelScript compiler entry point.
• Source/Applications/TestingApp.cpp — test runner application entry point.

CMake wiring

BuildTools/cmake/stages/Applications.cmake is the primary source for application target creation. It uses helpers such as AddExecutableApplication and AddSharedApplication to create executable or shared-library outputs and to attach platform-specific properties.

Observed wiring patterns include:

• Client executable and client runtime library are created when client builds are enabled.
• Headless variants use headless frontend libraries where applicable.
• Server variants are selected by server/platform/service options.
• Tool applications are created only when the corresponding tool/build options are enabled.
• Test applications are marked as testing apps so they can be treated differently from product runtime apps.

Read the CMake stage before documenting a target as available. Availability can depend on platform and project options.

Which entry point should I inspect?

• Client startup or host/runtime behavior: ClientApp.cpp, ClientLib.cpp, ClientUpdater.md.
• Server lifecycle: ServerApp.cpp and server variants, ServerRuntime.md.
• Resource generation: BakerApp.cpp, BakerLib.cpp, BakingPipeline.md.
• Script compilation: ASCompilerApp.cpp, Scripting.md and GeneratedApiAndMetadata.md.
• Mapper automation: MapperApp.cpp, MapperTools.md.
• Tests: TestingApp.cpp, ../Source/Tests/README.md, the current Source/Tests/README.md route until Docs/Testing.md is created.

Documentation rule

When adding or changing an application entry point:

1. Update BuildTools/cmake/stages/Applications.cmake or its helpers if target creation changes.
2. Update this file with the entry point’s role.
3. Update a focused subsystem doc if runtime behavior changes.
4. Validate through the embedding project’s relevant preset/target instead of assuming one universal target name.