Table of Contents

Archetype

In one line: the fixed shape of an entity — the set of component types it has.

An archetype is declared once as a sealed partial class Unit : Archetype<Unit> marked [Archetype]. Its identity is the CLR type name (or [Archetype(Name="...")]); it self-registers at assembly load, and the engine auto-assigns a per-process catalog id and a persisted per-DB routing id — no numeric id is author-set. Each Register<T>() declares a component slot and yields a static Comp<T> handle (Unit.Position) — the compile-time key you use to spawn, read, and query that component.

Marking the class partial lets Typhon's source generator add typed bulk accessors (Unit.ReadAll / ReadWriteAll). Archetypes can also inherit (Archetype<TSelf, TParent>) to share a common component prefix. An entity is one instance of an archetype.

How it relates

  • Component — an archetype is a fixed set of them; it owns each one's Comp<T> handle.
  • Entity — an instance of an archetype, created with Spawn<TArch>.
  • Query — queries are typed on an archetype: tx.Query<Unit>().
  • Schema evolution — archetype membership and component versions are part of the persisted schema.
  • Cluster storage — the archetype's component mix silently decides its physical layout (clustered SoA vs legacy per-entity) — a ~50× bulk-iteration difference.

In the API

  • Archetype<T> — the base class an archetype derives from; Register<T>() declares slots.
  • Comp<T> — the per-slot handle the archetype exposes.
  • [Archetype] — the identity attribute (declaration-only, not in the API reference).

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