---
title: The CocoIndex *App*
description: >
  Apps are the top-level runnable unit in CocoIndex. Learn how to create an App,
  trigger updates, configure the database path, and wire up lifespan-managed
  resources.
---
:::note[Prerequisite]
This page builds on [Core Concepts](./core_concepts), which introduces the App and the source → transform → target-state model **with diagrams**. If the App model feels abstract, start there.
:::

An **App** is the top-level runnable unit in CocoIndex.
It names your pipeline and binds a main function with its parameters. When you call `app.update()`, CocoIndex runs that main function as the root [processing component](./processing_component) which can mount child processing components to do work and declare target states.

## Creating an app

To create an App, provide:

1. **An `AppConfig`** (or just a name string) — identifies the pipeline
2. **A main function** — the entry point for your pipeline
3. **Arguments** — any additional arguments to pass to the main function

```python
import cocoindex as coco

@coco.fn
async def app_main(sourcedir: pathlib.Path) -> None:
    # ... your pipeline logic ...

app = coco.App(
    coco.AppConfig(name="MyPipeline"),
    app_main,
    sourcedir=pathlib.Path("./data"),
)
```

You can also pass just a name string instead of `AppConfig`:

```python
app = coco.App("MyPipeline", app_main, sourcedir=pathlib.Path("./data"))
```

:::tip
The main function is usually async. See [How Sync and Async Work Together](./sdk_overview#how-sync-and-async-work-together) for details.
:::

## Updating an app

Call `update()` to execute the pipeline. It returns an `UpdateHandle` that is also `Awaitable`, so the simplest usage stays the same:

```python
# Async — await the result directly (backward-compatible)
result = await app.update()
```

```python
# Sync (blocking) API
result = app.update_blocking()
```

**Parameters:**

- `live` option keeps the app running after the initial scan so live components can continue watching for changes. See [Live Mode](./live_mode).
- `report_to_stdout` option prints periodic progress updates during execution. Pass `True` for the default refresh interval, or a `timedelta` to set it.
- `full_reprocess` option reprocesses everything and invalidates existing caches. This forces all components to re-execute and all target states to be re-applied, even if they haven't changed.

When you update an App, CocoIndex:

1. Runs the lifespan setup (if not already done)
2. Executes the main function (the root processing component), which mounts child processing components
3. Compares the declared target states with the previous run and applies only the necessary changes to external systems

Given the same logic and inputs, updates are repeatable. When logic or inputs change, only the affected parts re-execute.

To watch progress beyond the `report_to_stdout` flag, the `UpdateHandle` returned by `app.update()` also exposes stats programmatically — poll with `handle.stats()` or stream with `handle.watch()`. For those structured APIs, and for splitting a run into separately-reported scopes with `coco.stats_group()`, see [Progress monitoring](../advanced_topics/progress_monitoring).

## How an app runs

An App is the top-level runner and entry point. A **processing component** is the unit of incremental execution *within* an app.

- Your app's main function runs as the **root processing component** at the root path.
- Each call to `mount()` or `use_mount()` declares a **child processing component** at a child path. Sugar APIs like `mount_each()` and `mount_target()` also create child components.
- Each processing component declares a set of target states, and CocoIndex syncs them as a unit when that component finishes — all writes happen after processing completes, and each target backend applies its batch atomically when supported.

This is why `app.update()` does not "run everything from scratch": CocoIndex uses the component path tree to decide what can be reused and what must re-run.

For example, an app that processes files might mount one component per file — the per-file fan-out from [Core Concepts](./core_concepts#processing-component), shown here as a path tree:

```text
(root)                         ← app_main component
├── "setup"                    ← declare_dir_target component
└── "process"
    ├── "hello.md"             ← process_file component
    └── "world.md"             ← process_file component
```

See [Processing Component](./processing_component) for how mounting and component paths define these boundaries.

## Database path

CocoIndex needs a database path (`db_path`) to store its internal state. This database tracks target states and memoized results from previous runs, enabling CocoIndex to compute what changed and apply only the necessary updates.

The simplest way to configure the database path is via the `COCOINDEX_DB` environment variable:

```bash
export COCOINDEX_DB=./cocoindex.db
```

With `COCOINDEX_DB` set, you can create and run apps without any additional configuration:

```python
import cocoindex as coco

@coco.fn
def app_main() -> None:
    # ... your pipeline logic ...

app = coco.App("MyPipeline", app_main)
app.update_blocking()  # Uses COCOINDEX_DB for storage
```

For details on what the internal database stores and how to tune its LMDB settings (e.g., increasing the maximum database size beyond 4 GiB), see [Internal Storage](../advanced_topics/internal_storage).

## Lifespan (optional)

A **lifespan function** defines the CocoIndex runtime lifecycle: its setup runs when the runtime starts (automatically before the first `app.update()`), and its cleanup runs when the runtime stops. Use it to configure CocoIndex settings programmatically or to initialize shared resources that processing components can reuse.

:::tip
If you only need to set the database path, using the `COCOINDEX_DB` environment variable is simpler than defining a lifespan function.
:::

### Defining a lifespan

Use the `@lifespan` decorator to register a lifespan function. By default, all apps share the same lifespan (unless you explicitly specify an app in a different [*Environment*](../advanced_topics/multiple_environments)). The function receives an `EnvironmentBuilder` for configuration and uses `yield` to separate setup from cleanup:

```python
import pathlib
from typing import AsyncIterator
import cocoindex as coco

@coco.lifespan
async def coco_lifespan(builder: coco.EnvironmentBuilder) -> AsyncIterator[None]:
    # Configure CocoIndex's internal database location (overrides COCOINDEX_DB if set)
    builder.settings.db_path = pathlib.Path("./cocoindex.db")
    # Setup: initialize resources here
    yield
    # Cleanup happens automatically when the context exits
```

Setting `db_path` in the lifespan takes precedence over the `COCOINDEX_DB` environment variable. If neither is provided, CocoIndex will raise an error.

The lifespan function can be sync or async:

```python
import cocoindex as coco

@coco.lifespan
def coco_lifespan(builder: coco.EnvironmentBuilder) -> Iterator[None]:
    builder.settings.db_path = pathlib.Path("./cocoindex.db")
    yield
```

You can also use the lifespan to provide resources (like database connections) that processing components can access. See [Context](./context) for details on sharing resources across your pipeline.

### Explicit lifecycle control (optional)

The lifespan runs automatically the first time any App updates — most users don't need to do anything beyond defining the lifespan and calling `app.update()`.

If you need more explicit control — for example, to know when startup completes for health checks, or to explicitly trigger shutdown — you can manage the lifecycle directly:

```python
# Async API
await coco.start()   # Run lifespan setup
# ... run apps or other operations ...
await coco.stop()    # Run lifespan cleanup
```

```python
# Sync (blocking) API
coco.start_blocking()   # Run lifespan setup
# ... run apps or other operations ...
coco.stop_blocking()    # Run lifespan cleanup
```

Or use the `runtime()` context manager, which supports both sync and async usage:

```python
# Async
async with coco.runtime():
    await app.update()
```

```python
# Sync (blocking)
with coco.runtime():
    app.update_blocking()
```

## Managing apps with CLI

CocoIndex provides a CLI for managing your apps without writing additional code.

### Update an app

Run your app once to sync all target states:

```bash
cocoindex update main.py
```

This executes your pipeline and applies all declared target states to external systems. Add `--live` (or `-L`) to keep the app running and react to source changes continuously — see [Live Mode](./live_mode).

### Drop an app

Remove an app and revert all its target states:

```bash
cocoindex drop main.py
```

This will delete all target states created by the app (e.g., drop tables, delete rows) and clear its internal state.

`drop` is an explicit, foreground operation — any failure during the recursive delete (root or any descendant) raises rather than being silently logged. The internal tracking record for a component whose delete failed is preserved so the next `drop` (with the underlying problem fixed) can complete the cleanup. See [Error Handling](../advanced_topics/exception_handlers) for the general principle.

See [CLI Reference](../cli) for more commands and options.
