# Architecture
Mailbox is a CLI-first Node.js project.
Core goals:
- Keep a stable JSON output contract for automation/skills.
- Store config and data using XDG defaults with env overrides.
- Support both interactive use and scripted `--json` usage.
Modules:
- `packages/shared`: flag parsing, JSON printing, XDG paths.
- `packages/core`: IMAP/SMTP operations, sqlite cache, account loading/migration.
- `packages/workflows`: digest/monitor/inbox orchestration.
- `packages/cli`: CLI command surface.
Distribution:
- The user-facing install is `mailbox-cli` (npm launcher + platform packages).
- The platform packages ship a prebuilt `mailbox` binary (built from Node via
`pkg`).
