app

Type: noun
Register: technical, user-facing
Domain: platform-wide

Definition

A complete authenticated system that contains the landing page, the auth gateway (Keycloak), and all identity-aware user experiences. The app is the auth gateway — once a user is logged in and identity is tracked, the system can build personalized, pre-filled, contextual flows without asking the user to re-enter information.

Properties

• Contains the landing page — the base URL (/) is the public entry point within the app, not a separate service
• Auth gateway — routes to Keycloak for login, receives the authenticated session back, tracks identity
• Identity-aware — once logged in, the system knows who the user is and leverages that for every downstream interaction (pre-filled forms, contextual dashboards, custom payment links)
• Role-gated — renders different views based on role (admin, coach, parent, player)
• One per project — the primary user-facing surface, named {project}-app
• SvelteKit — framework convention
• Deployed — own hostname, k8s service, ingress, CI pipeline

Why it matters

The app's core value is identity. The moment a user is authenticated, every downstream experience can be personalized. A coach sends a payment link to a parent — if the parent is already logged into the app, the form pre-fills with their name, email, player info. No "please enter your information again." One URL, one login, infinite contextual flows.

Distinguishes from

Term	Difference
landing page	The landing page is a route WITHIN the app (/), not a separate thing. See definition-landing-page.
api	No UI. Serves data to the app. The app calls the API; the API doesn't render views.
playground	Not deployed, not authenticated. Prototypes that validate design before promotion to the app.
contracts	A specialized single-purpose frontend. Narrow scope, not the primary surface. May leverage the app's auth session.
ops / streamlit	Operator tools. For internal users, not end users.

Examples

• westside-app — Westside Kings & Queens. Landing page + Keycloak auth + admin/coach/parent/player dashboards + commerce + jersey ordering.
• pal-e-app — pal-e-docs frontend. Landing page + Keycloak auth + note browsing + board views + search.
• mcd-tracker-app — MCD Tracker. Landing page + auth + receipt workflows + Capacitor mobile.

Relations

• contains: landing page
• calls: api
• promoted-from: playground
• authenticates-via: Keycloak