Explicit authority, not a native escape hatch.

AppCs request named capabilities. Package declaration, host availability and user permission remain separate decisions.

Core families

• runtime — metadata, caller context and capability detection.
• storage — app-private structured storage.
• sql — app-private managed SQL.
• files.app — app-private files.
• files.open / files.save — user-mediated file access.
• workspace — opaque user-approved directory grants.
• filesystem.watch — scoped watches tied to workspace authority.
• watch.trigger — approved persistent workspace-change automation.
• network — declared HTTPS origins plus explicit user approval.
• secrets — host-managed OS credential storage.

Desktop and high-authority families

• clipboard.read, clipboard.write, notifications, external, window.
• system — bounded OS family and architecture information.
• media.pick — user-mediated image, audio or video file selection.
• process — managed child processes with explicit session approval.
• terminal — managed PTY sessions with explicit session approval.
• background — supervised hidden AppC runtime.
• scheduler — durable recurring headless invocation.
• agent — host-created agent-tool invocation context.

Capability detection

if (await runtime.hasCapability("sql")) {
  // use SQL
}

await runtime.requireCapability("workspace");