<!-- Start -->

# Begin with the pages that introduce AEON in order.

This hub gathers the orientation pages: what AEON is, why it exists, what it can do, and how to move from first syntax into practical use.

Use it when you want a readable path through the language before opening the reference pages.

<!-- Orientation -->

## Understand the shape of the system first.

### Meet AEON

_Overview_

Start with the homepage for the smallest framing of AEON as a human-readable data notation for explicit meaning.

[Open overview](/)

### See the problem AEON solves

_Why_

Read why hidden parser guesses, implicit meaning, and runtime surprises make important documents harder to trust.

[Read why AEON](/why-aeon.php)

### Scan the main features

_Capabilities_

Use the capabilities page for the high-level map: typed structure, validation layers, canonical form, references, annotations, and non-execution.

[Open capabilities](/capabilities.php)

<!-- First Use -->

## Move from reading into writing and integration.

### Run the first pipeline

_Developer_

See source text enter the TypeScript runtime, pass strict validation, and become finalized JSON data.

[Developer start](/developer-start.php)

### Use AEON around AI systems

_AI_

Learn how AEON supports language help, deterministic integration, typed API calls, audited tool use, and AI-native source context.

[Open AI page](/ai.php)

### Learn the syntax in order

_Basics_

Walk through bindings, scalar values, containers, type labels, comments, multiline text, and the first verification exercise.

[Start walkthrough](/walkthrough.php)

<!-- Guided Sequence -->

## Continue through the focused walkthroughs.

### Add AEON's richer forms

_Advanced_

Continue with custom types, anonymous typed values, nulls, attributes, separator values, references, nodes, and semantic comments.

[Open advanced](/walkthrough-advanced.php)

### Follow source through the pipeline

_Processing_

Trace one document through canonical form, assignment events, schema validation, meaning validation, and Tonic materialization.

[Open processing](/walkthrough-processing.php)

### Connect data, comments, and rendering

_Annotations_

See AEON data, node templates, and semantic comments become an annotation stream and rendered HTML without hidden behavior.

[Open annotations](/walkthrough-annotations.php)