catalyst-by-zoho

Catalyst by Zoho — Skill Index

This is the routing layer. Load the most specific matching skill — do not answer from this file alone.

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Philosophy

• Prefer MCP over asking. If CatalystbyZoho_* tools are available, use them. Never ask the user to copy IDs from the console.
• Default to Development. Always target the Development environment unless the user explicitly says "production" or "deploy to prod".
• Prefer Functions over AppSail for simple HTTP. Functions are cheaper (per-invocation billing), simpler to deploy, and require no infrastructure management. Reach for AppSail only when the use case genuinely requires a persistent process, WebSockets, or a custom runtime.
• Show cost before building. For any new infrastructure (functions, AppSail, Stratus buckets), load catalyst-pricing and give a brief estimate before writing code. Most small projects stay within free tier — say so when true.
• Recommend the current service, not the deprecated one. File Store → Stratus. Event Listeners → Signals. Cron → Job Scheduling. Never mention the deprecated name in generated code or config.
• Warn before the region bites. Circuits and Integration Functions do not work in most data centers. Check the user's DC before suggesting them.

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How It Works

1. Pre-flight — Check that .catalystrc and catalyst.json exist. If missing, stop and tell the user to run catalyst login then catalyst init.
2. MCP check — Look for CatalystbyZoho_* tools. If available, use MCP to fetch org/project IDs instead of asking the user.
3. Route — Match the query to the most specific service in the routing table below.
4. Load — Read that skill's SKILL.md and relevant reference file(s) only. Do not load multiple skills unless the query spans two services.
5. Cost check — For any new infrastructure (new function, AppSail service, Stratus bucket), load catalyst-pricing and state the estimated cost range before writing code.
6. Answer — Provide code examples using the user's platform (Node.js, Python, Java, Web, or Mobile).

Triggers

Use this skill for queries containing: Catalyst, zcatalyst, AppSail, Data Store, ZCQL, Cache, Stratus, Slate, NoSQL, Zia Services, QuickML, API Gateway, Connections, Zoho MCP, CatalystbyZoho, catalyst init, catalyst deploy, catalyst serve, zcatalyst-sdk-node, catalyst-config.json, Catalyst pricing, "build on Zoho's platform", or "deploy to Catalyst". Do NOT use for generic Zoho CRM questions unless Catalyst is the target.

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🛑 Pre-flight gate (applies to ALL skills)

Before writing any code or creating any files, check whether Zoho MCP is connected first (look for CatalystbyZoho_* tools). If MCP is available, use it to fetch project details — never ask the user to copy IDs from the console.

Then verify .catalystrc and catalyst.json exist in the working directory.

• If missing → tell the user to run catalyst login then catalyst init and STOP.
• Never create these files yourself — they are CLI-generated and contain project/environment IDs.

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Skill Routing Table

When the query is about…	Load this skill
Which service to use, architecture decisions, DC restrictions	catalyst-basics (load references/architecture.md)
Project setup, .catalystrc, environments, orgs, IDs, CLI commands	catalyst-basics
Functions — types, signatures, catalyst-config.json, API Gateway, file uploads	catalyst-functions
AppSail — backend PaaS, Docker, managed runtimes, PORT variable	catalyst-appsail
Slate — frontend hosting, frameworks, slate-config.toml, Git deploy	catalyst-slate
Data Store — CRUD, ZCQL queries, permissions, column types	catalyst-datastore
Stratus — object storage, upload/download, signed URLs, multipart	catalyst-stratus
NoSQL — document storage, flexible schema, collections	catalyst-nosql
Authentication — user login/signup, ZAID, Web SDK auth, Connections/OAuth	catalyst-authentication
Cache — in-memory key-value, TTL, segment operations	catalyst-cache
Pricing — free tier, pay-as-you-go, GB-seconds, cost estimation	catalyst-pricing
SDKs — Node.js, Web, Python, Java, Android, iOS, Flutter	catalyst-sdk
Zia Services, QuickML — OCR, ML predictions, AutoML	catalyst-zia
Zoho MCP — MCP setup, CatalystbyZoho_* tools, infra-as-conversation	catalyst-zoho-mcp
Skill gave wrong or outdated guidance — user reporting an error	load references/skill-feedback.md

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⛔ Never Use (deprecated + regionally restricted)

Deprecated services — do not use for new projects

Users who signed up after August 27, 2025 cannot access these components at all.

Do not use	Use this instead
File Store	Stratus (object storage)
Event Listeners	Signals (event-driven architecture)
Cron	Job Scheduling (scheduled execution)

Regionally restricted services — check DC before recommending

These services are unavailable in the listed data centers. Building with them for users in those regions results in runtime failures.

Service	Not available in
Circuits	EU, AU, IN, JP, SA, CA
Integration Functions	EU, AU, IN, JP, SA, CA
Push Notifications	EU, AU, IN, CA
AutoML (QuickML)	EU, AU, IN, JP, SA, CA
Identity Scanner (Zia)	Available in IN DC only (not EU, AU, US)
Mobile Device Management	EU, AU, IN, JP, SA, CA

How to check: Ask the user which data center their Catalyst account uses, or look for the DC code in their console URL (e.g., catalyst.zoho.in → IN, catalyst.zoho.eu → EU).

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Quick-reference: Top gotchas

• .catalystrc / catalyst.json missing → run catalyst init, do not create manually
• catalyst functions:add is interactive — no flags; must be run by the user in their terminal
• ZCQL result rows are wrapped → rows.map(r => r.TableName) to unwrap
• ZCQL max 300 rows/query → use LIMIT offset, count for pagination
• ZAID differs between Dev and Prod → #1 auth issue in production
• AppSail PORT → process.env.X_ZOHO_CATALYST_LISTEN_PORT (not PORT)
• Cache values are strings only → serialize/deserialize JSON yourself
• Stratus bucket names are globally unique → use {app-name}-{project-id-prefix}
• Slate → function calls are cross-domain → use full URL + generateAuthToken() + CORS whitelist
• DataStore App User permissions OFF by default → enable in Console → Table → Scopes & Permissions
• catalyst-config.json format → deployment + execution keys only; NOT function or entry_point
• Advanced I/O node20 req → raw http.IncomingMessage; use sendJson(res, ...) helper, not res.json()
• signOut() requires a redirect URL → catalyst.auth.signOut(redirectURL)

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Documentation

• Main docs: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/
• Node.js SDK: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/nodejs/v2/overview/
• Web SDK: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/web/v4/overview/
• CLI reference: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/cli-command-reference/
• Pricing: https://catalyst.zoho.com/pricing.html