# Guides For those who can already run Pytra and want to understand how it works. Less formal than the specification, with plenty of diagrams and code examples explaining the "why." ## Reading Order 1. [How EAST works](./east-overview.md) — Follow a concrete example through EAST1 → EAST2 → EAST3 2. [How emitters work](./emitter-overview.md) — See how EAST3 becomes C++/Go/Rust code, with before-and-after comparisons 3. [Type system](./type-system.md) — How type_id, isinstance, narrowing, and union types work internally 4. [How the runtime works](./runtime-overview.md) — `Object`, reference counting, and container reference semantics 5. [@extern and FFI](./extern-ffi.md) — Calling external functions, @abi, @template usage and internals ## Where this fits ``` Tutorial — Get it running, learn the basics ↓ Guides (here) — Understand how it works, learn the design philosophy ↓ Specification — Look up exact definitions ```