How-To Guides¶

These guides provide step-by-step instructions for common workflow patterns and tasks. Unlike tutorials, they assume familiarity with the basics and focus on achieving specific goals.

Guide Overview¶

Guide	What You’ll Learn
Building a Simple Workflow	Build a complete workflow from scratch
Working with Human Tasks	Implement approval workflows with human decision points
Parallel Execution	Run multiple steps simultaneously
Conditional Logic and Gateways	Add branching and decision points with gateways
Database Persistence	Store workflow state in a database for durability
Web Plugin (REST API)	Add REST API for workflow management

Choosing a Pattern¶

Use this decision tree to find the right pattern:

Do you need human approval?

Yes: See Working with Human Tasks
No: Continue below

Do steps need to run simultaneously?

Yes: See Parallel Execution
No: Continue below

Do you need conditional branching?

Yes: See Conditional Logic and Gateways
No: See Building a Simple Workflow

Do you need a REST API for external access?

Yes: See Web Plugin (REST API)
No: Use the engine directly

Common Patterns Quick Reference¶

Sequential Workflow¶

Steps execute one after another:

edges = [
    Edge("step1", "step2"),
    Edge("step2", "step3"),
]

Approval Workflow¶

Automated steps with human decision points:

edges = [
    Edge("submit", "review"),      # Human step
    Edge("review", "process"),
]

Parallel Notifications¶

Multiple steps at once:

edges = [
    Edge("process", "email"),
    Edge("process", "slack"),
    Edge("process", "sms"),
    Edge("email", "complete"),
    Edge("slack", "complete"),
    Edge("sms", "complete"),
]

Conditional Branching¶

Different paths based on conditions:

edges = [
    Edge("check", "approve", condition="ctx.get('amount') < 1000"),
    Edge("check", "escalate", condition="ctx.get('amount') >= 1000"),
]