Workflow authoring is an undocumented raw-JSON textarea with no validation #11

New Issue

2026-09-08T20:57:22-04:00

jared commented

2026-09-08 20:57:22 -04:00

Overview

Workflows are created and edited by pasting JSON. The engine supports a rich step vocabulary – execute (targets, condition, timeout, retries, retryDelayMs), prompt (options, key, routes), wait, parse, route (conditions/if/goto/default), goto/end, top-level params (name/label/required/placeholder) – but none of it is documented in the UI or README (README still says "Workflow Creation (Future Feature)").

Nothing validates the definition on save: POST/PUT /api/workflows only checks that definition is truthy. Typos ("type":"exec", a goto to a non-existent id, options missing on a prompt, steps not an array) are only discovered when the run fails.

Where

public/index.html create/edit workflow modals.
server.js POST /api/workflows, PUT /api/workflows/:id, executeWorkflowSteps().

Suggested fix

Server-side schema validation with specific error messages (unknown step type, unresolved goto target, prompt without options, duplicate step ids, invalid condition syntax) returned as 400.
In-modal reference panel / link documenting every step type and field, with copy-able examples.
Longer term: a step-builder form (add step → pick type → fill fields) generating the JSON, with a "Validate" button.

## Overview Workflows are created and edited by pasting JSON. The engine supports a rich step vocabulary – `execute` (targets, condition, timeout, retries, retryDelayMs), `prompt` (options, key, routes), `wait`, `parse`, `route` (conditions/if/goto/default), `goto`/`end`, top-level `params` (name/label/required/placeholder) – but none of it is documented in the UI or README (README still says "Workflow Creation (Future Feature)"). Nothing validates the definition on save: `POST/PUT /api/workflows` only checks that `definition` is truthy. Typos (`"type":"exec"`, a `goto` to a non-existent id, `options` missing on a prompt, `steps` not an array) are only discovered when the run fails. ## Where - `public/index.html` create/edit workflow modals. - `server.js` `POST /api/workflows`, `PUT /api/workflows/:id`, `executeWorkflowSteps()`. ## Suggested fix - Server-side schema validation with specific error messages (unknown step type, unresolved goto target, prompt without options, duplicate step ids, invalid condition syntax) returned as 400. - In-modal reference panel / link documenting every step type and field, with copy-able examples. - Longer term: a step-builder form (add step → pick type → fill fields) generating the JSON, with a "Validate" button.

jared added the enhancement ux documentation frontend workflow-engine priority/high labels 2026-09-08 20:57:22 -04:00

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Reference: LotusGuild/pulse#11