Workflows

Workflows allow you to combine multiple commands into automated sequences that can be run with a single command.

Creating Workflows

Interactive Creation

qalam workflow create morning

You'll be prompted to: 1. Add a description 2. Enter commands one by one 3. Choose execution mode (sequential/parallel) 4. Set error handling behavior

Command Line Creation

qalam workflow create deploy \
  --description "Deploy to production" \
  --parallel

Workflow Options

Execution Modes

Sequential (default) Commands run one after another:

qalam workflow create build
# Add: npm install
# Add: npm test
# Add: npm run build

Parallel Commands run simultaneously:

qalam workflow create test-all --parallel
# Add: npm run test:unit
# Add: npm run test:integration
# Add: npm run lint

Error Handling

Stop on Error (default) Workflow stops if any command fails.

Continue on Error Workflow continues even if commands fail:

qalam workflow create cleanup --continue

Variables

Use variables for flexible workflows:

# Create workflow with variables
qalam workflow create deploy
# Add command: kubectl set image deployment/app app=${version}

# Run with variables
qalam workflow run deploy --vars version=v1.2.3

Managing Workflows

List Workflows

qalam workflow list

Shows: - Workflow name - Description - Number of commands - Execution count - Last run time

Show Details

qalam workflow show morning

Displays: - All commands in order - Execution settings - Variables used - Statistics

Run Workflows

# Simple run
qalam workflow run morning

# With variables
qalam workflow run deploy --vars env=staging

# Dry run (preview)
qalam workflow run risky --dry-run

Edit Workflows

# Duplicate and modify
qalam workflow duplicate morning evening

# Delete workflow
qalam workflow remove old-workflow

Example Workflows

Development Start

qalam workflow create dev-start
# Description: Start development environment
# Commands:
#   1. git pull origin main
#   2. npm install
#   3. docker-compose up -d
#   4. npm run dev

End of Day

qalam workflow create eod --continue
# Description: End of day cleanup
# Commands:
#   1. git add -A
#   2. git commit -m "WIP: End of day"
#   3. docker-compose down
#   4. npm run clean

Multi-Environment Deploy

qalam workflow create deploy
# Commands with variables:
#   1. npm run build:${env}
#   2. aws s3 sync dist/ s3://bucket-${env}/
#   3. aws cloudfront create-invalidation --distribution-id ${cf_id}

# Usage:
qalam workflow run deploy --vars env=staging,cf_id=ABC123
qalam workflow run deploy --vars env=production,cf_id=XYZ789

Best Practices

1. Name workflows clearly: Use descriptive names like deploy-staging not ds
2. Add descriptions: Help others (and future you) understand the purpose
3. Use variables: Make workflows reusable across environments
4. Test first: Run commands individually before adding to workflow
5. Handle errors: Decide if workflow should stop or continue on failure
6. Keep it simple: Break complex workflows into smaller, focused ones