process-builder

Process Builder

Create new process definitions for the babysitter event-sourced orchestration framework.

Quick Reference

Processes live in: plugins/babysitter/skills/babysit/process/
├── methodologies/          # Reusable development approaches (TDD, BDD, Scrum, etc.)
│   └── [name]/
│       ├── README.md       # Documentation
│       ├── [name].js       # Main process
│       └── examples/       # Sample inputs
│
└── specializations/        # Domain-specific processes
    ├── [category]/         # Engineering specializations (direct children)
    │   └── [process].js
    └── domains/
        └── [domain]/       # Business, Science, Social Sciences
            └── [spec]/
                ├── README.md
                ├── references.md
                ├── processes-backlog.md
                └── [process].js

3-Phase Workflow

Phase 1: Research & Documentation

Create foundational documentation:

# Check existing specializations
ls plugins/babysitter/skills/babysit/process/specializations/

# Check methodologies
ls plugins/babysitter/skills/babysit/process/methodologies/

Create:

• README.md - Overview, roles, goals, use cases, common flows
• references.md - External references, best practices, links to sources

Phase 2: Identify Processes

Create processes-backlog.md with identified processes:

# Processes Backlog - [Specialization Name]

## Identified Processes

- [ ] **process-name** - Short description of what this process accomplishes
  - Reference: [Link to methodology or standard]
  - Inputs: list key inputs
  - Outputs: list key outputs

- [ ] **another-process** - Description
  ...

Phase 3: Create Process Files

Create .js process files following SDK patterns (see below).

Process File Structure

Every process file follows this pattern:

/**
 * @process [category]/[process-name]
 * @description Clear description of what the process accomplishes end-to-end
 * @inputs { inputName: type, optionalInput?: type }
 * @outputs { success: boolean, outputName: type, artifacts: array }
 *
 * @example
 * const result = await orchestrate('[category]/[process-name]', {
 *   inputName: 'value',
 *   optionalInput: 'optional-value'
 * });
 *
 * @references
 * - Book: "Relevant Book Title" by Author
 * - Article: [Title](https://link)
 * - Standard: ISO/IEEE reference
 */

import { defineTask } from '@a5c-ai/babysitter-sdk';

/**
 * [Process Name] Process
 *
 * Methodology: Brief description of the approach
 *
 * Phases:
 * 1. Phase Name - What happens
 * 2. Phase Name - What happens
 * ...
 *
 * Benefits:
 * - Benefit 1
 * - Benefit 2
 *
 * @param {Object} inputs - Process inputs
 * @param {string} inputs.inputName - Description of input
 * @param {Object} ctx - Process context (see SDK)
 * @returns {Promise<Object>} Process result
 */
export async function process(inputs, ctx) {
  const {
    inputName,
    optionalInput = 'default-value',
    // ... destructure with defaults
  } = inputs;

  const artifacts = [];

  // ============================================================================
  // PHASE 1: [PHASE NAME]
  // ============================================================================

  ctx.log?.('info', 'Starting Phase 1...');

  const phase1Result = await ctx.task(someTask, {
    // task inputs
  });

  artifacts.push(...(phase1Result.artifacts || []));

  // Breakpoint for human review (when needed)
  await ctx.breakpoint({
    question: 'Review the results and approve to continue?',
    title: 'Phase 1 Review',
    context: {
      runId: ctx.runId,
      files: [
        { path: 'artifacts/output.md', format: 'markdown', label: 'Output' }
      ]
    }
  });

  // ============================================================================
  // PHASE 2: [PHASE NAME] - Parallel Execution Example
  // ============================================================================

  const [result1, result2, result3] = await ctx.parallel.all([
    () => ctx.task(task1, { /* args */ }),
    () => ctx.task(task2, { /* args */ }),
    () => ctx.task(task3, { /* args */ })
  ]);

  // ============================================================================
  // PHASE 3: [ITERATION EXAMPLE]
  // ============================================================================

  let iteration = 0;
  let targetMet = false;

  while (!targetMet && iteration < maxIterations) {
    iteration++;

    const iterResult = await ctx.task(iterativeTask, {
      iteration,
      previousResults: /* ... */
    });

    targetMet = iterResult.meetsTarget;

    if (!targetMet && iteration % 3 === 0) {
      // Periodic checkpoint
      await ctx.breakpoint({
        question: `Iteration ${iteration}: Target not met. Continue?`,
        title: 'Progress Checkpoint',
        context: { /* ... */ }
      });
    }
  }

  // ============================================================================
  // COMPLETION
  // ============================================================================

  return {
    success: targetMet,
    iterations: iteration,
    artifacts,
    // ... other outputs matching @outputs
  };
}

// ============================================================================
// TASK DEFINITIONS
// ============================================================================

/**
 * Task: [Task Name]
 * Purpose: What this task accomplishes
 */
const someTask = defineTask({
  name: 'task-name',
  description: 'What this task does',

  // Task definition - executed externally by orchestrator
  // This returns a TaskDef that describes HOW to run the task

  inputs: {
    inputName: { type: 'string', required: true },
    optionalInput: { type: 'number', default: 10 }
  },

  outputs: {
    result: { type: 'object' },
    artifacts: { type: 'array' }
  },

  async run(inputs, taskCtx) {
    const effectId = taskCtx.effectId;

    return {
      kind: 'node',  // or 'agent', 'skill', 'shell', 'breakpoint'
      title: `Task: ${inputs.inputName}`,
      node: {
        entry: 'scripts/task-runner.js',
        args: ['--input', inputs.inputName, '--effect-id', effectId]
      },
      io: {
        inputJsonPath: `tasks/${effectId}/input.json`,
        outputJsonPath: `tasks/${effectId}/result.json`
      },
      labels: ['category', 'subcategory']
    };
  }
});

SDK Context API Reference

The ctx object provides these intrinsics:

| Method | Purpose | Behavior | |--------|---------|----------| | ctx.task(taskDef, args, opts?) | Execute a task | Returns result or throws typed exception | | ctx.breakpoint(payload) | Human approval gate | Pauses until approved via human | | ctx.sleepUntil(isoOrEpochMs) | Time-based gate | Pauses until specified time | | ctx.parallel.all([...thunks]) | Parallel execution | Runs independent tasks concurrently | | ctx.parallel.map(items, fn) | Parallel map | Maps items through task function | | ctx.now() | Deterministic time | Returns current Date (or provided time) | | ctx.log?.(level, msg, data?) | Logging | Optional logging helper | | ctx.runId | Run identifier | Current run's unique ID |

Task Kinds

| Kind | Use Case | Executor | |------|----------|----------| | node | Scripts, builds, tests | Node.js process | | agent | LLM-powered analysis, generation | Claude Code agent | | skill | Claude Code skills | Skill invocation | | shell | System commands | Shell execution | | breakpoint | Human approval | Breakpoints UI/service | | sleep | Time gates | Orchestrator scheduling | | orchestrator_task | Internal orchestrator work | Self-routed |

Breakpoint Patterns

Basic Approval Gate

await ctx.breakpoint({
  question: 'Approve to continue?',
  title: 'Checkpoint',
  context: { runId: ctx.runId }
});

With File References (for UI display)

await ctx.breakpoint({
  question: 'Review the generated specification. Does it meet requ