How do I run a workflow that fails?

Table of Contents

The fail-fast configuration of the identity workflow. The ores-shell block below is tangled into the runnable script library as identity_fail_fast.ores.

1. Question

How do I run a workflow whose only step fails?

2. Answer

The single step reports fail and declares no compensation, so there is nothing to unwind. The engine moves the instance through compensating and settles it at compensated, which --expect-state asserts. 

workflow start identity_workflow '{"steps":[{"name":"boom","behaviour":"fail"}]}' --instance-id 10000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000004
workflow wait 10000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000004 --timeout 60 --expect-state compensated

workflow wait fails unless the instance reaches the state named, so this script fails when the path it covers does nothing.

3. Script

projects/ores.shell/scripts/library/workflow/identity_fail_fast.ores – generated from this recipe by compass build --direct tangle_shell_scripts (do not edit the .ores by hand).

4. Tested by

Manual: compass shell -f identity_fail_fast.ores against a running fleet.

5. See also

Emacs 29.3 (Org mode 9.6.15)