How Workflows Run: The Execution Order

Ever wondered why one node in your workflow runs before another? Or why a node seems to be "waiting" for something? CozyUI follows a simple and predictable set of rules to decide the order of operations. Understanding these rules will help you design more powerful and reliable workflows.

The Golden Rule: Information First

The most important rule in CozyUI is: A node will only run when it has all the information it needs.

Think of your workflow like a recipe. A node is a step in that recipe, like "mix ingredients" or "bake in oven." A node can't start its job until it has received all of its required "ingredients" (its inputs).

• If you have a "Translate Text" node, it will patiently wait until it receives the text it needs to translate.
• If a node has multiple inputs (e.g., it needs a title, a body, and an author), it will wait until all three pieces of information have arrived through their connections.

Nodes that don't need any incoming information (like an Input Text node where you type the value yourself) are the natural starting points of your workflow.

How CozyUI Follows the Flow

CozyUI constantly checks your workflow to see which nodes are ready to run. The process looks like this:

1. Find the Starters: CozyUI first looks for any nodes that have all their "ingredients" ready. These are the nodes that can start immediately.
2. Run the Action: It runs these ready nodes.
3. Deliver the Results: Once a node finishes, CozyUI takes its output and sends it along the "wires" (Connections) to the next nodes in the sequence.
4. Wake Up the Next Node: When a waiting node receives the last piece of information it was missing, it "wakes up" and becomes ready to run.
5. Repeat: CozyUI repeats this process—running ready nodes and delivering results—until the entire workflow is complete.

The Two Types of Connections

The "wires" you draw between nodes behave in two distinct ways:

• Information Wires (Data Links): These are the most common. They carry the result from one node to another. They are the delivery routes for the "ingredients" in our recipe analogy.

• "Go Signal" Wires (Trigger Links): These are special connections, often coming from control nodes like If or For Loop. They don't carry information to be processed; instead, they give a "go signal" to kick off an entire group of actions inside a Leaf.

Running Actions Inside a Leaf

When a Leaf receives a "go signal" from a trigger wire, the same "Information First" rule applies to all the nodes inside that Leaf. CozyUI will figure out the correct order for the nodes within the Leaf based on how they are connected to each other.

The "Wait and Resume" Trick (Backtracking)

Some control nodes, like IterateOverArray, have a special ability. Think of them as a manager delegating tasks.

1. The IterateOverArray node (the manager) takes a list and sends the first item to a Leaf (the worker) for processing.
2. It then tells CozyUI: "Wait for that Leaf to completely finish its job, and then come back to me."
3. Once the Leaf has finished processing the first item, CozyUI goes back to the IterateOverArray node.
4. The node then "resumes" and sends the second item to the Leaf, repeating the process.

This "wait and resume" behavior is what makes loops and iteration possible.

When is the Job Done?

Your workflow will stop running when one of these things happens:

• It has reached the end, and all the final "Output Nodes" (like DisplayText or Save File) have finished their jobs.
• There are no more nodes that can run because they are all still waiting for information that will never arrive (indicating a possible break in your workflow's logic).
• A node encounters an error it cannot recover from.

Best Practices

• Think About the Path: As you connect nodes, visualize the path your information will take.
• Feed Your Nodes: Ensure every node input that needs information has a connection delivering it. An unconnected input on a node will cause it to wait forever.
• Use Triggers for Control: Use If nodes and For Loop nodes with their "go signal" triggers to direct the flow of your workflow and decide which Leaves should run.
• Check Your Logic: If your workflow gets stuck, the most common reason is a node that is waiting for an input that isn't being provided. Trace your connections back to find the missing link