vd-create (Workflow Authoring Assistant)

Goal

Turn a user’s project idea into a visual, editable workflow graph in the Studio:

• four phases: research, planning, execution, review
• node types: PROMPT, CONDITION (hard/soft), BREAKPOINT
• explicit edges (nextStep, and for conditions onPass/onFail)
• each prompt step includes: role/context/task/guardrails/deliverables + logInstruction

This skill is for authoring a UnifiedWorkflow graph — not for executing steps.

Key tools

Use the unified workflow tools (these update job_ui_state.graph_state_json.unified_workflows):

• workflow_unified_get
• workflow_unified_set_flow_fields
• workflow_unified_upsert_step
• workflow_unified_connect
• workflow_unified_delete_step (rare)

Authoring workflow (no fluff, concrete)

1) Intake (ask only what you need)

Collect:

• What are we building? (1–2 sentences)
• User technical level: non-technical | some coding | experienced
• Constraints: language/framework, OS, timeline, “must-have” vs “nice-to-have”
• Definition of “done”: what can the user do when it’s complete?

2) Decide a graph shape (recommended default)

Create 3–6 steps per phase. Keep each step one prompt.

Recommended minimal skeleton:

• Research: scope + repo scan (findings), risk scan (mistake ledger), breakpoint (memory pack)
• Planning: architecture choices, step plan draft, breakpoint (handoff memory)
• Execution: implement incrementally, add tests, condition (tests pass), breakpoint (handoff)
• Review: run full verification, condition (all gates), final summary

3) Write the graph into the job

For each phase:

1. Call workflow_unified_set_flow_fields to set name, description, global_context.
2. For each node, call workflow_unified_upsert_step with a full step object.
3. Call workflow_unified_connect to wire nextStep / onPass / onFail.

Step object requirements

Match the Studio schema:

• id: stable string (recommend step_<phase>_<slug>)
• type: PROMPT | CONDITION | BREAKPOINT
• label: Step1, Step2, Sub1, etc.
• title: human readable
• colIndex: integer
• subThreadLevel: integer
• isSubThread: boolean

PROMPT fields:

• role, context, task, guardrails, deliverables, logInstruction

CONDITION fields:

• conditionType: script (hard) or llm (soft)
• conditionCode: for llm, a TRUE/FALSE question; for script, a command line to run
• onPass, onFail (or use workflow_unified_connect with edge=on_pass/on_fail)

BREAKPOINT fields:

• reason
• carryForward (memory prompt — instruct model to save a memory pack to context, not print it)

4) Confirm and hand off to the user

• Tell the user which job/phase you updated and that it’s visible in the Studio.
• Encourage them to edit anything, then start execution with $vd-next.

Guardrails

• Keep steps small and explicit.
• Prefer conditions as separate nodes (don’t embed “gates sections” in prompts).
• Breakpoints should instruct “save memory pack to context” and “start a new thread”.