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Workflows as code

Every Orvanta workflow is backed by a deterministic code artifact. You can build a workflow visually in the node-based editor, define it directly as code, or move between the two — the artifact is the single source of truth either way.

This is the operating model behind Orvanta: the accessibility of visual composition with the rigour of software engineering.

Core principles

Section titled “Core principles”

  1. Visual-first composition

    Design workflows in a node-based editor so teams can reason about business flow end-to-end.

  2. Code artifact output

    Visual workflows compile into deterministic artifacts (JSON/DSL) that can be reviewed, versioned, and promoted through environments — and committed to Git like any other source file.

  3. Polyglot execution

    Use the right language per step: TypeScript, Python, Bash, Go, or others in a single workflow.

  4. Deterministic guarantees

    Same input + same artifact = same output, enabling reproducibility and controlled change management.

  5. Governance built in

    Policy controls, role-based access, and audit trails are part of the platform model, not bolted on later.

Defining a workflow as code

Section titled “Defining a workflow as code”

A workflow artifact declares its nodes, the edges between them, and each node’s inputs. The example below wires a script node into an approval step:

summary: Order processing
value:
  modules:
    - id: validate
      value:
        type: script
        path: f/orders/validate_order
        input_transforms:
          order_id:
            type: javascript
            expr: flow_input.order_id
    - id: approve
      value:
        type: approval

Pull a flow’s spec to edit it locally, then push it back:

Terminal window
orvanta sync pull                                   # bring the flow into local files
# ... edit f/orders/order_processing.flow.yaml ...
orvanta flow push ./order_processing.flow.yaml f/orders/order_processing

Why this matters

Section titled “Why this matters”

Workflows as code give you speed for builders and trust for operations:

  • Faster delivery: less hand-written boilerplate for orchestration.
  • Safer change: predictable deploy and rollback behaviour, reviewable in pull requests.
  • Better collaboration: product, ops, and engineering share one workflow model.

See also

Section titled “See also”