Workflow Apps

Workflow Apps

CW uses workflow apps as userland. The runtime owns planning, dispatch, verification, commits, reports, and state. An app owns the domain-specific inputs, phases, task prompts, evidence requirements, and sandbox hints.

Inspect Installed Apps

cw app list
cw app show architecture-review --json
cw app validate architecture-review

From a source checkout:

cd plugins/cool-workflow
node scripts/cw.js app list
node scripts/cw.js app show architecture-review --json
npm run canonical-apps

Shipped Apps

Eight apps ship in apps/. Five are canonical (the lanes the docs support); three are examples or an internal proof. List them all with cw app list.

Canonical

App	Use it when	Notes
architecture-review	You want the full repository architecture and risk review.	14 tasks across Map, Assess, Verify, and Verdict; readonly sandbox.
architecture-review-fast	You want faster first results before a deeper background review.	6 tasks; supports source-context inputs; readonly sandbox.
pr-review-fix-ci	You want PR review and CI diagnosis.	7 tasks; can use readonly or workspace-write profiles depending on mode.
research-synthesis	You want evidence-backed synthesis from sources.	6 tasks; uses readonly and locked-down profiles.
release-cut	You want release preparation with checklist discipline.	6 tasks; uses readonly and workspace-write profiles.

Examples and internal proof

App	Use it when	Notes
pdca-blackboard-loop	You want a small multi-agent example.	4 tasks; three agents share one blackboard to plan, do, check, and act.
workflow-app-framework-demo	You want a small example app contract.	3 tasks; shows inputs, phases, evidence gates, and sandbox hints.
end-to-end-golden-path	You want the deterministic integration proof.	1 task; the one-worker app behind npm run golden-path.

Full Review vs Fast Review

architecture-review is the stable full review lane:

cw quickstart architecture-review \
  --repo /path/to/repo \
  --question "What are the main risks?" \
  --agent-command builtin:claude

architecture-review-fast keeps the full review contract intact and offers a shorter opt-in lane:

cw quickstart architecture-review-fast \
  --repo /path/to/repo \
  --question "What are the main risks?" \
  --agent-command builtin:claude

The fast app's source-context fields are app inputs. Model routing remains operator policy and wrapper configuration, not core runtime policy.

App Contract

An app directory has this shape:

apps/<app-id>/
  app.json
  workflow.js

Important fields:

Field	Purpose
id	Stable app id used by CLI and MCP.
inputs	Declared operator inputs such as repo and question.
sandboxProfiles	Named sandbox policy hints the app may request.
workflow	Phases and tasks to plan.
compatibility	Runtime and workflow schema constraints.

App loading fails closed on duplicate ids, invalid inputs, incompatible versions, bad sandbox references, and malformed phase or task definitions.

Related Source Docs

In the repository, see:

• plugins/cool-workflow/docs/workflow-app-framework.7.md
• plugins/cool-workflow/docs/canonical-workflow-apps.7.md
• plugins/cool-workflow/docs/agent-delegation-drive.7.md