Getting Started

cakephp-workflow is a CakePHP plugin for state-machine style workflows.

What It Does

The plugin tracks where records are in their lifecycle:

• An order: pending → paid → shipped → completed
• A ticket: open → in_progress → resolved
• An approval: draft → submitted → approved

At any moment, a record is in exactly one state. You control how it moves between states.

Core Features

Feature	Description
PHP 8 Attributes	Define workflows in PHP classes
NEON/YAML	Or use config files
Guards	Conditional transitions
Commands	Actions on transitions
ORM Behavior	CakePHP table integration
Admin UI	Visual dashboard
CLI Tools	Management commands

Typical Flow

1. Define a workflow (attributes or config file)
2. Attach behavior to your table
3. Use workflow.can() and workflow.apply()
4. Inspect via admin UI or CLI

What It Is Good For

• Clear lifecycle for records (orders, tickets, payouts, approvals)
• CakePHP ORM integration through a behavior
• PHP-first definitions with editor support
• Workflow inspection from an admin dashboard

What It Is Not

This is a single-state workflow engine:

• An entity is in one state at a time
• Transitions move from one state to one target state
• It is not a multi-place workflow-net engine

For most application lifecycles, this is exactly the right level of complexity.

Quick Example

// Get a workflow for an entity
$workflow = $this->workflowRegistry->get($order);

// Check and apply a transition
if ($workflow->can('pay')) {
    $result = $workflow->apply('pay');
    if ($result->isSuccess()) {
        $this->Orders->save($order);
    }
}

Next Steps

1. Installation - Get the plugin running
2. Concepts - Understand states, transitions, guards
3. Quick Start - Build your first workflow
4. Behavior Integration - Full API reference