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OrchStep

Execution Basics Examples

hello world

Section titled “hello world”

Hello World

# Example: Hello World
# The simplest OrchStep workflow -- one task, one step.
# This is the starting point for learning OrchStep.
#
# Try: orchstep run


name: hello-world
desc: "Your first OrchStep workflow"


tasks:
main:
desc: "Say hello"
steps:
  - name: greet
    desc: "Output a greeting using the shell function"
    func: shell
    do: echo 'Hello from OrchStep!'

shell commands

Section titled “shell commands”

Shell Commands

# Example: Shell Commands
# Shows the two ways to run shell commands in OrchStep:
#   1. Using "do:" -- the concise shorthand for shell execution
#   2. Using "args: cmd:" -- the explicit form
#
# Both approaches use func: shell under the hood.
# The "do:" shorthand is recommended for readability.
#
# Try: orchstep run


name: shell-commands
desc: "Different ways to execute shell commands"


tasks:
main:
desc: "Demonstrate shell command patterns"
steps:
  # Pattern 1: "do:" shorthand (recommended)
  - name: using_do_shorthand
    desc: "Run a shell command using 'do:' syntax"
    func: shell
    do: "echo 'This uses the do: shorthand'"


  # Pattern 2: "args: cmd:" explicit form
  - name: using_args_cmd
    desc: "Run a shell command using explicit 'args: cmd:' syntax"
    func: shell
    args:
      cmd: "echo 'This uses the args:cmd: form'"


  # Pattern 3: Multi-line shell script with "do:"
  - name: multi_line_script
    desc: "Run a multi-line shell script"
    func: shell
    do: |
      echo "Step 1: Checking environment..."
      echo "Step 2: Running build..."
      echo "Step 3: Build complete!"


  # Pattern 4: Capture output for later steps
  - name: capture_output
    desc: "Run a command and capture its output"
    func: shell
    do: echo "build-artifact-v1.0.0"
    outputs:
      artifact_name: "{{ result.output }}"


  - name: use_captured_output
    desc: "Reference the captured output from a previous step"
    func: shell
    do: echo "Deploying artifact -- {{ steps.capture_output.artifact_name }}"

shell with timeout

Section titled “shell with timeout”

Shell with Timeout

# Example: Shell with Timeout
# Shows how to pass additional parameters to shell commands.
# The "args:" block lets you set options like timeout alongside "do:".
#
# Try: orchstep run


name: shell-with-timeout
desc: "Shell commands with additional parameters"


tasks:
main:
desc: "Run commands with timeout and other options"
steps:
  - name: quick_command
    desc: "A fast command with a generous timeout"
    func: shell
    do: echo 'This completes well within 30 seconds'
    args:
      timeout: 30


  - name: health_check
    desc: "Simulate a health check with a short timeout"
    func: shell
    do: |
      echo "Checking service health..."
      echo "Status: healthy"
    args:
      timeout: 10