/asc-workflow

name: asc-workflow
description: Define, validate, run, resume, and audit repo-local multi-step automations with current `asc workflow` and `.asc/workflow.json`, including step outputs and safe release/TestFlight workflows.

asc workflow

Use this skill when you need lane-style automation inside the CLI using:

• `asc workflow validate`
• `asc workflow list`
• `asc workflow run`

Workflows are repo-local automation files. They run trusted shell commands, stream step output to stderr, and keep stdout as machine-readable JSON.

Command discovery

Always verify flags with:

asc workflow --help
asc workflow validate --help
asc workflow list --help
asc workflow run --help

End-to-end flow

1. Author `.asc/workflow.json`. 2. Validate structure and references:

asc workflow validate

3. Discover public workflows:

asc workflow list
asc workflow list --all

4. Preview execution:

asc workflow run --dry-run beta BUILD_ID:123456789 GROUP_ID:abcdef

5. Execute:

asc workflow run beta BUILD_ID:123456789 GROUP_ID:abcdef

6. If a recoverable run fails, resume with the run ID from the JSON result:

asc workflow run release --resume "release-20260312T120000Z-deadbeef"

Do not pass extra `KEY:VALUE` params with `--resume`; the saved workflow file, params, and persisted outputs are reused.

File location and format

• Default path: `.asc/workflow.json`
• Override path: `asc workflow run --file ./path/to/workflow.json <name>`
• JSONC comments are supported.
• Top-level hooks: `before_all`, `after_all`, `error`
• Workflow keys: `description`, `private`, `env`, `steps`
• Step forms:
• string shorthand: `"echo hello"`
• `run` shell command
• `workflow` sub-workflow call
• `name` label
• `if` conditional var name
• `with` env overrides for workflow-call steps
• `outputs` map for JSON stdout extraction from named run steps
• `retry` fixed-delay retry policy for a `run` step
• `timeout` positive per-attempt duration for a `run` step

Outputs

Run steps can declare outputs. The command must emit JSON on stdout, so pass `--output json` for `asc` commands that produce outputs.

Output references use:

${steps.step_name.OUTPUT_NAME}

Rules:

• A step that declares `outputs` must have a reference-safe `name`.
• Outputs are allowed on `run` steps, not workflow-call steps.
• Output-producing names must be unique across workflows that can execute together in the same run graph.
• Persisted outputs are stored in workflow run state, so do not map secrets into outputs.

Bounded retry and timeout

Add retry only to commands you have determined are safe to repeat. The runner does not classify commands or retry mutations on its own.

{
  "name": "resolve_build",
  "run": "asc builds info --app $APP_ID --latest --platform IOS --output json",
  "retry": {
    "max_attempts": 3,
    "delay": "5s"
  },
  "timeout": "2m"
}

`retry.max_attempts` counts the first attempt and must be between 2 and 100. Retry delays and timeouts must be positive durations no longer than 24 hours. Both fields work only on `run` steps, not workflow calls or lifecycle hooks.

A timeout without retry is terminal because the command may have completed remotely. Pairing retry and timeout is the explicit signal that another attempt is safe. Resume requires either a successful checkpoint or a retry-enabled failed step; output-extraction failures cannot be resumed.

Runtime params

`asc workflow run <name> [KEY:VALUE ...]` supports both separators:

asc workflow run beta VERSION:2.1.0
asc workflow run beta VERSION=2.1.0

Repeated keys are last-write-wins. In shell commands, reference params through shell expansion like `$VERSION`.

Env precedence

Main workflow run:

definition.env < workflow.env < CLI params

Sub-workflow call with `with`:

sub-workflow env < caller env and params < step with

Conditionals

Add `"if": "VAR_NAME"` to a step. Truthy values are `1`, `true`, `yes`, `y`, and `on`, case-insensitive. Lookup checks merged workflow env/params first, then process environment.

Example workflow

{
  "env": {
    "APP_ID": "123456789",
    "VERSION": "1.0.0",
    "GROUP_ID": ""
  },
  "before_all": "asc auth status",
  "after_all": "echo workflow_done",
  "error": "echo workflow_failed",
  "workflows": {
    "beta": {
      "description": "Resolve the latest build and distribute it to TestFlight",
      "steps": [
        {
          "name": "resolve_build",
          "run": "asc builds info --app $APP_ID --latest --platform IOS --output json",
          "outputs": {
            "BUILD_ID": "$.data.id"
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "list_groups",
          "run": "asc testflight groups list --app $APP_ID --limit 20 --output json"
        },
        {
          "name": "add_build_to_group",
          "if": "GROUP_ID",
          "run": "asc builds add-groups --build-id ${steps.resolve_build.BUILD_ID} --group $GROUP_ID"
        }
      ]
    },
    "release": {
      "description": "Validate, stage, and submit an App Store version",
      "steps": [
        {
          "name": "validate",
          "run": "asc validate --app $APP_ID --version $VERSION --platform IOS --output json"
        },
        {
          "name": "stage",
          "run": "asc release stage --app $APP_ID --version $VERSION --build $BUILD_ID --metadata-dir ./metadata/version/$VERSION --confirm --output json"
        },
        {
          "name": "submit",
          "if": "SUBMIT_FOR_REVIEW",
          "run": "asc review submit --app $APP_ID --version $VERSION --build $BUILD_ID --confirm --output json"
        }
      ]
    },
    "publish-appstore": {
      "description": "High-level upload plus App Store review submission",
      "steps": [
        {
          "name": "publish",
          "run": "asc publish appstore --app $APP_ID --ipa ./build/MyApp.ipa --version $VERSION