📚 N8N Killer Workflow Designer - Complete Documentation Index

🎯 Start Here

For the Impatient (5 minutes)

👉 Read: QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md

Contains:

Critical rules (15 of them)
Phase breakdown
Common patterns
Success metrics

For the Thoughtful (25 minutes)

👉 Read: N8N_KILLER_WORKFLOW_INITIATIVE.md

Contains:

Full strategy & vision
Architecture overview
5-phase breakdown (detailed)
Success criteria
Design system

📖 Complete Documentation

1. Strategic Overview

N8N_KILLER_WORKFLOW_INITIATIVE.md (Primary)
- Big picture strategy
- Phase breakdown
- Success criteria
- Design system
- Key files to modify
N8N_KILLER_DELIVERY_SUMMARY.md (Overview)
- What was delivered
- Implementation scope
- How to use documentation
- Success criteria tracking
- Next steps

2. Quick Reference (Always Open)

QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md (Bookmark This!)
- 5-minute onboarding
- 15 critical rules
- Common patterns
- Common mistakes
- Success metrics

3. Implementation Guide

IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md (During Coding)
- Phase-by-phase breakdown
- TypeScript/React code examples
- Java/Spring code examples
- Test templates
- Key patterns with code

4. Task Tracking

DEVELOPMENT_CHECKLIST.md (Track Progress)
- 100+ specific tasks
- Subtasks for each feature
- 20+ module schemas
- Form field types
- Test requirements
- Deployment checklist
- Status tracking

5. Development Rules

valor_inference_prompt.txt (Lookup Rules)
- Section: "N8N KILLER WORKFLOW DESIGNER INITIATIVE"
- 15 critical golden rules
- UI/UX requirements
- Backend requirements
- Workflow requirements

🔍 How to Find What You Need

"I'm making a mistake"

→ Look it up in QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md under "Common Mistakes"

"I need to look up a rule"

→ Check valor_inference_prompt.txt section "N8N KILLER"

📋 Document Summary Table

Document	Purpose	Length	Use When
N8N_KILLER_WORKFLOW_INITIATIVE.md	Strategy & architecture	Long (6 pages)	Understanding overall vision
QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md	Quick lookup guide	Medium (4 pages)	Coding, need quick answers
IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md	Code examples & patterns	Long (8 pages)	Implementing features
DEVELOPMENT_CHECKLIST.md	Task list & tracking	Long (10+ pages)	Managing work, tracking progress
N8N_KILLER_DELIVERY_SUMMARY.md	What was delivered	Medium (3 pages)	Onboarding new team members
valor_inference_prompt.txt	Development rules	Reference (lookup)	Looking up specific rules

🚀 Implementation Timeline

Phase 1: UX/Usability (Days 1-2)

ExecModule catalog with 20+ schemas
Unified configuration editor
Module chaining visualization
Task UX improvements
API lookup component
Docs: IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md section 1

Phase 2: Server-Side (Days 2-3)

Workflow execution service tightening
ExecModule service CRUD fixes
Task service improvements
Workflow service improvements
Docs: IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md section 2

Phase 3: API Integration (Days 3-4)

REST API lookup service
QBE auto-complete
API browser component
Docs: IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md section 3

Phase 4: Workflow Lifecycle (Days 4-5)

Create workflow flow
Edit workflow with dirty-state tracking
Auto-save implementation
Workflow validation
Docs: IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md section 4

Phase 5: Testing & QA (Days 5-6)

Unit tests (80%+ coverage)
Integration tests
E2E manual testing
Docs: IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md section 5

🔴 Critical Rules at a Glance

Rule #1: NEVER Set IDs on New Objects

// ❌ WRONG
m.setId(UUID.randomUUID());

// ✅ CORRECT
// Leave ID null; let JPA generate it

See: valor_inference_prompt.txt rule #1 or QUICK_REFERENCE rule #1

Rule #2: Use ThorAPI Generated Services

// ❌ WRONG
@Query("SELECT * FROM exec_module WHERE ...")

// ✅ CORRECT
ExecModuleRepository repo;
List<ExecModule> modules = repo.findByTaskId(taskId);

See: valor_inference_prompt.txt rule #2

Rule #3: Eager Load Before Async

// ❌ WRONG
return CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> {
    workflow.getTasks().forEach(...);  // LazyInit!
});

// ✅ CORRECT
Hibernate.initialize(w.getTasks());
// THEN pass to async

See: valor_inference_prompt.txt rule #3

(15 total rules documented)

See: valor_inference_prompt.txt or QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md

✅ Success Criteria Checklist

From DEVELOPMENT_CHECKLIST.md:

Criterion	Status	Track In
All 20+ module types have forms	❌	Checklist Phase 1.1
Modules snap together visually	❌	Checklist Phase 1.3
Data flows correctly	❌	Checklist Phase 2.1
Workflows save/load reliably	❌	Checklist Phase 4
No LazyInit errors	❌	Checklist Phase 2
No JPA ID errors	❌	Checklist Phase 2
Create workflow in < 5 min	❌	Checklist Phase 4
API lookups auto-complete	❌	Checklist Phase 3
Server execution bulletproof	❌	Checklist Phase 2
80%+ test coverage	❌	Checklist Phase 5
100+ nodes render in < 1s	❌	Checklist Phase 5
Production-ready	❌	All phases

📁 Files to Create/Modify

Frontend (TypeScript/React)

NEW:

web/typescript/valkyr_labs_com/src/components/WorkflowStudio/execModuleCatalog.ts
web/typescript/valkyr_labs_com/src/components/WorkflowStudio/ExecModuleConfigBuilder.tsx
web/typescript/valkyr_labs_com/src/components/WorkflowStudio/ModuleChainViewer.tsx
web/typescript/valkyr_labs_com/src/components/WorkflowStudio/ApiLookupComponent.tsx
web/typescript/valkyr_labs_com/src/components/WorkflowStudio/ApiBrowserComponent.tsx

MODIFY:

web/typescript/valkyr_labs_com/src/components/WorkflowStudio/index.tsx
web/typescript/valkyr_labs_com/src/components/WorkflowStudio/ExecModuleEditModal.tsx
web/typescript/valkyr_labs_com/src/components/WorkflowStudio/InspectorPanel.tsx
web/typescript/valkyr_labs_com/src/components/WorkflowStudio/WorkflowCanvas.tsx
Redux workflow slice/service

Backend (Java)

MODIFY:

valkyrai/src/main/java/com/valkyrlabs/workflow/service/ValkyrWorkflowService.java
valkyrai/src/main/java/com/valkyrlabs/workflow/service/ValkyrExecModuleService.java
valkyrai/src/main/java/com/valkyrlabs/workflow/service/ValkyrTaskService.java
valkyrai/src/main/java/com/valkyrlabs/workflow/controller/WorkflowController.java

NEW:

valkyrai/src/main/java/com/valkyrlabs/workflow/validation/WorkflowValidator.java
valkyrai/src/main/java/com/valkyrlabs/workflow/config/ExecModuleSchemaProvider.java
valkyrai/src/main/java/com/valkyrlabs/workflow/service/RestApiLookupService.java

See: IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md file locations section

🧪 Testing Requirements

From DEVELOPMENT_CHECKLIST.md Phase 5:

Frontend Tests: 8+ test files
Backend Tests: 4+ test files
Coverage Target: 80%+
Integration Tests: Workflow creation to execution
E2E Tests: Manual testing checklist

📞 Quick Reference Index

By Question Type

"What are the rules?" → valor_inference_prompt.txt section "N8N KILLER" → QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md section "Critical Rules"

"What do I code next?" → DEVELOPMENT_CHECKLIST.md → Check current phase, find unchecked task

"How do I implement this?" → IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md → Search phase number and feature name

"What's the architecture?" → N8N_KILLER_WORKFLOW_INITIATIVE.md section "Architecture" → QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md section "Key Data Model"

"What was delivered?" → N8N_KILLER_DELIVERY_SUMMARY.md

"Am I doing this right?" → QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md section "Common Mistakes" → IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md section "Key Patterns"

🎓 Learning Path

For New Team Members (1 hour):

Read QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md (5 min)
Read N8N_KILLER_WORKFLOW_INITIATIVE.md (15 min)
Scan DEVELOPMENT_CHECKLIST.md (10 min)
Bookmark IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md (for reference)
Bookmark valor_inference_prompt.txt N8N section (for rules)
Review QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md section "Common Patterns" (15 min)

For Experienced Developers (15 minutes):

Skim N8N_KILLER_WORKFLOW_INITIATIVE.md (5 min)
Read rules in valor_inference_prompt.txt (5 min)
Bookmark references for quick lookup (5 min)

For Designers/PM (15 minutes):

Read N8N_KILLER_WORKFLOW_INITIATIVE.md sections:
- Architecture Overview
- Phase 1 UX requirements
- Design System
Review success criteria in DEVELOPMENT_CHECKLIST.md

🎯 Next 3 Steps

NOW (Today):
- Read QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md
- Read N8N_KILLER_WORKFLOW_INITIATIVE.md
- Bookmark all 5 documents
TOMORROW (Day 1):
- Open DEVELOPMENT_CHECKLIST.md
- Start Phase 1.1: ExecModule catalog
- Reference IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP_DETAILED.md for code
THIS WEEK (Days 1-2):
- Complete Phase 1: UX improvements
- Tests passing for Phase 1 features
- Move to Phase 2

📊 Document Statistics

Total Documentation: 6 files + 1 updated README
Total Pages: ~40 pages
Total Checklist Items: 100+
Total Code Examples: 20+
Total Test Templates: 5+
Total Rules: 15
Implementation Timeline: 6 days
Success Criteria: 12 measurable metrics

🏆 Success Definition

All of the following must be true:

✅ All DEVELOPMENT_CHECKLIST.md items completed
✅ All QUICK_REFERENCE_N8N_KILLER.md success metrics achieved
✅ 80%+ test coverage
✅ Zero critical bugs
✅ Zero rule violations
✅ Production deployment-ready

📞 Getting Help

I don't understand something → Re-read the relevant section
I found a contradiction → File an issue with both references
The docs need updating → Update the markdown, commit the change
I have a question → Search the docs first, then ask in standup

🚀 Ready to Build!

You have everything you need:

✅ Complete strategy
✅ Architecture specification
✅ Code examples
✅ Task list
✅ Development rules
✅ Testing requirements
✅ Success metrics

Let's build the N8N killer! 🎉

Last Updated: October 19, 2025
Status: Ready for Implementation
Next Milestone: Phase 1 Complete (48 hours)

🎯 Start Here​

For the Impatient (5 minutes)​

For the Thoughtful (25 minutes)​

📖 Complete Documentation​

1. Strategic Overview​

2. Quick Reference (Always Open)​

3. Implementation Guide​

4. Task Tracking​

5. Development Rules​

🔍 How to Find What You Need​

"I need to understand the project"​

"I'm coding and need to remember the rules"​

"I need code examples"​

"I need to know what to do next"​

"I'm making a mistake"​

"I need to look up a rule"​

📋 Document Summary Table​

🚀 Implementation Timeline​

Phase 1: UX/Usability (Days 1-2)​

Phase 2: Server-Side (Days 2-3)​

Phase 3: API Integration (Days 3-4)​

Phase 4: Workflow Lifecycle (Days 4-5)​

Phase 5: Testing & QA (Days 5-6)​

🔴 Critical Rules at a Glance​

Rule #1: NEVER Set IDs on New Objects​

Rule #2: Use ThorAPI Generated Services​

Rule #3: Eager Load Before Async​

(15 total rules documented)​

✅ Success Criteria Checklist​

📁 Files to Create/Modify​

Frontend (TypeScript/React)​

Backend (Java)​

🧪 Testing Requirements​

📞 Quick Reference Index​

By Question Type​

🎓 Learning Path​

For New Team Members (1 hour):​

For Experienced Developers (15 minutes):​

For Designers/PM (15 minutes):​

🎯 Next 3 Steps​

📊 Document Statistics​

🏆 Success Definition​

📞 Getting Help​

🚀 Ready to Build!​