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Docs Routines

Using Malini

Routines

A Malini routine runs jobs, extension commands, and workflows in order when a trigger fires - when you run it, when a workstream is created, when a frontend resource becomes ready, or on any Malini event.

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A routine is a list of steps that run in order when its trigger fires. A step is a job, an extension command, or an extension workflow, and a routine holds up to ten steps.

Triggers

A routine's trigger is a short phrase, its when.

When Fires
when I run it Only when you run the routine.
when a new workstream is created When a new workstream is created.
when a frontend resource becomes ready When a frontend resource of the workstream becomes ready.
when a frontend Docker container becomes ready When a frontend Docker resource becomes ready.
on <channel> When Malini emits that event.

Event triggers

Any Malini event can trigger a routine:

on <channel> [where <path> is <value> | <path> is set [and ...]]
  • <channel> is an event channel, <domain>:<event>, such as pull-requests:ship-changed. The events reference lists every channel and its payload.
  • where filters on the event's payload. <path> is a field name, with dots for nested fields.
  • <path> is <value> matches when the field equals the value.
  • <path> is set matches when the field is present and not null.
  • Join conditions with and; all of them must match.
on pull-requests:ship-changed where merged is set

This routine runs when a pull request Malini ships is merged.

A routine with an event trigger runs in the background, so every step must be a job. Each job gets the event channel and its payload as context, and runs in the workstream the event names. The same event fires a routine once. An unknown channel or a malformed condition is refused when you save the routine, with the channels Malini knows.

Trust is earned

A routine has one of three states.

  1. Draft: it never runs on its own.
  2. Candidate: every run its trigger starts waits for you to confirm it.
  3. Routine: it runs unattended.

You promote a routine from one state to the next, and demote it any time. A routine the agent creates in a chat, and a routine Malini suggests from your repeated prompts, starts as a draft.

Make one

  • On the Jobs page, write the steps and the when.
  • Accept a suggestion: Malini notices the prompts you keep repeating and offers a job and a routine.
  • Ask the agent in a Malini chat, which saves it with routines_save (see Agent tools).