Skip to main content
The Node class is the foundation of all workflow nodes in CrystalFlow.

​
Class: Node

abstract class Node {
  // Properties
  id: string;
  type: string;
  metadata: NodeMetadata;
  state: NodeState;
  
  // Methods
  abstract execute(): void | Promise<void>;
  validate(): ValidationResult;
  run(context?: ExecutionContext): Promise<void>;
  reset(): void;
  toJSON(): NodeJSON;
  static fromJSON(json: NodeJSON): Node;
  checkCancellation(): void;
}

​
Properties

​
id
string
Unique identifier for the node instance. Auto-generated on creation.
​
type
string
Node type identifier (e.g., 'math.add'). Set via @defineNode decorator.
​
metadata
NodeMetadata
Node metadata including label, category, description, and port definitions.
​
state
NodeState
Current execution state: 'idle', 'executing', 'success', or 'error'.

​
Methods

​
execute()

Execute the node’s business logic. Must be implemented by all nodes. 
abstract execute(): void | Promise<void>;
Example: 
@defineNode({ type: 'math.add', label: 'Add' })
class AddNode extends Node {
  @Input({ type: 'number', label: 'A' })
  a: number = 0;

  @Input({ type: 'number', label: 'B' })
  b: number = 0;

  @Output({ type: 'number', label: 'Result' })
  result: number;

  execute() {
    this.result = this.a + this.b;
  }
}
Async execution: 
async execute() {
  const response = await fetch(this.url);
  this.data = await response.json();
}

​
validate()

Validate node configuration and inputs. 
validate(): ValidationResult;
Returns: ValidationResult with isValid boolean and optional errors array. Example: 
validate() {
  const result = super.validate();
  
  if (this.url && !this.url.startsWith('http')) {
    result.isValid = false;
    result.errors = result.errors || [];
    result.errors.push('URL must start with http:// or https://');
  }
  
  return result;
}

​
run()

Execute the node with validation and state management. Called by the execution engine. 
run(context?: ExecutionContext): Promise<void>;
​
context
ExecutionContext
Optional execution context providing variables and timing info.
Flow:
  1. Set state to 'executing'
  2. Call validate()
  3. Call execute()
  4. Set state to 'success' or 'error'
Example: 
// Usually called by executor
await node.run(executionContext);

// Direct execution (for testing)
await node.run();

​
reset()

Reset node state to idle and clear outputs. 
reset(): void;
Example: 
node.reset();
console.log(node.state); // 'idle'

​
toJSON()

Serialize node to JSON format. 
toJSON(): NodeJSON;
Returns: JSON representation with id, type, position, and data (inputs, outputs, properties). Example: 
const json = node.toJSON();
console.log(json);
// {
//   id: '123',
//   type: 'math.add',
//   position: { x: 100, y: 100 },
//   data: {
//     inputs: { a: 5, b: 3 },
//     outputs: { result: 8 },
//     properties: {}
//   }
// }

​
fromJSON()

Deserialize node from JSON format. 
static fromJSON(json: NodeJSON): Node;
​
json
NodeJSON
JSON representation of the node.
Returns: New node instance with restored state. Example: 
const json = { id: '123', type: 'math.add', data: { inputs: { a: 5, b: 3 } } };
const node = Node.fromJSON(json);

​
checkCancellation()

Check if execution has been cancelled. Throws CancellationError if cancelled. 
checkCancellation(): void;
Example: 
async execute() {
  for (let i = 0; i < 1000; i++) {
    this.checkCancellation(); // Throws if cancelled
    await processItem(i);
  }
}

​
Types

​
NodeMetadata

interface NodeMetadata {
  type: string;
  label: string;
  category: string;
  description?: string;
  inputs: InputMetadata[];
  outputs: OutputMetadata[];
  properties: PropertyMetadata[];
}

​
NodeState

type NodeState = 'idle' | 'executing' | 'success' | 'error';

​
ValidationResult

interface ValidationResult {
  isValid: boolean;
  errors?: string[];
}

​
NodeJSON

interface NodeJSON {
  id: string;
  type: string;
  position: { x: number; y: number };
  data: {
    inputs: Record<string, any>;
    outputs: Record<string, any>;
    properties: Record<string, any>;
  };
}

​
Interface: IConditionalNode

Nodes implement this interface to enable conditional branching in workflows. 
interface IConditionalNode {
  /**
   * Evaluate the condition and return the name of the active branch.
   * Must return a valid output port name.
   * Called after execute() to determine which branch executes.
   */
  evaluateCondition(): string;
}

​
evaluateCondition()

Determines which branch should execute based on the node’s state. 
evaluateCondition(): string;
Returns: The name of the output port representing the active branch. Requirements:
  • Must return a string matching an existing output port name
  • Called after execute() completes
  • Must be deterministic based on node state
  • Should not modify node state or perform side effects
Example Implementation: 
import { Node, defineNode, Input, Output, IConditionalNode } from '@crystalflow/core';

@defineNode({
  type: 'flow.if',
  label: 'If',
  category: 'Flow Control',
})
export class IfNode extends Node implements IConditionalNode {
  @Input({ type: 'boolean', label: 'Condition', required: true })
  condition!: boolean;

  @Output({ type: 'any', label: 'Then' })
  thenOutput?: unknown;

  @Output({ type: 'any', label: 'Else' })
  elseOutput?: unknown;

  execute(): void {
    if (this.condition) {
      this.thenOutput = this.value;
    } else {
      this.elseOutput = this.value;
    }
  }

  evaluateCondition(): string {
    // Return output port name based on condition
    return this.condition ? 'thenOutput' : 'elseOutput';
  }
}
Custom Conditional Node: 
@defineNode({
  type: 'logic.greater-than',
  label: 'Greater Than',
  category: 'Logic',
})
export class GreaterThanNode extends Node implements IConditionalNode {
  @Input({ type: 'number', label: 'A', required: true })
  a!: number;

  @Input({ type: 'number', label: 'B', required: true })
  b!: number;

  @Output({ type: 'any', label: 'Greater' })
  greater?: unknown;

  @Output({ type: 'any', label: 'Less or Equal' })
  lessOrEqual?: unknown;

  execute(): void {
    if (this.a > this.b) {
      this.greater = { a: this.a, b: this.b, result: true };
    } else {
      this.lessOrEqual = { a: this.a, b: this.b, result: false };
    }
  }

  evaluateCondition(): string {
    return this.a > this.b ? 'greater' : 'lessOrEqual';
  }
}
The execution engine uses evaluateCondition() to build and execute conditional branches. Only nodes connected to the returned output port will execute.
See also:

​
Examples

​
Basic Node

@defineNode({
  type: 'text.uppercase',
  label: 'Uppercase',
  category: 'Text'
})
class UppercaseNode extends Node {
  @Input({ type: 'string', label: 'Text' })
  text: string = '';

  @Output({ type: 'string', label: 'Result' })
  result: string;

  execute() {
    this.result = this.text.toUpperCase();
  }
}

​
Async Node with Validation

@defineNode({
  type: 'http.get',
  label: 'HTTP GET',
  category: 'HTTP'
})
class HttpGetNode extends Node {
  @Property({ type: 'string', label: 'URL', required: true })
  url: string = '';

  @Output({ type: 'any', label: 'Data' })
  data: any;

  validate() {
    const result = super.validate();
    
    if (!this.url) {
      result.isValid = false;
      result.errors = ['URL is required'];
    }
    
    return result;
  }

  async execute() {
    const response = await fetch(this.url);
    this.data = await response.json();
  }
}

​
Long-Running Node with Cancellation

@defineNode({
  type: 'data.batch-process',
  label: 'Batch Process',
  category: 'Data'
})
class BatchProcessNode extends Node {
  @Input({ type: 'any[]', label: 'Items' })
  items: any[] = [];

  @Output({ type: 'any[]', label: 'Results' })
  results: any[];

  async execute() {
    const processed = [];
    
    for (let i = 0; i < this.items.length; i++) {
      // Check if cancelled between items
      this.checkCancellation();
      
      const result = await this.processItem(this.items[i]);
      processed.push(result);
    }
    
    this.results = processed;
  }

  private async processItem(item: any) {
    // Simulate long operation
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
    return item * 2;
  }
}

Creating Custom Nodes

Learn to build custom nodes

Decorators

Decorator API reference

Workflow

Workflow class reference

Executor

Executor class reference