# Slickflow

**Repository Path**: mirrors_besley/Slickflow

## Basic Information

- **Project Name**: Slickflow
- **Description**: .NET Open Source Workflow Engine,  .NET 开源工作流
- **Primary Language**: Unknown
- **License**: MIT
- **Default Branch**: master
- **Homepage**: None
- **GVP Project**: No

## Statistics

- **Stars**: 0
- **Forks**: 1
- **Created**: 2022-01-07
- **Last Updated**: 2026-03-23

## Categories & Tags

**Categories**: Uncategorized

**Tags**: None

## README

# Slickflow

**Current Version: NET8**

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---

## 1. 🤖 AI-Powered Workflow Automation

**SlickFlow: Intelligent Workflow Automation with Large Language Models**

Slickflow integrates cutting-edge Large Language Model (LLM) nodes directly into BPMN workflows, enabling advanced conversational reasoning, RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), image understanding and other AI capabilities as **first-class workflow steps**.  
This transforms traditional workflow systems into dynamic, AI-driven orchestration platforms.

### 1.1 Native LLM Node Integration

- Add LLM / RAG / Agent nodes into your process diagrams as easily as traditional service tasks.  
- Orchestrate multi-step AI pipelines: prompt construction, tool calls, knowledge base retrieval, post-processing, persistence, notification, etc.

### 1.2 Multi-Provider LLM Support

Flexible integration with leading AI services:

- **OpenAI API** (GPT-4, GPT-3.5, and beyond)  
- **QianWen** (Alibaba’s large language model)  
- Extensible architecture for additional providers (DeepSeek, custom gateways, etc.)

### 1.3 Image Understanding & RAG

- **Image classification & analysis** directly through LLM nodes  
- **Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)**: combine vector search / knowledge bases with LLM reasoning to provide grounded, up-to-date answers

### 1.4 AI Feature Reference

- Detailed article: [Slickflow.AI – Large Language Model Integration](https://medium.com/@slickflow/ai-large-language-model-integration-in-slickflow-net-7a75a069aa3a)

### 1.5 AI Demo (Key GIF)

**AI Image Classification Process Demo**  
![AI Image Classification Demo](https://github.com/besley/besley.github.io/blob/master/Gif/slickflow-ai-image-classification.gif)

---

## 2. 🚀 Code-Defined Auto-Execution Engine

Besides designer-based processes, Slickflow provides a **code-first auto-execution model** based on `Slickflow.Graph` and `WorkflowExecutor`.  
You can define workflows in C#, run them fully in memory, and let the engine **automatically execute all steps without human interaction**.

### 2.1 Code-First Workflow Definition

Use `Slickflow.Graph.Model.Workflow` to build BPMN-style flows programmatically:

```csharp
using Slickflow.Graph.Model;

var wf = new Workflow("Order Process", "OrderProcess_Code");

wf.Start("Start")
  .ServiceTask("Validate Order", "Validate001", "ValidateOrder")   // LocalMethod
  .ServiceTask("Calculate Amount", "Calc001", "CalcAmount")       // LocalMethod
  .RagService("RAG Reply", "RAG001")                              // RAG AI node
  .LlmService("LLM Enrich", "LLM001")                             // General LLM node
  .ServiceTask<SaveOrderService>("Save Order", "Save001")         // Local service class
  .End("End");
```

Key points:

- `Workflow` supports rich node types: `Start`, `Task`, `ServiceTask`, `RagService`, `LlmService`, `Agent`, `Parallels`, `Branch`, `End`, etc.  
- `BuildInMemory()` produces an in-memory `ProcessEntity` without touching the database.  
- `WorkflowExecutorExtensions.UseProcess(Workflow)` binds this in-memory model to the runtime engine and caches it by `ProcessId:Version`.

### 2.2 Auto-Execution with WorkflowExecutor

Auto-execution loop (conceptual):

1. Start the process and create an instance.  
2. While there are executable activities:
   - Collect next activities.
   - Execute each activity (local method, service class, AI/RAG/LLM, external API, etc.).
   - Move the process forward to the next activity.
3. Return execution result (status, message, variables, AI response, etc.).

Typical code pattern:

```csharp
using Slickflow.Engine.Executor;
using Slickflow.Engine.Core.Result;

var result = await new WorkflowExecutor()
    .UseApp("OrderApp-001", "OrderApp")
    .UseProcess(wf)                      // Use code-defined workflow
    .AddVariable("OrderId", "ORD-2025-001")
    .AddVariable("Quantity", "3")
    .AddVariable("UnitPrice", "99.50")
    .Run();
```

This mode is ideal for:

- ETL and data pipelines  
- Backend batch / microservice orchestration  
- AI agents and chat workflows  
- Unit tests and demos (no DB dependency)

### 2.3 Engine Capabilities (.NET8 Core)

- **.NET, cross-platform**: works on Windows, Linux, macOS.  
- **BPMN2-style diagrams** with an HTML5 designer for visual modeling.  
- **High performance** with Dapper.NET micro-ORM.  
- **Multi-database support**: SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL and others (via Dapper / EF Core).

---

## 3. ✅ Human Approval Workflows (BPM)

On top of AI and auto-execution, Slickflow remains a **full-featured human-centric workflow engine** for traditional BPM scenarios: approvals, reviews, multi-level routing, etc.

### 3.1 Workflow Patterns (Key GIFs/Images)

Supported patterns (BPMN-style):

![Workflow Pattern](http://www.slickflow.com/content/img/sfterm-en.png)

- **Sequence** – the most common pattern  
- **Split / Merge** – AND / OR gateways with conditions on transitions  
- **Sub-process** – start a child process from the main flow  
- **Multi-instance** – multiple performers handle the same task (sequence or parallel), with count/percentage thresholds

![Multiple Instance Pattern](http://www.slickflow.com/content/img/wfpattern-mi-en.png)

### 3.2 Core Human-Task Operations (Brief)

Slickflow manages human tasks with features such as:

- **Start / Run** – launch and move a process instance to the next step  
- **Withdraw** – pull back a task you just sent to the next user  
- **SendBack** – send a task back to the previous step  
- **Resend / Reverse / Jump** – advanced control for exception handling and special routing

Code style (simplified):

```csharp
// Start a process instance
IWorkflowService wfService = new WorkflowService();
var startResult = wfService.CreateRunner("10", "Jack")
    .UseApp("DS-100", "Book-Order", "DS-100-LX")
    .UseProcess("PriceProcessCode")
    .Start();

// Run to next step
var runResult = wfService.CreateRunner("10", "Jack")
    .UseApp("DS-100", "Book-Order", "DS-100-LX")
    .UseProcess("PriceProcessCode")
    .NextStepInt("20", "Alice")
    .Run();
```

### 3.3 Code-Style Modeling for Human Approval

You can also define simple approval processes purely in code (sequence example) using `Workflow`:

```csharp
using Slickflow.Graph.Model;

// create a simple sequence process diagram by hand code rather than an HTML designer
var wf = new Workflow("simple-process-name", "simple-process-code");

wf.Start("Start")
  .Task("Task1")
  .Task("Task2")
  .End("End");
```

![simple sequence diagram](http://www.slickflow.com/content/img/simple-sequence.png)

This gives developers both **designer-based** and **code-based** options for modeling human approval workflows.

---

## 4. 📦 Demos, Target Users and License

### 4.1 Demo Projects

- `WebDemo`, `MvcDemo`, `WinformDemo` – example integration with different enterprise application types.

### 4.2 Target Users

- Software teams or companies who want to embed a workflow engine into their products.  
- Developers who prefer combining **AI orchestration**, **auto-execution**, and **human approval** in one engine.

### 4.3 License & Support

- **License**: Slickflow follows the MIT open source license and can be used in commercial projects.  
- **Technical Support**: Enterprise, Ultimate and Universe editions can be provided with technical support and upgrade services.

If you have any further inquiry, please feel free to contact:

- **Email (Support):** support@ruochisoft.com

---

## 5. 📚 Resources & Docker Deployment

### 5.1 Documentation

- **English:** http://doc.slickflow.net  
- **中文:** http://doc.slickflow.com

### 5.2 Wiki

- https://github.com/besley/Slickflow/wiki

### 5.3 CodeProject Articles

- [Tutorial](https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/5246528/Slickflow-NET-Core-Open-Source-Workflow-Engine)  
- [User Manual](https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/5252483/Slickflow-Coding-Graphic-Model-User-Manual)

### 5.4 Official Website

- **English:** http://www.slickflow.net  
- **中文:** http://www.slickflow.com

### 5.5 Online Demo

- **Demo:** http://www.slickflow.com/demo/index  
- **Designer Demo:** http://demo.slickflow.com/sfd/

### 5.6 Docker Hub

Pre-built Docker images are available on Docker Hub. Get started in minutes without building from source.

#### All-in-One Image (Recommended)

The easiest way to get started – pull one image and run all three services:

```bash
docker pull besley2096/slickflow-all:latest
docker run -d \
  -p 5000:5000 \
  -p 5001:5001 \
  -p 8090:8090 \
  -e WfDBConnectionType=PGSQL \
  -e WfDBConnectionString="Server=host.docker.internal;Port=5432;Database=wfdbbpmn2;User Id=postgres;Password=your-password;TimeZone=UTC;" \
  --name slickflow-all \
  besley2096/slickflow-all:latest
```

Access:

- **Frontend Designer**: http://localhost:8090  
- **Backend API**: http://localhost:5000  
- **WebTest**: http://localhost:5001  

Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/besley2096/slickflow-all

#### Separate Images

For better isolation and scaling, use separate images:

**Backend API**

```bash
docker pull besley2096/slickflow-api:latest
docker run -d -p 5000:5000 \
  -e WfDBConnectionType=PGSQL \
  -e WfDBConnectionString="Server=host.docker.internal;Port=5432;Database=wfdbbpmn2;User Id=postgres;Password=your-password;TimeZone=UTC;" \
  --name slickflow-api \
  besley2096/slickflow-api:latest
```

**Frontend Designer**

```bash
docker pull besley2096/slickflow-designer:latest
docker run -d -p 8090:8090 \
  --name slickflow-designer \
  besley2096/slickflow-designer:latest
```

**WebTest**

```bash
docker pull besley2096/slickflow-webtest:latest
docker run -d -p 5001:5001 \
  -e WfDBConnectionType=PGSQL \
  -e WfDBConnectionString="Server=host.docker.internal;Port=5432;Database=wfdbbpmn2;User Id=postgres;Password=your-password;TimeZone=UTC;" \
  --name slickflow-webtest \
  besley2096/slickflow-webtest:latest
```

#### Docker Compose

Use `docker-compose.hub.yml` from this repository:

```bash
docker-compose -f docker-compose.hub.yml pull
docker-compose -f docker-compose.hub.yml up -d
```

#### Image Tags

Available tags for each image:

- `latest` – Latest stable version  
- `v3.5.0` – Version 3.5.0

#### Docker Hub Links

- https://hub.docker.com/r/besley2096/slickflow-all  
- https://hub.docker.com/r/besley2096/slickflow-api  
- https://hub.docker.com/r/besley2096/slickflow-designer  
- https://hub.docker.com/r/besley2096/slickflow-webtest

#### Database Configuration

API and WebTest containers require database configuration. Supported databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle.

**Database on Host Machine**

```bash
-e WfDBConnectionString="Server=host.docker.internal;Port=5432;Database=wfdbbpmn2;User Id=postgres;Password=your-password;TimeZone=UTC;"
```

**Database in Docker Container**

```bash
-e WfDBConnectionString="Server=postgres;Port=5432;Database=wfdbbpmn2;User Id=postgres;Password=your-password;TimeZone=UTC;"
```

**Remote Database**

```bash
-e WfDBConnectionString="Server=192.168.1.100;Port=5432;Database=wfdbbpmn2;User Id=postgres;Password=your-password;TimeZone=UTC;"
```

---

## 6. 📞 Contact & 💰 Donation

### 6.1 Contact

- **Email:** sales@ruochisoft.com  
- **QQ (Author):** 47743901  
- **WeChat (Author):** besley2008

### 6.2 Donation

Your donation will be used for the continuous research and development of the product and community building.  
您的捐赠将用于产品的持续研发和社区建设。

[![Donate with PayPal](https://github.com/besley/besley.github.io/blob/master/Images/paypal/donation.png)](https://paypal.me/slickflownet)