# workflow language

> language for modeling workflows

**Wikidata**: [Q105695317](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105695317)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/workflow-language

## Summary
A workflow language is a type of programming language used to model workflows — formal descriptions of sequences, conditions, and coordination of tasks. It is classified as a software category and a subclass of programming languages specifically focused on expressing and automating workflows.

## Key Facts
- Workflow language is a subclass of programming language and an instance of the software category.  
- Primary use: modeling and expressing workflows.  
- Wikidata describes it simply as a "language for modeling workflows."  
- Topic's main category: Category:Workflow languages.  
- Related workflow languages and projects include YAWL (a workflow modelling language), Cuneiform (a purely functional workflow programming language; inception 2013), and Common Workflow Language (an open standards project; inception 2014-07-10).  
- Other related examples: Guix Workflow Language (workflow management extension for Guix; inception 2017) and Business Process Execution Language (BPEL; for specifying actions within business processes with web services; inception 2003-04).  
- Related visual programming example: Caméléon (visual programming language; inception 2009).  
- The category groups languages used across domains such as business process automation, workflow management, and scientific workflow tooling.

## FAQs
### Q: What is a workflow language?
A: A workflow language is a programming-language subclass designed to model workflows — the sequence, conditions, and coordination of tasks. It is used to formally specify and automate workflows.

### Q: How does a workflow language differ from a general programming language?
A: Workflow languages are specialized subclasses of programming languages with constructs focused on workflow modeling, orchestration, and task coordination rather than general-purpose computation.

### Q: What are common examples of workflow languages?
A: Examples include YAWL (workflow modelling language), Cuneiform (purely functional workflow programming language; inception 2013), Common Workflow Language (open standards project; inception 2014-07-10), Guix Workflow Language (inception 2017), and BPEL (Business Process Execution Language; inception 2003-04).

### Q: Are there workflow language standards or open projects?
A: Yes. The Common Workflow Language is an example of an open standards project for workflow descriptions (inception recorded as 2014-07-10).

## Why It Matters
Workflow languages provide a formal, machine-readable way to describe processes that involve multiple steps, conditional logic, and coordination across components or services. By expressing workflows in a dedicated language, teams can automate repeatable processes, ensure consistent execution, and integrate tools across domains such as business process automation and scientific data processing. Different workflow languages target different needs: some emphasize visual modeling, others prioritize functional programming paradigms, and some aim to be open standards for portability. This specialization helps organizations and projects choose tools that match their operational and integration requirements, enabling clearer process design, reproducible execution, and easier maintenance of complex workflows.

## Notable For
- Being a defined subclass of programming languages focused specifically on modeling workflows.  
- Encompassing a range of approaches, including visual languages (Caméléon) and purely functional languages (Cuneiform).  
- Hosting open-standards initiatives, exemplified by the Common Workflow Language (inception 2014-07-10).  
- Addressing multiple domains, from business process web-service orchestration (BPEL; inception 2003-04) to workflow management extensions (Guix Workflow Language; inception 2017).

## Body
### Definition
- A workflow language is a programming-language subclass used to model workflows.  
- It provides constructs to describe sequences, conditional branches, parallelism, and task coordination.

### Classification and Properties
- Instance of: software category.  
- Subclass of: programming language.  
- Use: workflow.  
- Wikidata description: "language for modeling workflows."  
- Topic's main category: Category:Workflow languages.

### Representative Languages and Projects
- Business Process Execution Language (BPEL): language for specifying actions within business processes with web services; inception 2003-04.  
- Caméléon: visual programming language; inception 2009.  
- Cuneiform: purely functional workflow programming language; inception 2013.  
- Common Workflow Language (CWL): open standards project for workflow descriptions; inception 2014-07-10.  
- Guix Workflow Language: workflow management extension for Guix; inception 2017.  
- YAWL: workflow modelling language (no inception date provided here).

### Use Cases and Domains
- Business process automation and web-service orchestration (e.g., BPEL).  
- Scientific and data-processing workflows where reproducibility and standards matter (e.g., CWL).  
- Workflow management extensions integrated with package/tooling systems (e.g., Guix Workflow Language).  
- Visual workflow design and end-user composition (e.g., Caméléon).

### Variations and Traits
- Visual vs. textual languages (Caméléon as a visual example).  
- Functional paradigms applied to workflow modeling (Cuneiform as a purely functional example).  
- Standards-focused vs. platform-specific implementations (CWL as an open-standards project).

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "workflow language",
  "description": "A subclass of programming language used for modeling workflows.",
  "additionalType": "programming language"
}