event-machine

name

event-machine

description

Build, test, and debug event-driven state machines with EventMachine — a Laravel package for declarative workflows, parallel states, child machine delegation, event sourcing, and HTTP endpoint routing. Use when writing MachineDefinition config, ActionBehavior/GuardBehavior/CalculatorBehavior classes, TestMachine fluent assertions, Machine::test/startingAt/fake, parallel states, delegation with @done/@fail/@timeout, Scenarios (MachineScenario), timers (after/every), schedules, ContextManager, MachineInput/MachineOutput, endpoints, archival, or debugging state transition issues. Activates on tarfin-labs/event-machine imports, .tarfin-labs namespaces, "state machine", "MachineDefinition", "TestMachine", or when editing files that extend Machine/ActionBehavior/GuardBehavior.

EventMachine — Laravel State Machines

EventMachine is a PHP/Laravel package for event-driven state machines inspired by XState/SCXML. It models workflows as explicit states and transitions with automatic event sourcing, Laravel-native integration, parallel execution via queue dispatch, child machine delegation, declarative timers/schedules, and a fluent test API.

Always link to docs using https://eventmachine.dev/... — never the github-pages URL.

---

0. How to Use This Skill

This skill contains the full EventMachine documentation in docs/ plus agent-specific cheat-sheets in references/. Sections 1-7 below are a starting point — every non-trivial task should include reading the relevant docs/ file(s) before writing code.

Three levels of detail:

• This file (SKILL.md) — conventions, principles, gotchas, quick reference. Start here.
• references/ — distilled agent cheat-sheets by task type. Use for quick pattern lookup when writing code.
• docs/ — canonical, human-authored documentation. Read for deep understanding. Always authoritative.

Proactive doc-reading triggers — before writing code, read based on your task:

Task	Read first
Write a scenario	docs/advanced/scenarios.md + docs/advanced/scenario-plan.md (Pitfalls section)
Debug scenario not intercepting	docs/advanced/scenario-runtime.md (Debugging Scenarios + machine_events verification)
Design state topology	docs/best-practices/state-design.md + docs/building/defining-states.md
Add machine/job delegation	docs/advanced/machine-delegation.md + docs/advanced/async-delegation.md
Add parallel states	docs/advanced/parallel-states/index.md + docs/best-practices/parallel-patterns.md
Write tests	docs/testing/overview.md + docs/testing/recipes.md
Debug transition issues	docs/reference/execution-model.md + docs/testing/troubleshooting.md
Wire HTTP endpoints	docs/laravel-integration/endpoints.md
Anything with @done/@fail/@timeout	docs/advanced/machine-delegation.md + docs/advanced/typed-contracts.md

Skip doc-reading only for mechanical changes (rename, typo, simple extraction).

---

1. Naming Conventions (MEMORIZE — agents break this most)

Element	Style	Pattern	Example
Event class	PascalCase	{Subject}{PastVerb}Event	OrderSubmittedEvent
Event type	SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE	{SUBJECT}_{PAST_VERB}	ORDER_SUBMITTED
State (leaf)	snake_case	adjective / participle	awaiting_payment
State (parent)	snake_case	noun (namespace)	payment
Action class	PascalCase	{Verb}{Object}Action	SendNotificationAction
Guard class	PascalCase	{Is/Has/Can}{Condition}Guard	IsPaymentValidGuard
ValidationGuard class	PascalCase	{Prefix}{Condition}ValidationGuard	IsAmountValidValidationGuard
Calculator class	PascalCase	{Subject}{Noun}Calculator	OrderTotalCalculator
Output class	PascalCase	{Subject}{Noun}Output	InvoiceSummaryOutput
Machine class	PascalCase	{Domain}Machine	OrderWorkflowMachine
Machine ID	snake_case	{domain_name}	order_workflow
Context class	PascalCase	{Domain}Context	OrderWorkflowContext
Inline behavior key	camelCase+type suffix	{verb}{Obj}{Type}	sendEmailAction
Timer / then event	SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE	Same as event types	ORDER_EXPIRED
Context / payload keys	camelCase	$descriptiveName	totalAmount
Config keys	snake_case	{descriptive_name}	should_persist

Critical naming rules

1. "is" test for states — state name must fit "The {entity} is ___": awaiting_payment ✓, submit ✗.
2. State names never imperative — processing not process, submitted not submit.
3. Avoid ambiguous bare nouns for leaf states — awaiting_payment not just payment.
4. Events are past-tense facts, never commands — ORDER_SUBMITTED not SUBMIT_ORDER.
5. No abbreviations in event types — ORDER_SUBMITTED not ORD_SUB.
6. Events don't encode machine ownership — describe what happened, not who owns it.
7. Payloads carry data — don't inline amounts/actors into the event type string.
8. Guards use boolean prefixes — Is, Has, Can, Should; no other prefixes.
9. Business data keys are camelCase — totalAmount, transactionId (not total_amount).
10. Config keys are snake_case — should_persist, after (lowercase key, NOT shouldPersist).

Full naming guide: docs/building/conventions.md (1100+ lines of rationale and examples).

---

2. Best Practices (13 distilled principles — read before designing)

All 13 pages live under docs/best-practices/. Top-level summary:

#	Topic	Principle
1	State Design	Model conditions, not steps — avoid state explosion
2	Event Design	Events are past-tense facts, not commands
3	Transition Design	Self-transition to restart; targetless to update context
4	Guard Design	Guards MUST be pure — no I/O, no context mutation
5	Action Design	Actions are idempotent side effects; never throw to block; keep external I/O in delegations for scenario interception
6	Context Design	Lean context; flags that change transitions belong in states
7	Event Bubbling	Leaf-first handler resolution — first match wins
8	Machine Decomposition	Split on own lifecycle, reuse, complexity, or independent failure
9	Machine System Design	Commands flow down (input); states flow up (@done)
10	Time-Based Patterns	Timers are event sources; intervals ≥ 1 min; idempotent actions
11	Parallel Patterns	Region independence, separate context keys per region
12	Testing Strategy	Four layers: unit → integration → E2E → LocalQA
13	Naming & Style	See Section 1 above

Five most-violated principles (expanded)

Guard purity. Guards must be pure functions: same context + event → same boolean. No now(), no HTTP, no DB writes, no context mutation. EventMachine enforces this at runtime via context snapshot/restore across multi-branch transitions. If you need a computed value, use a Calculator — it runs BEFORE guards.

Do:

public function __invoke(OrderContext $context): bool {
    return $context->total >= $this->minimum;
}

Don't:

public function __invoke(OrderContext $context): bool {
    $context->set('checkedAt', now());       // mutation
    return Http::get('/valid')->successful(); // I/O
}

Actions never throw to block transitions. Actions run AFTER guards approve the transition. Throwing in an action does NOT roll back the state change; it leaves the machine in an inconsistent state. Use guards to block; use actions for idempotent side effects (DB writes with idempotency keys, queued notifications, external APIs).

Don't (action-as-flow-control — leaves machine in inconsistent state):

class ApplyCounterOfferAction extends ActionBehavior {
    public function __invoke(OrderContext $context, OrderEvent $event): void {
        if ($context->retailerId !== $event->payload['retailerId']) {
            throw new UnauthorizedRetailerException(); // ← anti-pattern
        }
        $context->set('counterOffer', $event->payload['amount']);
    }
}

Do (guard blocks before transition; action only writes):

class IsRetailerAuthorizedGuard extends GuardBehavior {
    public function __invoke(OrderContext $context, OrderEvent $event): bool {
        return $context->retailerId === $event->payload['retailerId'];
    }
}
// In transition config:
'COUNTER_OFFER' => [
    'target'  => 'awaiting_approval',
    'guards'  => IsRetailerAuthorizedGuard::class,
    'actions' => ApplyCounterOfferAction::class,
],

Scenario impact: actions with lazy I/O fallbacks ("if not in context, call API") fire during scenario runs — scenarios only intercept delegations, not actions. Keep external I/O in job/machine delegations; see docs/best-practices/action-design.md → "Scenario-Friendly Design".

Events are past-tense facts, not commands. ORDER_SUBMITTED, not SUBMIT_ORDER. An event represents a state change that already happened. This disambiguates cross-machine communication — you always know who produced what.

Parallel regions MUST have separate context keys. Two regions writing status → last-writer-wins silently. Design each region to own its keys: paymentStatus, shippingStatus. Regions coordinate via raise() / sendTo(), never via shared context.

State explosion is the #1 design smell. If you have 3 booleans (isPriority, isFragile, isGift) don't make 8 states — keep them in context and let the processing state read them. States are for different behaviors; context is for data.

Four-layer testing strategy

• Unit — State::forTesting() + runWithState() — one behavior, no machine, no DB
• Integration — Machine::test() / Machine::startingAt() — flow through state transitions
• E2E — real DB, real queue (SQLite/sync) — persistence + restoration round-trips
• LocalQA — real MySQL + Redis + Horizon — async queues, parallel dispatch, timers under load (tests/LocalQA/, excluded from composer test)

Anti-patterns (agents from other frameworks try these)

1. Don't call $machine->send() inside an action — use raise() for internal events, or return context changes. send() is the external API; actions are inside the macrostep.
2. Don't put external API calls in actions — use a job delegation state with @done/@fail. Actions with I/O are invisible to scenarios and lack retry/timeout policies.
3. Don't manually construct MachineEvent instances — use send() / raise(). The engine manages event sourcing, context diffs, and persistence.
4. Don't use nested send() from inside a transition — use @continue in scenarios, or raise() for event chains within a macrostep.
5. Don't put transition logic in actions — use guards to decide IF a transition fires, actions for side effects AFTER it fires.
6. Don't share context keys across parallel regions — last-writer-wins silently. Each region owns its keys.
7. Don't use a self-loop to reset a timer — self-loops preserve state_entered_at by design. To express "deadline resets on event X", model X as a transition through a transit state. See Renewable Timers.
8. Don't model a read/status poll as a targetless event — use reads. Read-as-event runs the full send()/persist() pipeline and appends rows on every poll, bloating machine_events until the persist placeholder ceiling wedges the machine. A read is a query, not an event.
9. Don't rebuild machine regions with TestMachine::define(config: [...]) to start a test deep — use MyMachine::startingAt('parent.region.state'). Hand-copied region configs silently rot when the real machine changes.
10. Don't assert full dotted state paths via $machine->state()->matches('a.b.c') + assertTrue — use ->assertState('leaf_or_dotted'); it self-documents failures and feeds path coverage.
11. simulateChildDone() validates finalState against the child definition — a renamed/typo'd child final state now fails the parent's test (intended, bug-revealing). Leaf name or dotted id accepted; routing always sees the leaf.

---

3. Core Concepts

Vocabulary

Concept	One-liner
State	Distinct phase; machine is in exactly one state (or one per parallel region)
Transition	Source → target movement triggered by an event
Event	Past-tense fact that triggers transitions: {type, payload}
Guard	Pure boolean condition — transition fires only if true
Action	Side effect during transition (entry/transition/exit)
Calculator	Compute derived values BEFORE guards
Output	Final computation when machine reaches a final state (type: final)
Context	Immutable data traveling with the machine — the "memory"

Machine lifecycle

1. Boot — Machine::create() loads definition, initializes context, NO entry actions yet.
2. Start — First interaction enters initial state, fires entry actions + {machine}.start internal event.
3. Event — send() triggers pipeline per transition: calculators → guards → exit actions (old state) → transition actions → entry actions (new state) → @always chains → raised events
4. Persist — Every transition becomes a row in machine_events. Restore from any point via root_event_id: OrderMachine::create(state: $rootEventId).

Event bubbling

When an event arrives, engine walks from current leaf state up the hierarchy until it finds a handler. First match wins. Use this for global handlers (root-level CANCEL) — don't over-rely on it.

Context

Context is machine memory: application-specific data (orderId, totalAmount). Not business data (don't dump customer profiles in). Two flavors:

• Untyped: config: ['context' => ['totalAmount' => 0]] — key-value array
• Typed: class OrderContext extends ContextManager with typed properties and Spatie Data validation

Context mutation happens via Actions/Calculators. Guards see the current context but must NOT mutate it. Context travels to child machines via MachineInput.

@always transitions

Transient transitions evaluated automatically on state entry. Use for "if-then routing": enter deciding → @always picks approved vs rejected based on guards. Chains execute until a non-@always state is reached.

---

4. Quick-Start Snippets

Closure vs class — when to choose which

EventMachine accepts behaviors as inline closures (registered in behavior.actions/guards/calculators/outputs) or classes (extending ActionBehavior/GuardBehavior/etc.). Pick based on the work the behavior does, not the agent default.

Choose closure when	Choose class when
Trivial wire-up: 1-5 lines, only reads/writes context, no I/O	Reusable across multiple machines or transitions
No constructor dependencies	Needs constructor DI (services, repos)
Used in exactly one place	Independently unit-tested
No need for descriptive class names	Behavior-name should be a first-class concept

// Closure — preferred for trivial wire-up
'behavior' => [
    'actions' => [
        'wirePricingContextAction' => fn(OrderContext $ctx, ChildMachineDoneEvent $event) => [
            'baseRate'     => $event->output('baseInterestRate'),
            'installments' => $event->output('installmentOptions'),
        ],
    ],
],

// Class — when the behavior is reusable, DI'd, or independently tested
class ChargePaymentAction extends ActionBehavior {
    public function __construct(private readonly PaymentGateway $gateway) {}
    public function __invoke(OrderContext $context): void {
        $result = $this->gateway->charge($context->orderId);
        $context->set('chargeId', $result->id);
    }
}

Don't reach for a DTO + OutputBehavior subclass + Action class to wire a few keys child→parent. A closure on the child's final state 'output' plus an inline 'wireXxxAction' registered in behavior.actions is usually all you need. Save classes for behaviors that earn the boilerplate (DI, reuse, named contracts).

Inline behavior keys still follow naming conventions (Section 1): {verb}{Obj}{Type} — wirePricingContextAction, isAmountValidGuard, orderTotalCalculator. The type suffix is mandatory.

Minimal machine definition (untyped context)

use Tarfinlabs\EventMachine\Actor\Machine;
use Tarfinlabs\EventMachine\Definition\MachineDefinition;

class OrderMachine extends Machine
{
    public static function definition(): MachineDefinition
    {
        return MachineDefinition::define(
            config: [
                'id'      => 'order',
                'initial' => 'pending',
                'context' => ['orderId' => null, 'total' => 0],
                'states'  => [
                    'pending'    => ['on' => ['SUBMIT' => 'processing']],
                    'processing' => [
                        'entry' => ReserveInventoryAction::class,
                        'on'    => ['COMPLETE' => 'completed', 'FAIL' => 'failed'],
                    ],
                    'completed'  => ['type' => 'final'],
                    'failed'     => ['type' => 'final'],
                ],
            ],
        );
    }
}

Class-based Action (with DI)

use Tarfinlabs\EventMachine\Behavior\ActionBehavior;
use Tarfinlabs\EventMachine\ContextManager;

class ReserveInventoryAction extends ActionBehavior
{
    public function __construct(
        private readonly InventoryService $inventory,
    ) {}

    public function __invoke(ContextManager $context): void
    {
        $reserved = $this->inventory->reserve($context->get('orderId'));
        $context->set('reservationId', $reserved->id);
    }
}

Class-based Guard (pure)

use Tarfinlabs\EventMachine\Behavior\GuardBehavior;
use Tarfinlabs\EventMachine\ContextManager;

class IsPaymentValidGuard extends GuardBehavior
{
    public function __invoke(ContextManager $context, int $min = 0): bool
    {
        return (int) $context->get('total') >= $min;
    }
}

TestMachine fluent assertions

OrderMachine::test(['orderId' => 'ORD-1', 'total' => 100])
    ->assertState('pending')
    ->send('SUBMIT')
    ->assertState('processing')
    ->assertBehaviorRan(ReserveInventoryAction::class)
    ->assertContext('reservationId', 'RES-123')
    ->send('COMPLETE')
    ->assertState('completed')
    ->assertFinished();

Typed context (ContextManager subclass)

use Tarfinlabs\EventMachine\ContextManager;
use Spatie\LaravelData\Attributes\Validation\{Email, Min};

class OrderContext extends ContextManager
{
    public function __construct(
        public ?string $orderId = null,
        #[Min(0)] public int $total = 0,
        #[Email]  public ?string $customerEmail = null,
    ) { parent::__construct(); }
}

---

5. Testing API Cheat-Sheet

Entry points

• MyMachine::test($context = []) — Boot + return TestMachine for fluent chain
• MyMachine::testIsolated($context = []) — Preset: test() + fakingAllActions() (NOTE: fakingAllActions(except:) afterwards throws LogicException — use the long form for except:)
• MyMachine::startingAt('nested.state') — Skip setup, jump to a specific state. Skips the target's entry actions/job dispatch, but DRAINS @always transitions (region leaves inside parallel states included — siblings stay put) — the machine stabilizes like a real start, so auto-routing states are directly testable: startingAt('deciding', context: [...])->assertState('rejected'). Park at a transient state by pinning its guards: guards: [IsEligibleGuard::class => false]. Parallel states: all regions activate at their initial leaves; a leaf inside one region auto-initializes sibling regions (test parallel gating on the REAL definition — no region mirrors)
• MyMachine::assertTransitions([['from' => ..., 'event' => ..., 'to' => ...], ...]) — Table-driven edge coverage; fresh machine per row; 'to' => null, 'guarded' => true for blocked edges
• YourContext::forTesting(['order' => $order]) — Build a typed context: auto-fills Optional properties, sets machine identity (test-machine-id); overrides win. Primary tool for typed-context construction.
  • Needs app model factories on top? Layer them in a per-machine base TestCase context() factory — see docs/testing/recipes.md § "Base TestCase for Rich Typed Contexts". Never let makeContext/buildContext copies drift per file.
• State::forTesting($context) — Build a state for unit-testing a single behavior
• MyBehavior::runWithState($state, $event) — Invoke a behavior directly; unit-level. First arg accepts State, ContextManager, or a plain array (auto-wrapped)

Top assertions (expand via docs/testing/overview.md)

• assertState($stateName) — Current state value matches
• assertInState($stateName) — Like assertState but works across parallel regions
• assertContext($key, $value) — Context key matches
• assertBehaviorRan(Class::class) — Action/Calculator/Guard executed; also accepts an array of mixed FQCNs/inline keys
• assertGuarded($event) — Transition blocked by a guard
• assertGuardedBy($event, GuardClass::class) — Specific guard blocked it
• assertHasTimer($eventType) — Timer registered for event
• assertFinished() — Machine reached a final state
• assertRaised(ActionClass::class) — Action raised an internal event (use ActionClass::assertRaised() for isolated). Returns a fluent object: ->withPayload(['key' => $v])->withoutPayloadKey('old')->validated() (dot-notation keys, strict ===)
• advanceTimers(Timer::days(7)) — Simulate time; fires due timers

Fakes

• faking([MyAction::class, MyGuard::class]) — Replace behaviors with inspectable spies
• spying([A::class, B::class]) — Batch-spy classes fluently (post-init: does NOT observe boot-time entry actions — use the pre-init faking: parameter for those)
• MyChildMachine::fake(output: new OrderOutput(...), finalState: 'completed') — Stub child delegation
• MyChildMachine::assertInvoked() / assertInvokedWith([...]) — Verify child was called
• simulateChildDone/Fail/Timeout() — Drive parent through delegation paths without running child. finalState is now validated against the child's FINAL states (leaf or dotted id accepted; the done event always carries the leaf)
• InteractsWithMachines trait on TestCase — Auto-resets all fakes between tests
• CommunicationRecorder — Inspect sendTo() / raise() calls without side effects

Four test layers (pick one per concern)

// 1. Unit — one behavior, no machine
$state = State::forTesting(['total' => 50]);
expect(IsPaymentValidGuard::runWithState($state))->toBeFalse();

// 2. Integration — full flow in memory
OrderMachine::test(['total' => 100])->send('SUBMIT')->assertState('processing');

// 3. E2E — real persistence + restore
$m = OrderMachine::create();
$m->send('SUBMIT');
$restored = OrderMachine::create(state: $m->state->history->first()->root_event_id);
expect($restored->state->matches('processing'))->toBeTrue();

// 4. LocalQA — real MySQL + Redis + Horizon (tests/LocalQA/, excluded from composer test)

Test stubs live under tests/Stubs/ — excellent reference for real patterns.

---

6. Laravel Integration

Attach to Eloquent models

use Tarfinlabs\EventMachine\Traits\HasMachines;
use Tarfinlabs\EventMachine\Casts\MachineCast;

class Order extends Model
{
    use HasMachines;
    protected $casts = [
        'state_mre' => MachineCast::class . ':' . OrderMachine::class,
    ];
}

$order->state_mre->send(['type' => 'SUBMIT']);

HTTP endpoints (zero controllers)

MachineDefinition::define(
    config: [...],
    endpoints: [
        'SUBMIT',                                  // POST /submit
        'APPROVE' => ['method' => 'PATCH', 'middleware' => ['auth:admin']],
        'CANCEL'  => ['action' => CancelEndpointAction::class],
    ],
);

// routes/console.php or web.php:
MachineRouter::register(OrderMachine::class, [
    'prefix' => 'orders', 'model' => Order::class,
    'attribute' => 'order_mre', 'create' => true,
    'modelFor' => ['SUBMIT', 'APPROVE', 'CANCEL'],
]);

Reads (read-only projections)

endpoints are commands (send events, write history). reads are queries — zero-write, GET-only projections of a machine's current state. A read restores the machine and returns the standard envelope; it never constructs an event, never calls send()/persist(), never locks, never writes a row (for active machines — reading an archived machine triggers the transparent restore, which writes). A read is NOT an event — never model a status poll or "resume" fetch as a targetless event (that bloats machine_events and can wedge the machine).

MachineRouter::register(OrderMachine::class, [
    'prefix' => 'orders',
    'reads'  => [
        'status' => null,                               // GET orders/{machineId}/status
        'resume' => ['output' => ResumeOutput::class],  // GET orders/{machineId}/resume (shaped)
    ],
]);

• Forms: reads => true (single default status) | associative map (key = URI suffix).
• Always machineId-bound: GET {prefix}/{machineId}/{uri}.
• Options: uri, output, middleware, status, available_events (action/method/unknown keys throw).
• output shapes the response exactly like an endpoint's output (context-key list, OutputBehavior, or null fallback).

Full reference: docs/laravel-integration/reads.md.

Artisan commands

Command	Purpose	When to use
machine:validate	Validate machine config	After editing machine definition — catches config errors before runtime
machine:paths	Enumerate all paths (static analysis)	After writing a scenario — confirm override states are on reachable paths
machine:scenario-validate	Validate scenario structure	After every scenario file change — catches source/event/target mismatches
machine:scenario	Scaffold a new scenario	Starting a new scenario — generates plan from BFS path analysis
machine:coverage	Path coverage report	Before adding transitions — verify no dead paths created
machine:xstate	Export to XState v5 JSON (Stately Studio)	For team discussion — visualize state topology
machine:process-timers	Sweep due after/every timers	Auto-registered — runs on schedule
machine:process-scheduled	Fire scheduled events	Auto-registered — runs on schedule
machine:timer-status	Show timer state per instance	Debugging timer issues — check fire counts and next-fire times
machine:archive-events	Archive old events (--dry-run, --sync)	Maintenance — reduce machine_events table size
machine:archive-status	Archive stats; --restore=<rootEventId>	After archiving — verify or restore specific machines

Querying machines

OrderMachine::query()
    ->inState('awaiting_payment')
    ->active()
    ->enteredBefore(now()->subDays(7))
    ->paginate(20);

---

7. Delegation & Parallel States — Critical Gotchas

Sync vs async delegation — config matrix

The default is sync. Most users assume async because existing examples include 'queue' =>. Omit queue to run sync.

Config	Mode	When
'machine' => X::class	sync (in-process)	sync arithmetic, validation, transformation, fast lookups (<1s)
'machine' => X::class, 'queue' => 'name'	async (queue dispatch)	external API, polling, retry, multi-step async (seconds-minutes)
'machine' => X::class, 'queue' => 'name' + no @done	fire-and-forget	parent doesn't care about result; child runs independently
'machine' => X::class + child uses ShouldQueue	mixed (anti-pattern)	ambiguous — avoid

'processing_payment' => [
    'machine' => PaymentMachine::class,
    'input'   => PaymentInput::class,   // typed & validated
    'queue'   => 'payments',            // async (omit for sync)
    '@done'    => ['target' => 'shipping',       'actions' => CapturePaymentAction::class],
    '@fail'    => ['target' => 'payment_failed', 'actions' => HandleFailureAction::class],
    '@timeout' => ['after' => 300, 'target' => 'payment_timed_out'],
],

• Sync (no queue): parent blocks in-process until child hits final
• Async (queue: true): parent transitions to delegation state, child runs on worker, @done fires on completion
• Fire-and-forget: queue key present + NO @done — parent continues immediately, child runs independently

::: tip Sync child machines Sync child machines that need to do work immediately must have @always transitions on their idle/initial state — start() enters the initial state but does NOT fire any event. See docs/best-practices/sync-child-machines.md for the canonical bootstrap pattern. :::

@done / @fail / @timeout

• @done — child reached ANY final state (type: final)
• @done.{stateName} — child reached specific final state (e.g., @done.approved)
• @fail — child reached a failure state OR threw (requires @fail target)
• @timeout — async child didn't complete within after: N seconds

Actions on @done / @fail can type-hint MachineOutput / MachineFailure for typed injection from child's output.

Parallel regions

'processing' => [
    'type'   => 'parallel',
    '@done'  => 'fulfilled',             // fires when ALL regions hit final
    '@fail'  => 'failed',                // fires when ANY region fails
    'states' => [
        'payment'  => ['initial' => 'pending', 'states' => [...]],
        'shipping' => ['initial' => 'preparing', 'states' => [...]],
    ],
],

Enable dispatch mode via config/machine.php → parallel_dispatch.enabled => true:

• Each region's entry work runs as a separate ParallelRegionJob
• True concurrency — two 5s + 2s regions finish in 5s (not 7s)
• Last-writer-wins on context — separate keys per region is mandatory

output keyword — three semantics, one keyword

The 'output' key has three different meanings depending on where it appears. Confusing them is the #1 source of InvalidOutputDefinitionException errors.

Where it lives	What it does	Parallel-region restricted?
(1) On a final state of THIS machine	Defines what $machine->output() returns. Restricted on transient states (@always) and parallel region states.	✓ Yes — only the parent parallel state itself can define output
(2) On a state with 'machine' => (child machine invocation)	Filters / transforms the child's final context before injecting into ChildMachineDoneEvent.output. Operates on the child machine, not the parent state.	✗ No — works fine inside parallel regions because it's about the child
(3) On an endpoint config	Shapes the HTTP response (any state, not just final).	✗ No

Decision tree:

Is this state a final state in MY machine?
├── Yes → meaning (1). Defines what $machine->output() returns.
│         Inside parallel region? → only the PARENT parallel state can define output.
│         Use array filter for simple key picking, OutputBehavior class for computation.
│
Does this state have 'machine' => Child::class?
├── Yes → meaning (2). Defines what the CHILD exposes to the parent.
│         No parallel restriction. Lives on the parent state but operates on child context.
│         Format: array filter | closure | OutputBehavior class | MachineOutput DTO.
│
Is this an endpoint config?
└── Yes → meaning (3). Shapes HTTP response. Any state.

Common mistake: Adding 'output' => [...] to a delegation state inside a parallel region, expecting child→parent context merge — but the parser sees it as meaning (1) and throws InvalidOutputDefinitionException::parallelRegionState. Fix: the child machine itself should declare output on its final state (meaning 2 from the child's perspective), and the parent state's @done action picks it up via typed MachineOutput injection or ChildMachineDoneEvent::output().

Format choice (meanings 1, 2, and 3):

• Plain ['key1', 'key2'] array → context key filter (passes through toResponseArray() — note that ModelTransformer serializes Eloquent models to IDs).
• Closure → custom shape, full control over types.
• OutputBehavior::class → computed output with DI; can return array or MachineOutput instance.
• MachineOutput::class → typed DTO with named properties auto-resolved from context.

Full reference: docs/behaviors/outputs.md. Cheat-sheet: references/output-keyword.md.

Top 10 gotchas (delegation & parallel)

1. Guards must be pure — enforced at runtime via context snapshot/restore across branches.
2. dispatchToParent is transient — fire-and-forget job; parent may have already transitioned away → event silently dropped.
3. Region context keys must be disjoint — paymentStatus + shippingStatus, never shared status.
4. Cross-region transitions rejected at define-time — use raise() / sendTo() for coordination.
5. Invoke is deferred until after macrostep; dispatch until after persist — entry actions + raised events process first; if they cause transition, invoke is skipped (SCXML invoker-05). Child/listener jobs are dispatched by Machine::persist(), never mid-transition — so QUEUE_CONNECTION=sync runs full delegation chains inline and correctly (no queue worker needed for e2e tests).
6. MachineCurrentState may lag under parallel dispatch — assert via restored machine (Machine::create(state: $rootEventId)), not by reading the table.
7. Async forward-endpoint responses don't contain child state — wait for child, then restore to verify.
8. ValidationGuardBehavior aborts the whole transition (422 via endpoints). Plain GuardBehavior failure = graceful.
9. Job actors (job key) skip dispatch in test mode — use simulateChildDone() to step.
10. Partial parallel failure: Region A context may be lost (documented last-writer-wins) — don't assert on surviving region A's context changes when region B failed.

Scenario gotchas (read before writing any scenario)

1. Simulated @fail does NOT inject typed MachineFailure — the engine synthesizes a generic ChildMachineFailEvent. If your @fail action type-hints a MachineFailure subclass → TypeError. Workaround: override the action with a context-write proxy (StoreFailureAction::class => ['failureReason' => '...']).
2. Overrides are not reachable if guards route around them — scenarios override behaviors, not path selection. If cache/retry/mode guards take a different branch, the overridden state is never entered. Fix: override branch-controlling guards in the same plan entry.
3. Transition actions with I/O fallbacks run during scenarios — scenarios intercept delegations (job/machine), NOT actions. Entry, exit, and transition actions execute with real side effects unless overridden. An action with a lazy "fallback to API" branch will hit production.
4. Missing continuation() = real dispatches after target — if your scenario's target state has event handlers leading to delegations (retry buttons, resend actions), those delegations fire for real without continuation. This applies to both normal and forwarded endpoints. Red flags: target is an error/failed state with retry, or awaiting state with resend.
5. Verify interception via machine_events timestamps — after running a scenario, query child.*.start / child.*.done for the root_event_id. Same-second = scenario intercepted. A gap = real delegation fired (silent bug).
6. Parallel @continue lives on leaf states, never on the parallel parent — the route matcher is suffix-based, and a parallel parent path is always a prefix of active child routes. Declaring @continue on the parent silently does nothing in 9.10.0 and earlier; 9.10.1+ rejects it at machine:scenario-validate time. To fire the parent's transition event (typically a guarded "all regions ready" event), put its @continue on a leaf state inside one of the regions — usually the final state of one region. The player walks regions in round-robin order, so the other regions advance through their own @continues first. See docs/advanced/scenario-plan.md → "Parallel @continue" for the worked pattern.
7. Choose inline outcome vs child scenario class deliberately for delegation states — for 'machine:' (and 'job:') states the plan can either declare an inline outcome (['outcome' => '@done.X', 'output' => [...]] — child never runs, fastest, no DB rows) or a child scenario class (AtSomeStateScenario::class — child runs with overrides, may pause). Pick the inline form when the child's logic is a black box for this scenario; pick the class form when the child's @always chain / guards / parallel regions are part of what you want to verify. For 'queue:' (async) parents the child scenario class form requires 9.10.3+ — earlier versions silently dropped the scenario at dispatch time and the worker booted the child with full I/O.

Full details: docs/advanced/scenario-plan.md → "Pitfalls" section.

Error glossary (common errors → quick fix)

Error	Likely cause	Fix
TypeError: Argument must be of type <MachineFailure>, null given	Scenario @fail doesn't inject typed failure	Override the action with context-write proxy
ScenarioFailedException: Event mismatch	Scenario slug attached to wrong endpoint	Check scenario's $event matches endpoint's registered event type
ScenarioFailedException: Source mismatch	Machine not in expected source state	Check $source property vs current machine state
NoScenarioPathFoundException	BFS can't reach target from source	Run machine:paths to find actual paths; add guard overrides for branching
ScenarioTargetMismatchException	Machine didn't reach $target after execution	Check plan overrides force the intended path; override branch guards
MissingMachineContextException	Required context key missing	Read the enriched hint in the error; add key via $requiredContext or input closure
MachineAlreadyRunningException	Concurrent HTTP request to same machine	Normal under load — endpoints return 423 (POST) or 200 (GET)
MachineValidationException (422)	ValidationGuardBehavior failed	Check validation rules; this is a user-input error, not a bug
MaxTransitionDepthExceededException	Infinite @always or raise() chain	Check for circular guard logic; increase depth limit if legitimate

Full exception reference: docs/reference/exceptions.md

Action vs Listener — behavior vs observer

This is the conceptual split that makes @queue work on listeners and structurally impossible on actions. Get it wrong and you'll keep wanting to invent a 'jobs' slot or queue an entry action — neither one exists.

	Action	Listener
Role	Behavior — part of the transition	Observer — runs after the transition is committed
Mutates context	Yes, that's the point	Allowed, but lossy when queued (last-writer-wins)
Sequence-sensitive	Yes — later actions read earlier writes	No — each listener is independent
Failure	Throws can abort the transition	Throws don't undo it; failed jobs land in failed_jobs
Async-safe	No	Yes

Why a queued action is structurally unsafe: the worker would race with later inline actions on the same context, restore the current persisted state (not the dispatch-time state — possibly several transitions later), and any throw on the worker could not undo a transition already recorded. Listeners avoid all three because they observe a committed transition.

@queue works only in listen config

@queue is a framework-reserved key inside listener tuples — listen.entry, listen.exit, listen.transition. Anywhere else (state entry/exit actions, transition actions, guards, calculators, output tuples) it throws InvalidBehaviorDefinitionException at definition time. Before 9.11.0 it was silently dropped, which made it look like the action was queued when it actually ran inline.

Where you see @queue	What it does
listen.entry/exit/transition tuple	✓ Dispatches a ListenerJob to run on a worker
State entry / exit action tuple	✗ InvalidBehaviorDefinitionException
Transition actions / guards / calculators tuple	✗ InvalidBehaviorDefinitionException
Output / endpoint output tuple	✗ InvalidBehaviorDefinitionException

Async work in entry actions — pick by what the machine has to do with the result:

Option	When to use	Cost
Job actor (state's job key)	Outcome routes the next state via @done / @fail.	Needs its own state — the framework has to wait for the result.
Queued listener (listen.entry + @queue)	Work runs after entry but doesn't drive a transition. Worker can write back to context.	One layer of indirection (ListenerJob → restore → run). Last-writer-wins on context.
Wrapper Action (regular action that calls dispatch())	Pure fire-and-forget — no machine state depends on the result.	One thin class. Cheapest and most common option.

::: tip Wrapper Action recipe — fire-and-forget without a separate state A user asking "can't I just put MyJob::class in entry?" wants this:

final class DispatchPromissoryNoteAction extends ActionBehavior
{
    public function __invoke(ContextManager $context): void
    {
        dispatch(new CreateInstallmentPromissoryNoteJob(applicationId: $context->applicationId));
    }
}

'approved' => [
    'entry' => [..., DispatchPromissoryNoteAction::class, ...],
],

Don't propose a new 'jobs' slot — wrapper Actions express fire-and-forget more clearly, stay inside existing fake infrastructure (Machine::fakingAllActions, Bus::fake()), and don't blur the Action↔Listener semantic split. :::

Full reference: docs/building/defining-states.md → "Listeners" (semantic split) and "Async Work in Entry Actions" (recipes).

8. Documentation Navigation

This skill ships with the complete VitePress documentation at docs/ (materialized at release time, symlinked during development). The sections above are a starting point — docs/ is always the authoritative source.

Task-oriented guide (start here)

Task	Primary reads	Secondary reads	Key gotchas
Write a new scenario	scenarios.md, scenario-plan.md	testing/recipes.md	Simulated @fail typed injection, path divergence, I/O actions
Debug scenario not firing	scenario-runtime.md (Debugging)	machine:paths + machine_events query	See "Verifying scenario interception"
Design new state topology	best-practices/state-design.md, defining-states.md	hierarchical-states.md, parallel-states/index.md	State explosion, transient naming
Add delegation (machine/job)	machine-delegation.md, async-delegation.md	job-actors.md, testing/delegation-testing.md	@fail typed failure, region isolation
Add parallel states	parallel-states/index.md, parallel-patterns.md	parallel-states/parallel-dispatch.md	Disjoint context keys, dispatch mode
Write tests for existing machine	testing/overview.md, testing/test-machine.md	constructor-di.md, fakeable-behaviors.md	Faking at right layer
Wire HTTP endpoints	laravel-integration/endpoints.md	scenario-endpoints.md	MachineAlreadyRunning handling
Debug transition issues	reference/execution-model.md	testing/troubleshooting.md	Macrostep ordering, event bubbling

All paths relative to docs/advanced/ unless otherwise specified.

File-by-file reference

Topic	File
Naming & style (deep dive)	docs/building/conventions.md
Best practices (13 pages)	docs/best-practices/*.md
First machine walkthrough	docs/getting-started/your-first-machine.md
When NOT to use EventMachine	docs/getting-started/when-not-to-use.md
Upgrading	docs/getting-started/upgrading.md
States & transitions depth	docs/understanding/states-and-transitions.md
Events depth	docs/understanding/events.md
Context depth	docs/understanding/context.md
Machine lifecycle	docs/understanding/machine-lifecycle.md
Defining states	docs/building/defining-states.md
Writing transitions	docs/building/writing-transitions.md
Handling events	docs/building/handling-events.md
Working with context	docs/building/working-with-context.md
Machine configuration	docs/building/configuration.md
Actions	docs/behaviors/actions.md
Guards	docs/behaviors/guards.md
Validation guards	docs/behaviors/validation-guards.md
Calculators	docs/behaviors/calculators.md
Events (as behaviors)	docs/behaviors/events.md
Outputs	docs/behaviors/outputs.md
Machine delegation	docs/advanced/machine-delegation.md
Delegation patterns	docs/advanced/delegation-patterns.md
Delegation data flow	docs/advanced/delegation-data-flow.md
Async delegation	docs/advanced/async-delegation.md
Job actors	docs/advanced/job-actors.md
Parallel states overview	docs/advanced/parallel-states/index.md
Parallel event handling	docs/advanced/parallel-states/event-handling.md
Parallel dispatch	docs/advanced/parallel-states/parallel-dispatch.md
Parallel persistence	docs/advanced/parallel-states/persistence.md
Hierarchical states	docs/advanced/hierarchical-states.md
Entry / exit actions	docs/advanced/entry-exit-actions.md
Always transitions	docs/advanced/always-transitions.md
Raised events	docs/advanced/raised-events.md
sendTo / cross-machine	docs/advanced/sendto.md
Time-based events	docs/advanced/time-based-events.md
Scheduled events	docs/advanced/scheduled-events.md
Typed contracts	docs/advanced/typed-contracts.md
Dependency injection	docs/advanced/dependency-injection.md
Custom context (typed)	docs/advanced/custom-context.md
Scenarios overview	docs/advanced/scenarios.md
Scenario commands	docs/advanced/scenario-commands.md
Scenario behaviors	docs/advanced/scenario-behaviors.md
Scenario runtime + debugging	docs/advanced/scenario-runtime.md — includes 4-tier validation framework and machine_events interception verification
Scenario endpoints	docs/advanced/scenario-endpoints.md
Scenario plan + pitfalls	docs/advanced/scenario-plan.md — read "Pitfalls" section before writing any scenario
Laravel integration	docs/laravel-integration/overview.md
Eloquent integration	docs/laravel-integration/eloquent-integration.md
Persistence	docs/laravel-integration/persistence.md
HTTP endpoints	docs/laravel-integration/endpoints.md
Reads (read-only projections)	docs/laravel-integration/reads.md
Available events (framework)	docs/laravel-integration/available-events.md
Archival	docs/laravel-integration/archival.md
Compression	docs/laravel-integration/compression.md
Artisan commands	docs/laravel-integration/artisan-commands.md
Testing overview	docs/testing/overview.md
TestMachine API	docs/testing/test-machine.md
Isolated (unit) tests	docs/testing/isolated-testing.md
Transitions & paths	docs/testing/transitions-and-paths.md
Fakeable behaviors	docs/testing/fakeable-behaviors.md
Constructor DI in tests	docs/testing/constructor-di.md
Delegation testing	docs/testing/delegation-testing.md
Parallel testing	docs/testing/parallel-testing.md
Time-based testing	docs/testing/time-based-testing.md
Scheduled testing	docs/testing/scheduled-testing.md
Persistence testing	docs/testing/persistence-testing.md
Recipes	docs/testing/recipes.md
LocalQA setup	docs/testing/localqa.md
Testing troubleshooting	docs/testing/troubleshooting.md
Execution model (internals)	docs/reference/execution-model.md
Exceptions	docs/reference/exceptions.md

Agent cheat-sheets (references/)

docs/ is canonical documentation — read for understanding. references/ contains distilled agent-facing cheat-sheets — read for quick pattern lookup when writing code. When in doubt, start with references/INDEX.md.

File	Use when	Docs equivalent (longer)
references/INDEX.md	Routing to the right cheat-sheet or doc by task type	Section 8 tables above
references/anti-patterns.md	About to write a known anti-pattern (action throws, guard I/O, shared parallel context, output boilerplate) — quick lookup of the alternative	docs/best-practices/*.md
references/output-keyword.md	Confused by InvalidOutputDefinitionException or unsure which of the three 'output' semantics applies	docs/behaviors/outputs.md + docs/advanced/delegation-data-flow.md
references/sync-vs-async-delegation.md	Adding 'machine' => and unsure if it runs sync or async, or bootstrapping a sync child with @always on idle	docs/advanced/machine-delegation.md + docs/best-practices/sync-child-machines.md
references/testing.md	Writing assertions, setting up fakes	docs/testing/overview.md + test-machine.md
references/delegation.md	Adding sync/async delegation, @done/@fail/@timeout	docs/advanced/machine-delegation.md
references/parallel.md	Designing parallel regions, dispatch config	docs/advanced/parallel-states/index.md
references/qa-setup.md	Setting up LocalQA test environment	docs/testing/localqa.md
references/timers.md	Designing timers, renewable-timer pattern, sliding windows	docs/best-practices/time-based-patterns.md + docs/advanced/time-based-events.md
references/scenarios.md	Writing or debugging MachineScenario plans, choosing inline outcome vs child scenario class, async propagation in 9.10.3+	docs/advanced/scenarios.md + scenario-plan.md + scenario-runtime.md

---

9. Agent Workflow Checklist

Building / modifying a machine

When a user asks you to build/modify an EventMachine workflow:

1. Read docs for your task type — use the trigger table in Section 0 or the task-oriented guide in Section 8. Skip only for mechanical changes (rename, typo).
2. Follow naming conventions (Section 1) — especially event types, states, and context keys.
3. Validate design against best-practices (Section 2) — purity, past-tense events, region separation.
4. Pick closure or class by the work — closure for trivial wire-up (1-5 lines, no DI, single use); class for reusable, DI'd, or independently tested behavior. See §4 for the decision matrix.
5. Write tests at the right layer — unit for behaviors, integration for flows, E2E for persistence.
6. Run the quality gate — composer quality (pint + rector + test). Never just vendor/bin/pest.
7. Use typed contracts — MachineInput, MachineOutput, MachineFailure for delegation boundaries.
8. Never commit without explicit approval — especially for tags/releases (no v prefix).

Writing a scenario

When a user asks you to write or debug a scenario:

1. Read docs/advanced/scenarios.md + docs/advanced/scenario-plan.md — especially the "Pitfalls" section.
2. Scaffold with machine:scenario — accept the scaffolder's BFS path choices as a starting point.
3. Run machine:paths <Machine> — confirm every override state in your plan appears on a reachable path from source to target.
4. Override branch-controlling guards — if the path to your overridden state depends on cache/mode/retry guards, override them to force the intended branch.
5. Override actions with typed MachineFailure params — if your scenario uses @fail and the @fail action type-hints a MachineFailure subclass, override the action with a context-write proxy.
6. Add continuation() — if the target state has event handlers that lead to delegations (retry, resend, next-step), continuation is mandatory or those delegations fire for real.
7. Validate with machine:scenario-validate — catches structural errors (source/event/target mismatch, unreachable paths).
8. Unit test with ScenarioPlayer::execute() — catches typed injection failures and unexpected action side-effects before HTTP-level testing.
9. Verify interception via machine_events — in integration tests, assert child.*.start / child.*.done are same-second (proves scenario intercepted, no real dispatch).