# Run Workflows

A workflow can start a child workflow as one of its steps. The parent pauses until the run-workflow completes, then merges the child's final state into the parent's state.

## The `->run_workflow()` method

```php
use Queuety\Queuety;

$enrichment = Queuety::workflow( 'enrich_user' )
    ->then( FetchSocialHandler::class )
    ->then( FetchCreditScoreHandler::class );

Queuety::workflow( 'onboarding' )
    ->then( CreateAccountHandler::class )
    ->run_workflow( 'enrich_user', $enrichment )
    ->then( SendWelcomeEmailHandler::class )
    ->dispatch( [ 'email' => 'user@example.com' ] );
```

The `run_workflow()` method takes two arguments:
1. A name for the run-workflow
2. A `WorkflowBuilder` instance defining the run-workflow's steps

## How it works

When the parent workflow reaches a `run_workflow` step:

1. The run-workflow is dispatched as an independent workflow with its own ID
2. The parent workflow pauses
3. The run-workflow runs through its steps normally
4. When the run-workflow completes, its final state is merged into the parent's state
5. The parent workflow resumes with the next step

## Parent/child state

The run-workflow receives the parent's current accumulated state as its initial payload. This means child steps can access any data produced by earlier parent steps:

```php
class CreateAccountHandler implements Step {
    public function handle( array $state ): array {
        $user_id = wp_create_user( $state['email'], wp_generate_password() );
        return [ 'user_id' => $user_id ];
    }

    public function config(): array {
        return [];
    }
}

// This run-workflow step can access 'user_id' from the parent
class FetchSocialHandler implements Step {
    public function handle( array $state ): array {
        $profile = fetch_social_profile( $state['user_id'] );
        return [ 'social_data' => $profile ];
    }

    public function config(): array {
        return [];
    }
}
```

## State merging

When the run-workflow completes, its final state (excluding internal keys like `_steps`, `_queue`, `_priority`, `_max_attempts`) is merged into the parent's state. The next parent step sees all data from both the parent's earlier steps and the run-workflow:

```php
class SendWelcomeEmailHandler implements Step {
    public function handle( array $state ): array {
        // Has access to:
        // - $state['email'] (from initial dispatch)
        // - $state['user_id'] (from CreateAccountHandler)
        // - $state['social_data'] (from run-workflow's FetchSocialHandler)
        // - $state['credit_score'] (from run-workflow's FetchCreditScoreHandler)

        send_welcome_email( $state['email'], $state['social_data'] );
        return [ 'welcome_sent' => true ];
    }

    public function config(): array {
        return [];
    }
}
```

## Run-workflow options

The run-workflow builder supports the same options as a regular workflow:

```php
$sub = Queuety::workflow( 'heavy_processing' )
    ->on_queue( 'background' )
    ->with_priority( Priority::Normal )
    ->max_attempts( 5 )
    ->then( StepA::class )
    ->then( StepB::class );

Queuety::workflow( 'parent' )
    ->run_workflow( 'heavy', $sub )
    ->then( FinalStep::class )
    ->dispatch( $payload );
```

## Nested run-workflows

Run-workflows can themselves contain run-workflows, allowing arbitrary nesting:

```php
$inner = Queuety::workflow( 'inner' )
    ->then( InnerStepA::class )
    ->then( InnerStepB::class );

$middle = Queuety::workflow( 'middle' )
    ->then( MiddleStepA::class )
    ->run_workflow( 'inner', $inner )
    ->then( MiddleStepB::class );

Queuety::workflow( 'outer' )
    ->then( OuterStepA::class )
    ->run_workflow( 'middle', $middle )
    ->then( OuterStepB::class )
    ->dispatch( $payload );
```