GitHub user yangzhang75 edited a discussion: Proposal: Unify Macro & Template (one concept, two use cases)
## Summary A **Macro** is a reusable, parameterized piece of workflow. The "Template" idea from #6070 is really just an **edge case of a Macro** — a macro used to generate a whole workflow. So instead of two separate features, we treat **Macro as the general concept**. A Macro can be used **two ways**: 1. **Inside a workflow** — embed it as a building-block node. <img width="1454" height="772" alt="Screenshot 2026-08-06 at 4 38 21 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d81f320e-d975-409f-81ac-bac4ec0183bc"; /> 2. **To generate a workflow** — fill its parameters to produce a runnable workflow. This is the real use case for biologists. <img width="1464" height="773" alt="Screenshot 2026-08-06 at 4 37 45 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/be5715c4-52ba-4fdd-a6b8-6a3d57abfa76"; /> ## Background #6070 proposed **Templates**: on a whole workflow, mark some operator properties as configurable, let a user fill a small form, and generate a new runnable workflow. We also have **Macros** (#5115): reusable sub-graphs you drop into a workflow. These are the same underlying idea — so rather than maintain two features, a Template becomes a special case of a Macro. ## The two ways to use a Macro 1. **Inside a workflow (building block).** Drop a Macro node onto the canvas; macros can be nested. 2. **To generate a workflow (biologist use case).** A dedicated page shows a read-only preview plus a form of just the macro's configurable parameters; fill them and Run to produce an independent, runnable workflow. This is what #6070 called a Template. ## How Macro and Template relate - A macro that isn't runnable on its own → a building block used inside a workflow (way 1). - A macro that is runnable on its own → can generate a complete workflow (way 2). **That's the old Template.** ## Sharing A Macro can be shared / made public and browsed in the Hub, like workflows. ## Status A working prototype exists. Design details are still being worked out — this is mainly to align on the overall direction. Continues #6070. GitHub link: https://github.com/apache/texera/discussions/7368 ---- This is an automatically sent email for [email protected]. To unsubscribe, please send an email to: [email protected]
