Workflow templates instead of default sample workflows #1720

Proposal

Stop inserting default workflows into the site. Provide templates instead.

Today, sample workflows are created once as disabled workflow posts (draft) and listed with real workflows. They can be activated and executed. Templates should not live on the site as deactivated workflows.

A template is still a workflow, edited in the same workflow editor, but the engine must not execute it. The only operation is copy: copying a template creates a new workflow, and that new workflow is what can be published and run.

Behavior

• Do not create the current sample workflows as posts on new installs.
• Leave sample posts already created on existing sites alone. Do not delete or convert them in this change.
• A template defines an optional list of input params. Those params are available inside the workflow as variables.
• Any workflow can be marked as a template. Marking it as a template takes it out of the executable set.
• Copying a template asks for those params (a form) and writes the values into the new workflow.
• Same capability as creating workflows: edit_publishpress_workflows. Publishing the resulting workflow stays on publish_publishpress_workflows.

Admin

Separate Templates menu. Do not mix templates into the Action Workflows list.

• Manage templates from that menu.
• New workflow from template on the workflows list, and a template picker in the editor.
• Selecting a template opens the param form, then opens the copy in the existing workflow editor.

Out of scope

Registering a template as an MCP tool is a follow-up, not part of this issue.

Related

• Current samples: src/Modules/Workflows/Controllers/SampleWorkflows.php
• Allow users to import some pre-created workflows #1301