WJb Docs - Intermediate

✅ Complete vs Next

Every action must tell WJb what should happen after it finishes.

There are two primary outcomes:

• Complete — the workflow ends
• Next — one or more new jobs are scheduled

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Complete

Use Complete when the current job is the final step.

No result

return await CompleteAsync();

With a result

return Results.Complete(
    new { Sent = true, MessageId = "abc-123" });

Scalar values are also supported:

return Results.Complete(42);
return Results.Complete("done");
return Results.Complete(true);

The returned value becomes the job result and is stored.

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Next

Use Next when the workflow should continue.

Single next step

return await NextAsync<LogAction>(
    new LogInput { Message = "Email sent" });

This creates one new job for LogAction.

Multiple next steps (fan-out)

return Results.Next(
    JobCommands.Next<LogAction>(
        new LogInput { Message = "Email sent" }),
    JobCommands.Next<AuditAction>(
        new AuditInput { Event = "email" }));

Both jobs are enqueued and can run independently.

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Side-by-Side

| Intention | Return | Effect | |-------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| | Finish the workflow | CompleteAsync() | Job marked Completed | | Finish and save a value | Results.Complete(value) | Job Completed + result stored | | Continue with one action | NextAsync(payload) | One new job created | | Continue with several actions | Results.Next(...) | Multiple new jobs created |

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Typical Pattern

public override async Task<IActionResult> ExecuteAsync(
    EmailInput input,
    CancellationToken ct)
{
    // do the work
    await SendEmailAsync(input, ct);
// decide what happens next
    return await NextAsync<LogAction>(
        new LogInput { Message = $"Email sent to {input.To}" });
}

Later, in LogAction:

return await CompleteAsync();

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Key Point

• Complete ends the current branch of the workflow.
• Next creates the continuation.

The action always makes this decision explicitly.