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Task Orchestration in Dana

(This document is a placeholder. It will focus on how Dana can be used to define and manage sequences of tasks, including conditional logic, loops, error handling, and parallel execution if supported by the concurrency model. This is key for building complex agent behaviors and workflows.)

Key Aspects to Cover:

  • Defining Tasks:
  • What constitutes a "task" in this context? (e.g., a Dana function call, a resource method invocation, a block of Dana code).
  • Representing tasks and their dependencies.
  • Sequential Orchestration:
  • Using standard Dana control flow (assignments, function calls) to execute tasks in sequence.
  • Passing data between tasks.
  • Conditional Logic:
  • Using if/else statements in Dana to alter task flow based on conditions or results from previous tasks.
  • Loops for Repetitive Tasks:
  • Using for and while loops in Dana to repeat tasks or iterate over collections of data.
  • Error Handling in Task Sequences:
  • Using try/catch blocks to manage errors from individual tasks and implement recovery or alternative paths.
  • Retry mechanisms for fallible tasks (e.g., network calls).
  • State Management Across Tasks:
  • Leveraging SandboxContext to maintain and share state between tasks in an orchestration.
  • Parallel Task Execution (Dependent on Concurrency Model):
  • Syntax and semantics for launching tasks in parallel.
  • Synchronization points (e.g., waiting for all parallel tasks to complete).
  • Handling results and errors from parallel tasks.
  • Sub-Workflows/Sub-Orchestrations:
  • Encapsulating sequences of tasks into reusable Dana functions.
  • Dynamic Task Generation:
  • How an agent might decide on the next task or sequence of tasks dynamically based on its current state and goals (e.g., an LLM-driven planner outputting a task list that Dana then executes).
  • Examples of Task Orchestration:
  • A simple data processing pipeline (e.g., fetch data, transform data, store data).
  • A multi-step agent behavior (e.g., receive user request, query knowledge base, formulate response, deliver response).
  • Tooling/Libraries for Orchestration (Future):
  • Are there plans for higher-level orchestration libraries or DSLs built on top of Dana, or will orchestration primarily rely on core Dana language features?

Self-reflection: Effective task orchestration is fundamental to creating sophisticated agents. Dana's core language features should provide a solid foundation, and this document will explore how they are best applied to this domain, and what, if any, higher-level abstractions might be beneficial.