This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.
SmartBotic is a workflow automation and execution platform with a microservices architecture. The backend is C++20 with gRPC communication, and the frontend is React/TypeScript.
# Debug build
mkdir build && cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ..
make
# Release build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
make
# With Address Sanitizer
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DENABLE_ASAN=ON ..
make
cd webui
npm install
npm run dev # Dev server (port 3000, proxies to localhost:8090)
npm run build # Production build
npm run lint # ESLint
The database is not built from this repo - it is the standalone upstream
smartbotic-database daemon, installed from the SmartBotics APT repository and
managed as a system service. Start it first, then the in-repo services:
# 1. Upstream database daemon (gRPC port 9004)
sudo systemctl start smartbotic-database
# 2. WebServer (HTTP port 8090, gRPC port 9012)
./build/smartbotic-webserver
# 3. Runner(s) (gRPC port 9011)
./build/smartbotic-runner
# Or use systemd for the in-repo services
systemctl --user start smartbotic.target
journalctl --user -u smartbotic-* -f
Both the database address and the project namespace are configurable everywhere,
via config/webserver.json and config/runner.json:
| Key | Default | Env override |
|---|---|---|
database_address |
localhost:9004 |
DATABASE_ADDRESS |
database_project |
smartbotic-automation |
DATABASE_PROJECT |
One smartbotic-database instance is shared by several projects. database_project
is the multi-tenant namespace (upstream client >= 2.3): the client transparently
sends every collection as <project>:<collection>, so our data stays isolated from
other services on the same daemon. Never set it to default - that is the shared
back-compat namespace where projects collide.
Both persist through the external smartbotic-database daemon (upstream repo:
ssh://git@git.smartbotics.ai:10022/fszontagh/smartbotic-database.git), consumed
as the libsmartbotic-db-client-dev APT package. cmake/FindPackages.cmake locates
it via find_package(smartbotic-db-client CONFIG REQUIRED) → target smartbotic::db-client.
lib/storage/storage_client.{hpp,cpp} is a thin PIMPL adapter over
smartbotic::database::Client, so callers never touch the upstream API directly.
WebUI (React) → HTTP/WebSocket → WebServer → gRPC → smartbotic-database (external)
↓
gRPC → Runner(s) → executes workflows
lib/ - Shared libraries (common utilities, config loader, logging, storage client)proto/ - Protocol Buffer definitions for gRPC servicessrc/ - Microservice implementationsnodes/ - Built-in workflow node definitions (JavaScript modules)webui/ - React frontendconfig/ - Runtime JSON configuration filesWorkflow nodes are JavaScript modules in nodes/ with this interface:
module.exports = {
configSchema: { /* JSON Schema */ },
inputSchema: { /* JSON Schema */ },
outputSchema: { /* JSON Schema */ },
execute: async (config, input, context) => { /* returns output */ }
}
Nodes are loaded by the Runner service and executed in QuickJS. Hot-reload is supported.
See docs/nodes.md for complete node creation guide.
See docs/node-roadmap.md for nodes worth building next.
After creating or modifying nodes in nodes/, migrate them to the running database:
# 1. Login to get JWT token
TOKEN=$(curl -s http://localhost:8090/api/v1/auth/login \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"username": "admin", "password": "admin"}' | jq -r '.accessToken')
# 2. Migrate nodes from filesystem to database
curl -X POST http://localhost:8090/api/v1/nodes/migrate \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"nodesPath": "./nodes"}'
# 3. Verify nodes are loaded
curl -s http://localhost:8090/api/v1/nodes \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" | jq '.nodes[] | "\(.id) - \(.name)"'
Runners automatically receive node updates via gRPC streaming - no restart required.
Services load JSON configs from config/ directory:
webserver.json - HTTP port, JWT settings, runner load balancing, database_addressrunner.json - Runner ID, max concurrent executions, hot reload settings, database_addressThe database daemon has its own config at /etc/smartbotic-database/config.json,
owned by the upstream package - not by this repo.
Environment variables can override config values using ${VAR_NAME:default} syntax.