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Developer Workflow

This document outlines the flexible workflows for developers creating integration microservices using the Talisman Platform.

Overview

Depending on the integration requirements, an engineer can choose from three distinct starting points. Whether you are building traditional data pipelines, designing strict REST contracts, or architecting event-driven systems, Talisman provides a tailored path that converges on a unified runtime experience.

graph TD
    subgraph S1 [Data Pipeline]
        direction TB
        P1(Create Project)
    end

    subgraph S2 [REST API]
        direction TB
        P2(Create Project) --> OA(Design OpenAPI)
        OA --> GR2(Generate Routes)
    end

    subgraph S3 [Event-Driven]
        direction TB
        AA(Design Shared AsyncAPI) --> GP3(Generate Projects)
        GP3 --> GR3(Generate Routes)
    end

    %% Convergence
    R1(Implement Routes)
    GR2 --> R1
    GR3 --> R1
    P1 --> R1
    R1 --> DevMode

    %% Common Steps
    DevMode(Run in Developer Mode) --> Build(Build & Deploy)
    Build --> Monitor(Monitor in Dashboard)

    %% Styling
    style DevMode fill:#e978261a,stroke:#E97826
    style Build fill:#e978261a,stroke:#E97826
    style Monitor fill:#e978261a,stroke:#E97826
    style R1 fill:#e978261a,stroke:#E97826

    style S1 fill:#fff,stroke:#333,stroke-dasharray: 5 5
    style S2 fill:#fff,stroke:#333,stroke-dasharray: 5 5
    style S3 fill:#fff,stroke:#333,stroke-dasharray: 5 5

Traditional Data Pipelines

Best for: Database migrations, file transfers, scheduled jobs, and internal system orchestration.

In this workflow, the developer works directly with Apache Camel constructs to move and transform data.

  1. Create Project: Initialize a generic integration workspace.
  2. Implement Routes: Use the Camel Designer to define logic (e.g., from(timer).to(db)).
  3. Configure Beans: Define connections for Databases, JMS brokers, or specialized components.
  4. Run & Deploy: Enter the common developer loop.

REST API First

Best for: Exposing synchronous microservices to web or mobile clients.

In this workflow, the contract defines the implementation. The developer focuses on the API structure before writing logic.

  1. Create Project: Initialize a generic integration workspace.
  2. Design OpenAPI Contract: Use the OpenAPI Designer to define Paths, Data Types, and Responses specific to this project.
  3. Generate Routes: Talisman generates the Apache Camel Route with direct:{{operationId}} for each Operation
  4. Implement Logic: Connect the generated API operations to business logic routes.
  5. Run & Deploy: Enter the common developer loop.

Event-Driven Architecture

Best for: Asynchronous messaging, pub/sub systems, and inter-service communication.

In this workflow, the architecture is defined globally using a shared contract.

  1. Design Shared AsyncAPI: Use the AsyncAPI Designer to model the topology, defining Servers, Channels, and Messages for the entire platform.
  2. Generate Projects & Routes: The designer scaffolds the specific microservices (Projects) and generates the send/receive routes automatically.
  3. Implement Logic: Add business logic between the pre-wired inputs and outputs.
  4. Run & Deploy: Enter the common developer loop.

Common Runtime Steps

Regardless of the chosen starting point, all workflows converge on the standard Talisman runtime lifecycle.

Run in Developer Mode

To facilitate rapid iteration, Talisman runs your integration in a dedicated container with hot reload capabilities.

  • Trace: Examine message exchanges in real-time.
  • Debug: Inspect headers and body payloads as they flow through routes.

Follow the Developer Mode guide.

Build and Deploy

Once the logic is verified, Talisman automates the packaging process.

  • Containerize: Builds an OCI-compliant image (Docker).
  • Deploy: Pushes to your Kubernetes cluster or registry.

Follow the Build and Deployment Guide.

Monitor with Dashboard

After deployment, the Talisman Dashboard provides observability out of the box.

  • Metrics: View throughput, failure rates, and latency.
  • Topology: Visualize how your service connects to the rest of the ecosystem.

More information about Monitoring and Dashboard.