Workflow Reliability term
Step state: meaning, examples, and AI prompt use.
Names the lifecycle of each step so the app knows what is editable, complete, blocked, or recoverable.
What it means
Plain meaning
wizard step status: Names the lifecycle of each step so the app knows what is editable, complete, blocked, or recoverable.
Aliases
wizard step status, form step state, stage status
People say / experts say
People usually say
- current step
- completed step
- incomplete step
- blocked step
- between steps
- stage status
Experts usually say
Step state, Statechart, Guard condition, Transition table
When to use it
Use it when
Your rough ask sounds like: current step, completed step, incomplete step. The term gives your coding agent a clearer problem shape.
When not to use it
Do not use this term as a request for a quick screen fix. Use it when the system needs explicit state, rules, failures, or recovery behavior.
Copy-ready handoff phrase
Before and after
Weak ask
Fix this current step flow.
Exact Terms ask
Define step state for every screen: not started, active, valid, blocked, complete, failed, and recoverable.
Prompt templates by use case
Architecture prompt
Audit this workflow for Step state and related concerns: Statechart, Guard condition, Transition table. Return states, rules, failure modes, and recovery behavior before code.
Implementation prompt
Implement Step state for this app flow. Include data ownership, edge cases, fallback behavior, and acceptance tests.
Test prompt
Create tests that prove Step state works across refresh, retry, back/next movement, partial failure, and return visits.
Common mistake
What goes wrong
Asking for code before defining states, transitions, persistence, and failure behavior.
Better move
Use Step state with the related vocabulary trail: Statechart, Guard condition, Transition table.