Creating a script manually

Introduction

If you're experienced in creating scripts for Patchworks and know exactly how to achieve what's needed, you can jump straight into the code. With the build & test page in manual mode, you have a full code editor with an integrated test panel alongside:

If you'd prefer some help, toggle into AI mode at any time and ask the script assistant — see Creating a script with AI.

The build & test page

The key elements of this page are summarised below:

Element	Summary
Manual / AI toggle	Switch between writing code yourself and building with AI. You can move between the two freely — for example, generate a draft with AI, then fine-tune it by hand.
Version menu	Choose which version of the script you're working on, or start a new version. The counter alongside shows how many of the available 10 versions are used.
Code editor	A full code editor with syntax highlighting and line numbers. The status bar shows the language and version you're editing, together with your cursor position.
Test inputs / Logs	The integrated test panel — see Testing scripts.
Save / Save & continue	Save the current version. Saving does NOT deploy the script — see Deploying scripts & managing versions.
Settings	Open the script's settings to update basic details (such as the runtime version).
Full screen	Expand the editor to fill your browser window — see below.

Adding & editing script code

When your script is first created, the editor is pre-loaded with a starter template for your chosen script type and language. The template documents the inputs your script receives and the output it's expected to return — for example, the JavaScript template for a General script:

javascript

/**
 * Custom script — general-purpose transform over the flow payload.
 *
 * @param data
 * @param {string|null} data.payload the payload as a string|null
 * @param {Object} data.meta metadata key/value pairs
 * @param {Object} data.flow flow execution state; read/write flow variables on data.flow.variables
 * @returns {{payload: string|null, meta: Object, flow: Object, logs: string[]}}
 */
module.exports = async function (data) {
  return data;
};

Work on the template to build the script that you need. Whatever the script type, the standard inputs — variables, flow variables and metadata — are always available to your script.

For sample scripts in all supported languages, see our custom script examples.

The full-screen editor

For longer scripts, click the expand icon (top right) to open the full-screen editor:

Everything you need is still to hand — the manual/AI toggle, version menu, save, and a collapsible test panel so you can run the script without leaving full-screen mode. Click the collapse icon to return to the standard view.

Saving your work

When you're ready, save the script:

• Save — saves the current version and stays on the page.

• Save & continue — saves the current version and moves you on.

Saving a version does not deploy it — nothing that's live is affected until you choose to deploy. This means you can save work-in-progress as often as you like.

Having saved your code, make sure you test it before deploying.