Purpose: Help developers and AI agents choose the correct wizard system for their use case. Last Updated: 2026-04-14Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.encoreos.io/llms.txt
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Quick Decision
Decision Tree
Detailed Comparison
Form Wizard (FW-31)
What it is: Multi-step mode for FW-01 forms with guided progression, step validation, and draft persistence. Best for:- ✅ Multi-page surveys with conditional sections
- ✅ Intake forms with step-by-step data collection
- ✅ Assessments that need progress tracking
- ✅ Forms where all steps are standard form fields
fw_form_submissions table
Key features:
- Extends existing FW-01 multi-page forms
- Step-level validation before advancing
- Progress tracking with visual indicator
- Auto-save drafts on step transition
- Conditional step visibility based on prior answers
- Resident intake wizard (collect demographics → medical → emergency contacts)
- Employee satisfaction survey (multiple sections)
- Compliance assessment (step through requirements)
- Application forms (personal → education → experience)
- Create a multi-page form in FW-01
- Enable wizard mode in form settings (
wizard_config) - Configure step validation and visibility conditions
Module Wizard (PF-41)
What it is: Configurable business process wizard with custom step components, stored inpf_wizard_templates.
Best for:
- ✅ Employee onboarding (creates employee, credentials, access)
- ✅ Resident admission (creates resident record, bed assignment, intake docs)
- ✅ Payroll runs (validates, calculates, approves, submits)
- ✅ Any process that creates records in multiple module tables
hr_onboarding_instances, rh_admissions)
Key features:
- Custom React components for complex steps
- Organization-customizable wizard templates
- System templates with cloning support
- Step registry per module
- Cross-module wizard support (Phase 3)
- Wizard marketplace for sharing templates
- Employee onboarding (HR module) - creates employee, credentials, system access
- Resident admission (RH module) - creates resident, assigns bed, generates intake forms
- Payroll run (HR module) - validates data, calculates, gets approval, submits
- Organization setup (PF) - configures org settings, creates admin, enables modules
- Create wizard template in
pf_wizard_templates - Register custom step components in module step registry
- Create wizard page using
ModuleWizardRenderer
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Aspect | Form Wizard (FW-31) | Module Wizard (PF-41) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Data capture | Business process |
| Data Destination | fw_form_submissions | Module-specific tables |
| Step Types | Form fields only | Form, Custom, Review |
| Custom Components | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Per-module registry |
| Org Customization | Field configuration | Full step customization |
| Draft Storage | wizard_progress JSONB | Module execution tables |
| Template System | Form templates (FW-01) | pf_wizard_templates |
| Marketplace | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Phase 3 |
Common Mistakes
❌ Using Form Wizard for Business Processes
Wrong: Creating an FW-31 form wizard for employee onboarding Problem:- Data goes to
fw_form_submissions, not HR tables - Can’t create employee records, credentials, system access
- No custom components for complex steps
❌ Using Module Wizard for Simple Data Capture
Wrong: Building a PF-41 wizard for a satisfaction survey Problem:- Overkill for simple form data
- Requires custom step component registration
- Data needs to go to form submissions anyway
❌ Building Custom Wizard Instead of Using Platform
Wrong: Creating a custom wizard component from scratch Problem:- Duplicates existing infrastructure
- Misses draft persistence, validation, progress tracking
- No organization customization support
Integration Points
Form Wizard (FW-31) integrates with:
- FW-01 (Form Builder) - Base form infrastructure
- FW-05 (Multi-Page Forms) - Page structure
- FW-15 (Lookups) - Dynamic dropdowns
- PF-10 (Notifications) - Resume email
Module Wizard (PF-41) integrates with:
- PF-01 (Organizations) - Multi-tenant scoping
- PF-02 (RBAC) - Permission checks
- Module step registries - Custom components
- Module data tables - Record creation
Shell Selection (After Choosing FW-31 or PF-41)
Once you’ve decided on FW-31 or PF-41, choose the rendering shell:Shell Decision Tree
Shell Quick Reference
| Shell | When | Layout |
|---|---|---|
WizardShell layout="horizontal" | 3-5 step full-page wizard | Sticky header stepper |
WizardShell layout="timeline" | 5+ steps, complex flows | Vertical timeline sidebar |
WizardShell layout="sidebar" | Data-heavy operational wizards | Full sidebar with progress |
DialogWizardShell | Short creation/entry flows | Dialog with horizontal stepper |
ModuleWizardRenderer | Template-driven configurable | Auto-selects layout from config |
Step Icons
All wizard steps SHOULD include a Lucide icon. ForWizardShell, pass components directly via step.icon. For PF-41 templates, use string keys from WIZARD_STEP_ICONS and resolve with resolveStepIcon() from @/platform/wizards.
Common assignments: user (personal info), mail (contact), calendar (schedule), briefcase (employment), wallet (payment), file-text (documents), shield-check (credentials), review (review/summary), complete (success).
Validation Pattern Selection
Use one validation pattern per wizard (do not mix):ModuleWizardRenderertemplate steps: PF-41validation.rules.registerWizardStepcustom steps:StepComponentProps(onValidate) for new code.WizardShell/DialogWizardShell: step-localreact-hook-formvalidation beforeonNext.
Step Naming Conventions
Prefer these standard titles for consistency:Personal Information, Contact Information, Employment Details, Schedule, Payment Information, Documents, Credentials, Consent & Agreements, Configuration, Review & Submit, Complete.
When a flow needs domain-specific wording, keep semantic intent equivalent (for example, Position & Department or Review & Finalize).
Related Documentation
- TERMINOLOGY.md - Wizard terminology definitions
- FW-31 Spec - Form Wizard specification
- PF-41 Spec - Module Wizard specification
- Clarity Analysis - Feature comparison
- Template Selection Guide - Choosing template types
Last Updated: 2026-05-13