Merge pull request #365 from hjotha/submit/microflow-inheritance-split-cast

feat: support inheritance split and cast statements

Author: ako

.claude/skills/mendix/write-microflows.md

@@ -340,6 +340,23 @@ end case;
 
 `(empty)` represents an unset enumeration value. Multiple values can share one `when` branch by separating them with commas. Case values are bare identifiers — do **not** quote them.
 
+### Type Split And Cast Statements
+
+Use `split type` when a microflow branches on an object's runtime specialization.
+Use `cast` inside a type branch to create the specialized variable used by the branch body.
+
+```mdl
+split type $Input
+case Sample.SpecializedInput
+  cast $SpecificInput;
+  return true;
+else
+  return false;
+end split;
+```
+
+`case` values are qualified entity names. The optional `else` branch handles objects that do not match any listed specialization.
+
 ### LOOP Statements
 
 ```mdl

docs/01-project/MDL_QUICK_REFERENCE.md

@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@ authentication basic, session
 | Free annotation | `@annotation 'text'` before `@position(...)` | Free-floating visual note preserved by order |
 | IF | `if condition then ... [else ...] end if;` | |
 | Enum split | `case $Var when Value then ... end case;` | Enumeration decision branches |
+| Type split | `split type $Var case Module.Entity ... end split;` | Runtime specialization branches |
+| Cast | `cast $SpecificVar;` | Downcast inside a type split branch |
 | LOOP | `loop $item in $list begin ... end loop;` | FOR EACH over list |
 | WHILE | `while condition begin ... end while;` | Condition-based loop |
 | Return | `return $value;` | Required at end of every flow path |

docs/11-proposals/PROPOSAL_microflow_inheritance_split_statement.md

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# Proposal: Microflow Inheritance Split And Cast Statements
+
+Status: Draft
+
+## Summary
+
+Add round-trip MDL support for type-based microflow decisions and cast actions:
+
+```mdl
+split type $Input
+case Sample.SpecializedInput
+  cast $SpecificInput;
+else
+  return false;
+end split;
+```
+
+## Motivation
+
+Studio Pro represents specialization/type decisions as `InheritanceSplit` objects and stores downcasts as `CastAction` activities. Without first-class MDL statements, `describe` can only emit unsupported comments or incomplete split output, and `exec` cannot rebuild the same graph.
+
+## Semantics
+
+`split type $Var` evaluates the runtime specialization of an object variable. Each `case Module.Entity` branch corresponds to an outgoing sequence flow with an `InheritanceCase`. The optional `else` branch maps to the outgoing flow without an inheritance case.
+
+`cast $Output` emits a `CastAction` that produces the downcast variable. `$Output = cast $Input` is accepted for source-preserving authoring, but current Mendix BSON stores the generated cast variable as the primary persisted field.
+
+## Tests And Examples
+
+`mdl-examples/doctype-tests/inheritance_split_statement.test.mdl` demonstrates the syntax. Go regression tests cover parser construction, builder output, describer output, validation recursion, and BSON writer support for inheritance case values and cast actions.
+
+## Open Questions
+
+- Should `exec` validate `case Module.Entity` against the project's specialization hierarchy when connected?
+- Should the source-preserving `$Output = cast $Input` form round-trip both variable names once the underlying BSON fields are confirmed for all supported Mendix versions?

docs/11-proposals/README.md

@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ BSON schema Registry ◄──── multi-version Support
 | [Microflow ENUM SPLIT Statement](PROPOSAL_microflow_enum_split_statement.md) | Implemented | Enumeration decision splits via `case $Var when Value then … end case;` | — |
 | [Microflow CHANGE Refresh Modifier](PROPOSAL_microflow_change_refresh_modifier.md) | Draft | Preserve `RefreshInClient` on change-object actions | — |
 | [Microflow ADD Expression To List](PROPOSAL_microflow_add_expression_to_list.md) | Draft | Preserve expression-valued list-add actions in microflow round-trips | — |
+| [Microflow Inheritance Split And Cast Statements](PROPOSAL_microflow_inheritance_split_statement.md) | Draft | Preserve type-based microflow decisions and cast actions in round-trips | — |
 | [LLM MDL Assistance](PROPOSAL_llm_mdl_assistance.md) | Proposed | Enhanced error messages with examples, reorganized skills by use case | — |
 
 ### Testing & Evaluation

mdl-examples/doctype-tests/inheritance_split_statement.test.mdl

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+create module InheritanceSplitExample;
+
+create persistent entity InheritanceSplitExample.BaseInput (
+  Name: String(200)
+);
+/
+
+create persistent entity InheritanceSplitExample.SpecializedInput extends InheritanceSplitExample.BaseInput (
+  Code: String(50)
+);
+/
+
+create microflow InheritanceSplitExample.RouteInput (
+  $Input: InheritanceSplitExample.BaseInput
+)
+returns boolean
+begin
+  split type $Input
+  case InheritanceSplitExample.SpecializedInput
+    cast $SpecializedInput;
+    return true;
+  else
+    return false;
+  end split;
+end;
+/

mdl/ast/ast_microflow.go

@@ -116,7 +116,31 @@ type EnumSplitStmt struct {
 	Annotations *ActivityAnnotations // Optional @position, @caption, @color, @annotation
 }
 
+// InheritanceSplitCase represents one typed branch in an inheritance split.
+type InheritanceSplitCase struct {
+	Entity QualifiedName
+	Body   []MicroflowStatement
+}
+
+// InheritanceSplitStmt represents: SPLIT TYPE $Var ... END SPLIT
+type InheritanceSplitStmt struct {
+	Variable    string // Variable name without $ prefix
+	Cases       []InheritanceSplitCase
+	ElseBody    []MicroflowStatement
+	Annotations *ActivityAnnotations // Optional @position, @caption, @color, @annotation
+}
+
 func (s *EnumSplitStmt) isMicroflowStatement() {}
+func (s *InheritanceSplitStmt) isMicroflowStatement() {}
+
+// CastObjectStmt represents: $Output = CAST $Object
+type CastObjectStmt struct {
+	OutputVariable string               // Output variable name without $ prefix
+	ObjectVariable string               // Source object variable name without $ prefix
+	Annotations    *ActivityAnnotations // Optional @position, @caption, @color, @annotation
+}
+
+func (s *CastObjectStmt) isMicroflowStatement() {}
 
 // MfSetStmt represents: SET $Var = expr or SET $Var/Attr = expr
 // (Named MfSetStmt to avoid conflict with existing SetStmt for SET key = value)

mdl/executor/cmd_diff_mdl.go

@@ -447,6 +447,29 @@ func microflowStatementToMDL(ctx *ExecContext, stmt ast.MicroflowStatement, inde
 		}
 		lines = append(lines, indentStr+"end case;")
 
+	case *ast.InheritanceSplitStmt:
+		lines = append(lines, fmt.Sprintf("%ssplit type $%s", indentStr, s.Variable))
+		for _, c := range s.Cases {
+			lines = append(lines, fmt.Sprintf("%scase %s", indentStr, c.Entity.String()))
+			for _, caseStmt := range c.Body {
+				lines = append(lines, microflowStatementToMDL(ctx, caseStmt, indent+1)...)
+			}
+		}
+		if len(s.ElseBody) > 0 {
+			lines = append(lines, indentStr+"else")
+			for _, elseStmt := range s.ElseBody {
+				lines = append(lines, microflowStatementToMDL(ctx, elseStmt, indent+1)...)
+			}
+		}
+		lines = append(lines, indentStr+"end split;")
+
+	case *ast.CastObjectStmt:
+		if s.ObjectVariable == "" {
+			lines = append(lines, fmt.Sprintf("%scast $%s;", indentStr, s.OutputVariable))
+		} else {
+			lines = append(lines, fmt.Sprintf("%s$%s = cast $%s;", indentStr, s.OutputVariable, s.ObjectVariable))
+		}
+
 	case *ast.LoopStmt:
 		lines = append(lines, fmt.Sprintf("%sloop $%s in $%s", indentStr, s.LoopVariable, s.ListVariable))
 		for _, bodyStmt := range s.Body {