cap-n8n

A SAP CAP plugin that maps the @cap-js/process shape onto n8n: a programmatic Workflow API, @n8n.trigger annotations routed through the transactional outbox, and a typed cds import --from n8n.

The only thing you need to provide is an n8n service key (a base URL + API key from any n8n instance). Everything else — seeding workflows, activating, triggering, polling executions, asserting — runs autonomously.

At a glance

Annotations — fire n8n webhooks on lifecycle events, after commit, via the transactional outbox:

@n8n.trigger: 'book-ordered'                                  // CREATE + UPDATE
entity Orders as projection on my.Orders;

@n8n.trigger: { workflow: 'book-saved', on: ['SAVE'] }        // CRUD + Fiori draft events
@odata.draft.enabled entity Books as projection on my.Books;

Programmatic API — drive workflows from your handlers:

const n8n = await cds.connect.to('n8n')
await n8n.trigger('book-ordered', { book: 'Moby Dick' })      // POST /webhook/:path
const execs = await n8n.listExecutions(workflowId)            // poll & assert results

Typed import — turn a workflow into a typed CDS service:

cds import workflow.json --from n8n
#   → action trigger(book: String, quantity: Integer) returns { executionId: String };

Console mode in development (no n8n needed), .env or BTP destination otherwise.

Getting started — the sample app

test/bookshop is the reference application: a minimal bookshop showing every feature (all annotation forms, draft events, bound actions, the typed import, and the test setup). It runs without any n8n instance:

npm install && npm run build
cd test/bookshop
npm run watch        # console mode — triggers are logged, no n8n needed
npm run watch:live   # real mode — needs an n8n service key in .env (see .env.example)

Start there: test/bookshop/README.md walks through firing each trigger with curl and using the app as a template for your own project.

Install

npm add cap-n8n

Configure connectivity

Local development — drop the service key into a .env file (gitignored):

N8N_BASE_URL=https://your-instance.app.n8n.cloud
N8N_API_KEY=eyJ...your-api-key...

By default the plugin runs in console mode (kind: n8n-console): triggers are logged and a synthetic executionId is returned, so the app runs with no instance at all. To talk to a real instance locally, run with the REST kind, e.g.:

cds watch --profile hybrid   # or set requires.n8n.kind = 'n8n-rest'

Production (BTP) — user-provided service (simplest) — create and bind a user-provided service instance carrying the service key. CAP merges its credentials into cds.requires.n8n.credentials automatically:

cf create-user-provided-service n8n -p '{"baseUrl":"https://your.n8n.cloud","apiKey":"eyJ..."}'
cf bind-service <your-app> n8n

If the instance has a different name, point CAP at it from your app config:

{ "cds": { "requires": { "n8n": { "vcap": { "name": "my-n8n" } } } } }

Production / hybrid (BTP) — destination — alternatively bind a destination named n8n. Put the base URL in the destination URL and the API key in the additional property URL.headers.X-N8N-API-KEY. The plugin resolves it via @sap-cloud-sdk/connectivity, exactly like @cap-js/notifications.

Inline credentials — you can also put credentials directly in your app config and keep the secret in an environment variable via the env: indirection:

{
  "cds": {
    "requires": {
      "n8n": {
        "credentials": { "baseUrl": "https://your.n8n.cloud", "apiKey": "env:N8N_API_KEY" }
      }
    }
  }
}

Resolution order: bound/inline credentials (incl. cds bind in hybrid mode) → BTP destination → N8N_BASE_URL/N8N_API_KEY environment variables.

Programmatic API

const n8n = await cds.connect.to('n8n')

await n8n.trigger('book-ordered', { book: 'Moby Dick', buyer: '[email protected]' }) // POST /webhook/:path
await n8n.activate(workflowId)         // POST /api/v1/workflows/:id/activate
await n8n.deactivate(workflowId)       // POST /api/v1/workflows/:id/deactivate
await n8n.listExecutions(workflowId)   // GET  /api/v1/executions?workflowId=
await n8n.getExecution(executionId)    // GET  /api/v1/executions/:id?includeData=true
await n8n.createWorkflow(json)         // POST /api/v1/workflows  (seed helper)

Annotations

Annotate an entity or event with the n8n production-webhook path. After the surrounding transaction commits, the payload is POSTed to {baseUrl}/webhook/<path>, routed through the CAP transactional outbox for resilience:

// string shorthand — fires on CREATE and UPDATE
@n8n.trigger: 'book-ordered'
entity Orders as projection on my.Orders;

// record form — pick the lifecycle events explicitly
@n8n.trigger: { workflow: 'book-archived', on: ['DELETE'] }
entity Books as projection on my.Books;

// Fiori draft-enabled entities: draft lifecycle events are supported
@odata.draft.enabled
@n8n.trigger: { workflow: 'book-saved', on: ['SAVE'] }
entity Books as projection on my.Books actions {
  // bound actions fire when called (on the active or the draft row)
  @n8n.trigger: 'book-archived'
  action archive();
};

// unbound actions/functions and custom events work too
event OrderShipped @(n8n.trigger: 'order-shipped') { orderId: UUID; }

Supported on events (entities):

| Event | Fires | Payload | |---|---|---| | CREATE / UPDATE | row written (incl. draft activation) | the resulting row | | DELETE | row deleted | the deleted row's keys | | SAVE | draft activated (Fiori "Save") — on non-draft entities = CREATE+UPDATE shortcut | the activated data | | EDIT | user starts editing (draft created from active row) | the row being edited | | NEW / PATCH / DISCARD | draft created / field changed / discarded | the draft data |

NEW/PATCH/SAVE/EDIT/DISCARD require @odata.draft.enabled (CANCEL is accepted as the legacy alias for DISCARD). Bound-action payloads are the bound row's keys merged with the action parameters; unbound actions send the call parameters.

Typed import

cds import workflow.json --from n8n

Generates a typed CDS service with a trigger action. The input contract is derived, most reliable first:

1. A node named CAP Input Schema holding a JSON Schema (recommended convention).
2. The webhook node's declared body fields.
3. Pinned/sample data (*.sample.json or the node's pinData).
4. Fallback: a single body : LargeString passthrough.

Tests

npm test

• The console integration suite always runs (no key needed).
• The REST integration suite runs the live seed → activate → trigger → poll → assert loop and skips gracefully unless N8N_BASE_URL + N8N_API_KEY are set.
• For CI, run an n8nio/n8n container and point N8N_BASE_URL at it.

License

Apache-2.0