9.1. What is a webflow?

A Grails webflow is a series of logical steps displaying various screens through which the user progresses to arrive at a final destination. Users might skip steps depending on the data they’ve entered (for example, if they do or don’t want custom shipping), and they might end up at entirely different end pages as a result of their selections (such as if their order is complete or their items are out of stock).

Let’s look at an ideal multistep application flow in flowchart form. We’ll use Hubbub for our example and have the user select some items from the store and enter their shipping details. We’ll then validate their credit card and give them a confirmation page. Figure 9.1 shows our first draft of an order flow for the Hubbub shop. We’ll implement the flow basics in a webflow and then add some more complex steps and subflows as the chapter progresses.