docs: clarify the null residual for map chains with unrelated state_updates

Dark-Alex-17 committed 2026-09-09 20:18:56 -06:00
1 parent 8375bcc352
commit 846c634cb5
1 file changed
+7 -4
+7 -4
@@ -1345,10 +1345,13 @@ map's `output_key`, see [`map` nodes](#map)).
Two consequences of the restore step that bite in parallel super-steps:
- A node with **no `state_updates`** writes nothing at all. A map branch
chain that never declares a write to the map's `output_key` therefore
fails the map at run time (the key is removed from each item's fork
before the chain starts, so nothing is inherited), and the validator
warns about it at load time. Always declare what the branch writes.
chain whose nodes declare no `state_updates`/`output_schema` at all
therefore fails the map at run time (the key is removed from each item's
fork before the chain starts, so nothing is inherited), and the validator
warns about it at load time. A chain node whose `state_updates` name
*other* keys leaves `output: null` instead, so a map with the default
`output_key: output` collects `null` — one more reason to always declare
a named `output_key` and write it explicitly.
- When `output` was **absent** from state before the super-step, every
LLM/agent/rag branch that has `state_updates` leaves `output: null`
behind (the restore falls back to `null`). Two or more such branches