🔧 Developer Workflow Guide

July 8, 2025 · View on GitHub

N8N_Builder Development Workflow - Community Edition Separation System

This guide explains the development workflow for N8N_Builder, which maintains both private proprietary components and a public Community Edition using an automated separation system.

🎯 Overview

N8N_Builder uses a dual-repository approach:

  • N8N_Builder (Main): Contains all code (private + community) - stays local
  • N8N_Builder_Community: Contains only community-safe code - syncs to GitHub

This allows us to develop with full functionality while automatically maintaining a clean public repository.

🏗️ Repository Architecture

Local Development:
├── N8N_Builder/ (MAIN WORKSPACE)
│   ├── Enterprise_Module/ (Private - never synced)
│   ├── Enterprise_Database/ (Private - never synced)
│   ├── Community Code (synced to public)
│   ├── Scripts/commit-and-sync-simple.ps1 (automation)
│   └── .vscode/tasks.json (VS Code integration)
│
├── N8N_Builder_Community/ (OUTPUT)
│   ├── Community Code Only
│   └── Remote: https://github.com/vbwyrde/N8N_Builder.git
│
GitHub Public Repository:
└── https://github.com/vbwyrde/N8N_Builder (Community Edition Only)

🚀 Daily Development Workflow

  1. Work in N8N_Builder (main workspace in VS Code/Augment)
  2. Make changes to any files (private or community)
  3. When ready to commit:
    • Press Ctrl+Shift+P in VS Code
    • Type: "Tasks: Run Task"
    • Select: "Commit and Sync Community"
  4. Follow prompts:
    • Enter commit message for main repository
    • Enter community message (or press Enter to skip GitHub sync)
  5. Continue working (stay in same workspace)

Alternative: Direct Script Execution

# From N8N_Builder root directory
.\Scripts\commit-and-sync-simple.ps1

📋 Workflow Options

Option 1: Commit + Sync (Most Common)

  • Use when: You have changes ready for both local and public repositories
  • Result: Commits locally + syncs to GitHub
  • Prompts: Main commit message + community message

Option 2: Commit Only (Local Development)

  • Use when: Working on private features or incomplete changes
  • Result: Commits only to main repository
  • How: Provide main commit message, press Enter for community message

Option 3: Sync Only (Manual)

  • Use when: Main repository already committed, need to sync to community
  • Script: .\Scripts\sync-community-only.ps1
  • Result: Syncs existing changes to GitHub

🛡️ Safety Features

Automatic Private Component Protection

  • Main repository: No GitHub remote configured (prevents accidental pushes)
  • Separation system: Automatically filters out private components
  • File sanitization: Removes private references from community files
  • Validation: Ensures only safe content reaches GitHub

What Gets Synced vs. What Stays Private

✅ Synced to Community Edition:

  • Core N8N_Builder functionality
  • Web interface and API
  • Documentation (sanitized)
  • Configuration files (_community versions)
  • Scripts and utilities (public-safe)

❌ Stays Private (Never Synced):

  • Enterprise_Module/ folder and components
  • Enterprise_Database/ folder and components
  • Private configuration files
  • Development notes with sensitive information
  • Any file containing proprietary algorithms

🔧 VS Code Integration

Available Tasks

Access via Ctrl+Shift+P → "Tasks: Run Task":

  1. "Run N8N Builder": Start the application
  2. "Commit and Sync Community": Main development workflow
  3. "Sync Community Only": Manual sync to GitHub

Task Configuration

Tasks are defined in .vscode/tasks.json and can be customized as needed.

📝 Commit Message Guidelines

Main Repository Commits

  • Purpose: Internal development tracking
  • Style: Detailed, technical, can reference private components
  • Examples:
    • "Fix authentication bug in workflow generator and update Enterprise Module error handling"
    • "Add new Enterprise_Database integration for improved solution caching"
    • "Refactor optional integrations to support new Enterprise Module features"

Community Repository Commits

  • Purpose: Public changelog, user-facing
  • Style: Clean, professional, no private component references
  • Examples:
    • "Fix authentication bug in workflow generator"
    • "Improve error handling and retry mechanisms"
    • "Enhance optional integrations for better extensibility"

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"No changes to commit"

  • Cause: No uncommitted changes in main repository
  • Solution: Make changes first, or use "Sync Community Only" if needed

"sync-public.ps1 not found"

  • Cause: Separation system not properly set up
  • Solution: Ensure sync-public.ps1 exists in root directory

"Failed to push to GitHub"

  • Cause: Network issues or authentication problems
  • Solution: Check internet connection and GitHub credentials

"Community sync failed"

  • Cause: Issues with separation process
  • Solution: Check N8N_Builder_Community folder exists and has proper git configuration

Manual Recovery

If automation fails, you can manually execute the workflow:

# 1. Commit to main repository
git add .
git commit -m "Your commit message"

# 2. Sync to community
.\sync-public.ps1 -PublicRepoPath "..\N8N_Builder_Community" -Force

# 3. Push to GitHub
cd ..\N8N_Builder_Community
git add .
git commit -m "Community update message"
git push origin master
cd ..\N8N_Builder

🤝 Team Development

For New Developers

  1. Clone main repository: git clone <private-repo-url> (when available)
  2. Set up environment: Follow README.md setup instructions
  3. Install VS Code tasks: Tasks are included in repository
  4. Test workflow: Make a small change and run "Commit and Sync Community"

Best Practices

  • Always work in main N8N_Builder workspace
  • Use descriptive commit messages for both repositories
  • Test changes before committing
  • Sync to community regularly to keep public repo current
  • Never manually edit N8N_Builder_Community (it's auto-generated)

🔄 Workflow Summary

Developer Workflow:
1. Work in N8N_Builder (main workspace)
2. Ctrl+Shift+P → "Tasks: Run Task" → "Commit and Sync Community"
3. Enter main commit message (detailed, internal)
4. Enter community message (clean, public) or skip
5. Continue development

Result:
✅ Main repository: All changes committed locally
✅ Community repository: Safe changes synced to GitHub
✅ Private components: Protected and never exposed

🎉 Ready to develop! This workflow ensures your private components stay secure while maintaining a professional public repository for the community.