expressbranches

Expressbranches is a conceptual pattern used in software design to model branching logic within asynchronous and event-driven systems. It provides a compact way to describe multiple execution paths that may be taken in response to inputs, timers, or external signals, and how those paths converge back to a common outcome.

At its core, an expressbranch system consists of branch points, guards, and actions. Each branch point evaluates one or more conditions, selecting a path and triggering a sequence of actions. After branches complete, control typically merges at a join point to produce a unified result or side effects.

Implementations are found as libraries or DSLs within streaming or workflow frameworks. They emphasize declarative configuration over imperative branching, support for backpressure and fault isolation, and often integrate with observability tools to trace branch execution and results.

Common use cases include real-time routing of messages in microservices, conditional data transformations in ETL pipelines, feature-flag-driven logic, and A/B testing workflows. Expressbranches aims to simplify complex branching logic, improve readability, and enable easier testing of individual branches.