workrequest

A WorkRequest is a formal representation of a request to perform a unit of work within a software system. It encapsulates all information necessary for a scheduler or executor to perform the task, including what to do, with what input, and under what conditions the work should run.

A typical WorkRequest specifies the task to execute, input data, scheduling information such as an initial delay or a recurring cadence, resilience features like retry and backoff policies, and constraints that determine when execution may occur (for example network availability or device charging). It is designed to be independent of the specific executor, allowing decoupled producers and workers.

In execution, a component known as a scheduler or work queue receives the WorkRequest and selects it for execution when its constraints are met. A worker or processor then carries out the task and reports the outcome, which could be success, failure, or cancellation. Many frameworks provide lifecycle hooks and observers to monitor progress and results.

There are common variants such as one-time WorkRequests and periodic (recurring) WorkRequests, as well as persistent versus in-memory forms depending on the framework. In Android development, for example, the WorkManager API defines a WorkRequest class with concrete forms like OneTimeWorkRequest and PeriodicWorkRequest. Builders enable attaching input Data, constraints (network, charging, etc.), backoff policies, and initial delays. WorkRequests are designed to schedule deferrable, asynchronous work that can survive app restarts and system constraints.

See also: job scheduling, task queue, executor, WorkManager.