Open an instance: stamp definition and elements into the store

Writes the `@instance` events that make an instance self-contained: the definition as opened (field `process`), the element list (field `elements`), the definition's [process_version()] (field `version`) and a `created` mark. Everything after this moment is ordinary events on the instance's rows.

Usage

start_instance(
  process,
  elements = character(),
  instance = "instance",
  store = ".runs",
  actor = "board"
)

Arguments

process

A wide process table (the definition).

elements

Character vector of element ids, or a data frame whose first column holds them plus grouping columns (e.g. `region`) carried into the instance table. An `assignee` column seeds the assignment: every human multi-instance task of that element gets a `assignee` event (actor `register`) – the "assignment comes from the register" answer. A list without the column leaves everything in the pool.

instance

Instance id (a period: "2026Q1", "2026").

store

Store directory.

actor

Assignee opened the instance.

Value

The instance id, invisibly.