Implement fanout gate: waits-for children aggregation (gt-8tmz.38)

- Add children-of(step-id) syntax for explicit spawner reference
- Add WaitsForSpec type and ParseWaitsFor() helper
- Update cook.go to create DepWaitsFor dependencies with metadata
- Infer spawner from first needs entry when using all-children
- Add validation tests for children-of() syntax
- Add unit tests for ParseWaitsFor()

This completes the Christmas Ornament aggregation pattern:
- survey-workers does for-each → creates N children
- aggregate waits-for children-of(survey-workers)

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

cmd/bd/cook.go

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -720,6 +721,36 @@ func collectDependencies(step *formula.Step, idMapping map[string]string, deps *
 		})
 	}
 
+	// Process waits_for field (gt-8tmz.38) - fanout gate dependency
+	if step.WaitsFor != "" {
+		waitsForSpec := formula.ParseWaitsFor(step.WaitsFor)
+		if waitsForSpec != nil {
+			// Determine spawner ID
+			spawnerStepID := waitsForSpec.SpawnerID
+			if spawnerStepID == "" && len(step.Needs) > 0 {
+				// Infer spawner from first need
+				spawnerStepID = step.Needs[0]
+			}
+
+			if spawnerStepID != "" {
+				if spawnerIssueID, ok := idMapping[spawnerStepID]; ok {
+					// Create WaitsFor dependency with metadata
+					meta := types.WaitsForMeta{
+						Gate: waitsForSpec.Gate,
+					}
+					metaJSON, _ := json.Marshal(meta)
+
+					*deps = append(*deps, &types.Dependency{
+						IssueID:     issueID,
+						DependsOnID: spawnerIssueID,
+						Type:        types.DepWaitsFor,
+						Metadata:    string(metaJSON),
+					})
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Recursively handle children
 	for _, child := range step.Children {
 		collectDependencies(child, idMapping, deps)

internal/formula/parser_test.go

@@ -681,6 +681,90 @@ func TestValidate_WaitsForField(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestValidate_WaitsForChildrenOf tests the children-of(step) syntax (gt-8tmz.38)
+func TestValidate_WaitsForChildrenOf(t *testing.T) {
+	// Valid children-of() syntax
+	formula := &Formula{
+		Formula: "mol-children-of",
+		Version: 1,
+		Type:    TypeWorkflow,
+		Steps: []*Step{
+			{ID: "survey-workers", Title: "Survey Workers"},
+			{ID: "aggregate", Title: "Aggregate", Needs: []string{"survey-workers"}, WaitsFor: "children-of(survey-workers)"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	if err := formula.Validate(); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Validate failed for valid children-of(): %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Invalid: reference to unknown step
+	formulaBad := &Formula{
+		Formula: "mol-bad-children-of",
+		Version: 1,
+		Type:    TypeWorkflow,
+		Steps: []*Step{
+			{ID: "step1", Title: "Step 1", WaitsFor: "children-of(unknown-step)"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	if err := formulaBad.Validate(); err == nil {
+		t.Error("Validate should fail for children-of() with unknown step")
+	}
+
+	// Invalid: empty step ID
+	formulaEmpty := &Formula{
+		Formula: "mol-empty-children-of",
+		Version: 1,
+		Type:    TypeWorkflow,
+		Steps: []*Step{
+			{ID: "step1", Title: "Step 1", WaitsFor: "children-of()"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	if err := formulaEmpty.Validate(); err == nil {
+		t.Error("Validate should fail for children-of() with empty step ID")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestParseWaitsFor tests the ParseWaitsFor helper function (gt-8tmz.38)
+func TestParseWaitsFor(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		input     string
+		wantGate  string
+		wantSpawn string
+		wantNil   bool
+	}{
+		{"", "", "", true},
+		{"all-children", "all-children", "", false},
+		{"any-children", "any-children", "", false},
+		{"children-of(survey)", "all-children", "survey", false},
+		{"children-of(my-step)", "all-children", "my-step", false},
+		{"invalid", "", "", true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.input, func(t *testing.T) {
+			spec := ParseWaitsFor(tt.input)
+			if tt.wantNil {
+				if spec != nil {
+					t.Errorf("ParseWaitsFor(%q) = %+v, want nil", tt.input, spec)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			if spec == nil {
+				t.Fatalf("ParseWaitsFor(%q) = nil, want non-nil", tt.input)
+			}
+			if spec.Gate != tt.wantGate {
+				t.Errorf("ParseWaitsFor(%q).Gate = %q, want %q", tt.input, spec.Gate, tt.wantGate)
+			}
+			if spec.SpawnerID != tt.wantSpawn {
+				t.Errorf("ParseWaitsFor(%q).SpawnerID = %q, want %q", tt.input, spec.SpawnerID, tt.wantSpawn)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // TestValidate_ChildNeedsAndWaitsFor tests needs and waits_for in child steps
 func TestValidate_ChildNeedsAndWaitsFor(t *testing.T) {
 	formula := &Formula{

internal/formula/types.go

@@ -522,11 +522,11 @@ func (f *Formula) Validate() error {
 				errs = append(errs, fmt.Sprintf("steps[%d] (%s): needs references unknown step %q", i, step.ID, need))
 			}
 		}
-		// Validate waits_for field (bd-j4cr) - must be a known gate type
+		// Validate waits_for field (bd-j4cr, gt-8tmz.38)
+		// Valid formats: "all-children", "any-children", "children-of(step-id)"
 		if step.WaitsFor != "" {
-			validGates := map[string]bool{"all-children": true, "any-children": true}
+			if err := validateWaitsFor(step.WaitsFor, stepIDLocations); err != nil {
-			if !validGates[step.WaitsFor] {
+				errs = append(errs, fmt.Sprintf("steps[%d] (%s): %s", i, step.ID, err.Error()))
-				errs = append(errs, fmt.Sprintf("steps[%d] (%s): waits_for has invalid value %q (must be all-children or any-children)", i, step.ID, step.WaitsFor))
 			}
 		}
 		// Validate on_complete field (gt-8tmz.8) - runtime expansion
@@ -603,6 +603,66 @@ func collectChildIDs(children []*Step, idLocations map[string]string, errs *[]st
 	}
 }
 
+// WaitsForSpec holds the parsed waits_for field (gt-8tmz.38).
+type WaitsForSpec struct {
+	// Gate is the gate type: "all-children" or "any-children"
+	Gate string
+	// SpawnerID is the step ID whose children to wait for.
+	// Empty means infer from context (typically first step in needs).
+	SpawnerID string
+}
+
+// ParseWaitsFor parses a waits_for value into its components (gt-8tmz.38).
+// Returns nil if the value is empty.
+func ParseWaitsFor(value string) *WaitsForSpec {
+	if value == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Simple gate types - spawner inferred from needs
+	if value == "all-children" || value == "any-children" {
+		return &WaitsForSpec{Gate: value}
+	}
+
+	// children-of(step-id) syntax
+	if strings.HasPrefix(value, "children-of(") && strings.HasSuffix(value, ")") {
+		stepID := value[len("children-of(") : len(value)-1]
+		return &WaitsForSpec{
+			Gate:      "all-children", // Default gate type
+			SpawnerID: stepID,
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Invalid - return nil (validation should have caught this)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// validateWaitsFor validates the waits_for field value (gt-8tmz.38).
+// Valid formats:
+//   - "all-children": wait for all dynamically-bonded children
+//   - "any-children": wait for first child to complete
+//   - "children-of(step-id)": wait for children of a specific step
+func validateWaitsFor(value string, stepIDLocations map[string]string) error {
+	// Simple gate types
+	if value == "all-children" || value == "any-children" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// children-of(step-id) syntax
+	if strings.HasPrefix(value, "children-of(") && strings.HasSuffix(value, ")") {
+		stepID := value[len("children-of(") : len(value)-1]
+		if stepID == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("waits_for children-of() requires a step ID")
+		}
+		if _, exists := stepIDLocations[stepID]; !exists {
+			return fmt.Errorf("waits_for references unknown step %q in children-of()", stepID)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Errorf("waits_for has invalid value %q (must be all-children, any-children, or children-of(step-id))", value)
+}
+
 // validateChildDependsOn recursively validates depends_on and needs references for children.
 func validateChildDependsOn(children []*Step, idLocations map[string]string, errs *[]string, prefix string) {
 	for i, child := range children {
@@ -618,11 +678,10 @@ func validateChildDependsOn(children []*Step, idLocations map[string]string, err
 				*errs = append(*errs, fmt.Sprintf("%s (%s): needs references unknown step %q", childPrefix, child.ID, need))
 			}
 		}
-		// Validate waits_for field (bd-j4cr)
+		// Validate waits_for field (bd-j4cr, gt-8tmz.38)
 		if child.WaitsFor != "" {
-			validGates := map[string]bool{"all-children": true, "any-children": true}
+			if err := validateWaitsFor(child.WaitsFor, idLocations); err != nil {
-			if !validGates[child.WaitsFor] {
+				*errs = append(*errs, fmt.Sprintf("%s (%s): %s", childPrefix, child.ID, err.Error()))
-				*errs = append(*errs, fmt.Sprintf("%s (%s): waits_for has invalid value %q (must be all-children or any-children)", childPrefix, child.ID, child.WaitsFor))
 			}
 		}
 		// Validate on_complete field (gt-8tmz.8)