fix: allow DO_WHILE tasks with 'items' to pass validation without loopCondition

core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/validations/WorkflowTaskTypeConstraint.java

@@ -257,7 +257,11 @@ private boolean isSwitchTaskValid(
         private boolean isDoWhileTaskValid(
                 WorkflowTask workflowTask, ConstraintValidatorContext context) {
             boolean valid = true;
-            if (workflowTask.getLoopCondition() == null) {
+            boolean isListIterationMode =
+                    (workflowTask.getItems() != null && !workflowTask.getItems().trim().isEmpty())
+                            || (workflowTask.getInputParameters() != null
+                                    && workflowTask.getInputParameters().containsKey("_items"));
+            if (!isListIterationMode && workflowTask.getLoopCondition() == null) {
                 String message =
                         String.format(
                                 PARAM_REQUIRED_STRING_FORMAT,

core/src/test/java/com/netflix/conductor/validations/WorkflowTaskTypeConstraintTest.java

@@ -171,6 +171,46 @@ public void testWorkflowTaskTypeDoWhile() {
                         "loopOver field is required for taskType: DO_WHILE taskName: encode"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testWorkflowTaskTypeDoWhileListIterationMode() {
+        // When 'items' is set, loopCondition should NOT be required (list-iteration mode)
+        WorkflowTask workflowTask = createSampleWorkflowTask();
+        workflowTask.setType("DO_WHILE");
+        workflowTask.setItems("${workflow.input.itemList}");
+
+        WorkflowTask loopTask = new WorkflowTask();
+        loopTask.setName("http");
+        loopTask.setTaskReferenceName("http_ref");
+        loopTask.setType("HTTP");
+        workflowTask.setLoopOver(List.of(loopTask));
+
+        when(mockMetadataDao.getTaskDef(anyString())).thenReturn(new TaskDef());
+
+        Set<ConstraintViolation<WorkflowTask>> result = validator.validate(workflowTask);
+        assertEquals(0, result.size());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testWorkflowTaskTypeDoWhileListIterationModeOrkesCompat() {
+        // When '_items' is in inputParameters (Orkes compat), loopCondition should NOT be required
+        WorkflowTask workflowTask = createSampleWorkflowTask();
+        workflowTask.setType("DO_WHILE");
+        Map<String, Object> inputParam = new HashMap<>();
+        inputParam.put("_items", "${workflow.input.itemList}");
+        workflowTask.setInputParameters(inputParam);
+
+        WorkflowTask loopTask = new WorkflowTask();
+        loopTask.setName("http");
+        loopTask.setTaskReferenceName("http_ref");
+        loopTask.setType("HTTP");
+        workflowTask.setLoopOver(List.of(loopTask));
+
+        when(mockMetadataDao.getTaskDef(anyString())).thenReturn(new TaskDef());
+
+        Set<ConstraintViolation<WorkflowTask>> result = validator.validate(workflowTask);
+        assertEquals(0, result.size());
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testWorkflowTaskTypeWait() {
         WorkflowTask workflowTask = createSampleWorkflowTask();