First route in YAML

Declare a route in YAML that produces log messages from a timer. You write no Rust code and compile nothing. The CLI parses the YAML file and starts the route.

The YAML route and the Rust builder route lower to the same RouteDefinition. The runtime cannot tell which authoring form produced it. Pick YAML when routes live with configuration, change without a rebuild, or belong to an ops team. See ADR-0026 for the canonical authoring decision.

The route file comes from the config-basic example.

The complete route

routes:
  - id: "hello-timer"
    from: "timer:tick?period=2000&repeatCount=3"
    steps:
      - log: "Hello from config-loaded route!"
      - to: "log:info"

Project layout

A YAML route project needs two files: a route file and a Camel.toml config file.

my-integration/
├── Camel.toml          # Config: route discovery, log level
└── routes/
    └── hello.yaml      # Route definitions

Run camel new my-integration to scaffold this layout. The config file tells the CLI where to find route files. A minimal config declares the route glob and a log level:

[default]
routes = ["routes/**/*.yaml"]
log_level = "INFO"

The routes glob selects which files the CLI loads. The log_level sets the tracing threshold for the whole context. See CLI usage for the full config reference.

How it works

Top-level structure

routes is the top-level list. Each entry is one route definition. A file can hold many routes. Each route has three required fields: id, from, and steps.

Route identity

id is a unique name for the route. The CLI prints this id in log output and startup messages. Use it to inspect or stop one route among many at runtime.

Consumer endpoint

from is the consumer endpoint URI. timer:tick?period=2000&repeatCount=3 creates a timer that fires every two seconds, three times.

The URI has three parts. timer is the component scheme. tick is the endpoint name inside the component. The query string sets the schedule. period=2000 fires every 2000 milliseconds. repeatCount=3 stops the timer after three ticks.

Processing steps

steps is the ordered list of processing steps. The route runs them top to bottom for each exchange.

The log step writes a fixed message through tracing. The to step sends the exchange to a producer endpoint. Here to: "log:info" writes the exchange body at info level. Both step verbs map to the same processor types the Rust builder exposes.

Run it

From the project directory, run:

camel run

The CLI reads Camel.toml from the current directory. It loads every file that matches the routes glob, parses each YAML route into a RouteDefinition, and starts the context.

What you see

The timer fires three times. Each tick produces one exchange. The log step writes its message, then the to: "log:info" producer writes the exchange body. You see log output every two seconds for six seconds.

After three ticks the timer consumer stops producing. The process keeps running until you press Ctrl+C.

Next steps

• CLI usage: run, scaffold, and inspect routes from the terminal.
• YAML DSL: every step verb and route option.
• Core concepts: the Exchange, Message, and CamelContext model.

Reference: DSL crate, Config crate