Spring Batch repeat step until a criteria is met - spring-batch

Question

I have this Spring Batch flow:
return jobBuilderFactory.get(JOB).preventRestart().incrementer(new RunIdIncrementer()).listener(jobCompletionListener)
.start(clean).next(generateFiles1).next(callApi1)
.next(clean).next(generateFiles2).next(callApi2)
.next(clean).next(generateFiles3).next(callApi3)
.next(clean).next(generateFiles4).next(callApi4)
.build();
I must repeat the first three steps (clean, generateFiles1 and callApi1) until a certain criteria is met (I have to count some data in the database to check if I need to call the API again). And so on for the next three steps.
I have seen the on and to functions explained there, but it seems to me that it does not allow to write such loops.
I could define such flows:
final FlowBuilder<Flow> flowBuilderStep1 = new FlowBuilder<>("Step1");
flowBuilderStep1.start(clean).next(generateFiles1).next(callApi1).end();
final Flow step1 = flowBuilderStep1.build();
final FlowBuilder<Flow> flowBuilderStep2 = new FlowBuilder<>("Step2");
flowBuilderStep2.start(clean).next(generateFiles2).next(callApi2).end();
final Flow step2 = flowBuilderStep2.build();
And then build the conditional structure (maybe after adding Decider or afterStep() some place):
return jobBuilderFactory.get(JOB).preventRestart().incrementer(new RunIdIncrementer()).listener(jobCompletionListener)
.start(step1).on("RETRY").to(step1).on("CONTINUE")
.to(step2).on("RETRY").to(step2).on("CONTINUE")
.to(step3).on("RETRY").to(step3).on("CONTINUE")
.to(step4)
.end().build();
But I don't think it would loop properly. Am I right? Can a loop be accomplished (without a xml config)?

Answer 1

I had to do something like that to make it work.
return jobBuilderFactory.get(JOB).preventRestart().incrementer(new RunIdIncrementer()).listener(jobCompletionListener)
.start(step1).next(step1Decider).on(RETRY).to(step1).from(step1Decider).on(CONTINUE)
.to(step2).next(step2Decider).on(RETRY).to(step2).from(step2Decider).on(CONTINUE)
...