improve step parser

more forgiving in some cases, and better errors when cannot forgive, including if value omitted from sensors/config (eg if you say set-sensor x=1)
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/WorkflowStepResolution.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/WorkflowStepResolution.java
index a41eb52..8526483 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/WorkflowStepResolution.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/WorkflowStepResolution.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.resolve.jackson.BeanWithTypeUtils;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.typereg.RegisteredTypes;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.core.workflow.steps.CustomWorkflowStep;
+import org.apache.brooklyn.core.workflow.steps.flow.SubWorkflowStep;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.collections.MutableList;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.collections.MutableMap;
 import org.apache.brooklyn.util.core.config.ConfigBag;
@@ -88,6 +89,12 @@
         String shorthand = null;
 
         Map defM = null;
+
+        if (def instanceof List) {
+            // list treated as implicit subworkflow, eg step: [ "sleep 1" ] = step: { steps: [ "sleep 1" ] }
+            def = MutableMap.of(SubWorkflowStep.SHORTHAND_TYPE_NAME_DEFAULT, def);
+        }
+
         if (def instanceof String) {
             shorthand = (String) def;
             defM = MutableMap.of();
@@ -98,10 +105,12 @@
                 Object s = defM.remove("step");
                 if (s == null) s = defM.remove("shorthand");
                 if (s == null) s = defM.remove("s");
-                if (s==null && defM.containsKey("steps")) {
+
+                if (s==null && defM.containsKey(WorkflowCommonConfig.STEPS.getName())) {
                     // if it has steps, but no step or s, assume it is a subworkflow
-                    s = "subworkflow";
+                    s = SubWorkflowStep.SHORTHAND_TYPE_NAME_DEFAULT;
                 }
+
                 if (s == null && defM.size()==1) {
                     // assume the colon caused it accidentally to be a map
                     s = Iterables.getOnlyElement(defM.keySet());
@@ -111,9 +120,14 @@
                         s = null;
                     }
                 }
+
                 if (s==null) {
                     throw new IllegalArgumentException("Step definition must indicate a `type` or a `step` / `shorthand` / `s` (" + def + ")");
                 }
+                if (s instanceof Map && defM.size()==1) {
+                    // allow shorthand to contain a nested map if the shorthand is the only thing in the map, eg { step: { step: "xxx" } }
+                    return resolveStep(mgmt, s);
+                }
                 if (!(s instanceof String)) {
                     throw new IllegalArgumentException("step shorthand must be a string");
                 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/appmodel/SetConfigWorkflowStep.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/appmodel/SetConfigWorkflowStep.java
index 31c4ddb..b1b788f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/appmodel/SetConfigWorkflowStep.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/appmodel/SetConfigWorkflowStep.java
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@
         Object entityO2 = ObjectUtils.firstNonNull(config.entity, entityO1, context.getEntity());
         final Entity entity = WorkflowStepResolution.findEntity(context, entityO2).get();
 
+        if (!context.hasInput(VALUE)) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value is required");
+
         Pair<Object, Object> oldValues = WorkflowSettingItemsUtils.setAtIndex(nameAndIndices, true, (_oldValue) -> resolvedValue,
                 name -> entity.config().get((ConfigKey<Object>) ConfigKeys.newConfigKey(type, name)),
                 (name, value) -> entity.config().set((ConfigKey<Object>) ConfigKeys.newConfigKey(type, name), value));
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/appmodel/SetSensorWorkflowStep.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/appmodel/SetSensorWorkflowStep.java
index dd570a1..6dcff9b 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/appmodel/SetSensorWorkflowStep.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/appmodel/SetSensorWorkflowStep.java
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@
         Object entityO2 = ObjectUtils.firstNonNull(sensor.entity, entityO1, context.getEntity());
         final Entity entity = WorkflowStepResolution.findEntity(context, entityO2).get();
 
+        if (!context.hasInput(VALUE)) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value is required");
+
         Supplier<Object> resolveOnceValueSupplier = Suppliers.memoize(() -> {
 //        // might need to be careful if defined type is different or more generic than type specified here;
 //        // but that should be fine as XML persistence preserves types
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/variables/SetVariableWorkflowStep.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/variables/SetVariableWorkflowStep.java
index 2aad2bb..508d885 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/variables/SetVariableWorkflowStep.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/workflow/steps/variables/SetVariableWorkflowStep.java
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@
         if (Strings.isBlank(name)) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Variable name is required");
         TypeToken<?> type = context.lookupType(variable.type, () -> null);
 
+        if (!context.hasInput(VALUE)) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value is required");
         Object unresolvedValue = input.get(VALUE.getName());
 
         Object resolvedValue = new ConfigurableInterpolationEvaluation(context, type, unresolvedValue, context.getInputOrDefault(INTERPOLATION_MODE), context.getInputOrDefault(INTERPOLATION_ERRORS)).evaluate();