def _visit_step(
        self,
        number,
        step_config,
        visited_steps=None,
        parent_options=None,
        parent_ui_options=None,
        from_flow=None,
    ):
        """
        for each step (as defined in the flow YAML), _visit_step is called with only
        the first two parameters. this takes care of validating the step, collating the
        option overrides, and if it is a task, creating a StepSpec for it.

        If it is a flow, we recursively call _visit_step with the rest of the parameters of context.

        :param number: LooseVersion representation of the current step number
        :param step_config: the current step's config (dict from YAML)
        :param visited_steps: used when called recursively for nested steps, becomes the return value
        :param parent_options: used when called recursively for nested steps, options from parent flow
        :param parent_ui_options: used when called recursively for nested steps, UI options from parent flow
        :param from_flow: used when called recursively for nested steps, name of parent flow
        :return: List[StepSpec] a list of all resolved steps including/under the one passed in
        """
        number = LooseVersion(str(number))

        if visited_steps is None:
            visited_steps = []
        if parent_options is None:
            parent_options = {}
        if parent_ui_options is None:
            parent_ui_options = {}

        # Step Validation
        # - A step is either a task OR a flow.
        if all(k in step_config for k in ("flow", "task")):
            raise FlowConfigError(
                "Step {} is configured as both a flow AND a task. \n\t{}.".format(
                    number, step_config
                )
            )

        # Skips
        # - either in YAML (with the None string)
        # - or by providing a skip list to the FlowRunner at initialization.
        if (
            ("flow" in step_config and step_config["flow"] == "None")
            or ("task" in step_config and step_config["task"] == "None")
            or ("task" in step_config and step_config["task"] in self.skip)
        ):
            visited_steps.append(
                StepSpec(
                    number,
                    step_config.get("task", step_config.get("flow")),
                    step_config.get("options", {}),
                    None,
                    from_flow=from_flow,
                    skip=True,  # someday we could use different vals for why skipped
                )
            )
            return visited_steps

        if "task" in step_config:
            name = step_config["task"]

            # get the base task_config from the project config, as a dict for easier manipulation.
            # will raise if the task doesn't exist / is invalid
            task_config = copy.deepcopy(self.project_config.get_task(name).config)
            if "options" not in task_config:
                task_config["options"] = {}

            # merge the options together, from task_config all the way down through parent_options
            step_overrides = copy.deepcopy(parent_options.get(name, {}))
            step_overrides.update(step_config.get("options", {}))
            task_config["options"].update(step_overrides)

            # merge UI options from task config and parent flow
            if "ui_options" not in task_config:
                task_config["ui_options"] = {}
            step_ui_overrides = copy.deepcopy(parent_ui_options.get(name, {}))
            step_ui_overrides.update(step_config.get("ui_options", {}))
            task_config["ui_options"].update(step_ui_overrides)

            # merge runtime options
            if name in self.runtime_options:
                task_config["options"].update(self.runtime_options[name])

            # get implementation class. raise/fail if it doesn't exist, because why continue
            try:
                task_class = import_class(task_config["class_path"])
            except (ImportError, AttributeError):
                # TODO: clean this up and raise a taskimporterror or something else correcter.
                raise FlowConfigError("Task named {} has bad classpath")

            visited_steps.append(
                StepSpec(
                    number,
                    name,
                    task_config,
                    task_class,
                    step_config.get("ignore_failure", False),
                    from_flow=from_flow,
                )
            )
            return visited_steps

        if "flow" in step_config:
            name = step_config["flow"]
            if from_flow:
                path = ".".join([from_flow, name])
            else:
                path = name
            step_options = step_config.get("options", {})
            step_ui_options = step_config.get("ui_options", {})
            flow_config = self.project_config.get_flow(name)
            for sub_number, sub_stepconf in flow_config.steps.items():
                # append the flow number to the child number, since its a LooseVersion.
                # e.g. if we're in step 2.3 which references a flow with steps 1-5, it
                #   simply ends up as five steps: 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.3, 2.3.4, 2.3.5
                # TODO: how does this work with nested flowveride? what does defining step 2.3.2 later do?
                num = "{}.{}".format(number, sub_number)
                self._visit_step(
                    num,
                    sub_stepconf,
                    visited_steps,
                    parent_options=step_options,
                    parent_ui_options=step_ui_options,
                    from_flow=path,
                )

        return visited_steps
for each step (as defined in the flow YAML), _visit_step is called with only
        the first two parameters. this takes care of validating the step, collating the
        option overrides, and if it is a task, creating a StepSpec for it.

        If it is a flow, we recursively call _visit_step with the rest of the parameters of context.

        :param number: LooseVersion representation of the current step number
        :param step_config: the current step's config (dict from YAML)
        :param visited_steps: used when called recursively for nested steps, becomes the return value
        :param parent_options: used when called recursively for nested steps, options from parent flow
        :param parent_ui_options: used when called recursively for nested steps, UI options from parent flow
        :param from_flow: used when called recursively for nested steps, name of parent flow
        :return: List[StepSpec] a list of all resolved steps including/under the one passed in