User Facing Automation - Part 2

Workflow Concepts

Concept 14: Storing Parameters

What: Take in parameters, recall them automatically.

Value: Don't require users to pass in parameters repeatedly.

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Concept 15: Current State, Goal State, Difference

What: Show users what is, and what will be, before doing anything.

Value: Give users clarity on what would happen, before doing it.

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download init https://ifconfig.me ip.json

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Concept 16: Profiles

What: Use the same workspace input for logically separate environments.

Value: Ease the creation of cloned environments.

Concept 17: Flows

What: Perform different workflows within an environment.

Value: Workflows automatically share parameters with each other.

Concept 18: Parameter Limits

What: Guard automation from executing with unusual values.

Value: Don't accidentally incur large costs.

Efficiency Concepts (Again!)

Concept 19: Do It Before It's Asked

If a process cannot take less than 10 minutes,
then to do it in 5,
you must begin in the past.

What: Execute the automation in the background, show where it is when it is asked to be executed.

Value: Reduce waiting time.

Cost: Background work consumes resources, and may be redundant.

Concept 20: Reverse Execution

At the beginning of a process, what's the fastest way to get to step 9?

Go through steps 1 through 9.

What if you're on step 10?

Transition from step 10 to 9.

What: The beginning and destination state are not necessarily the start and end of a process.

Value: Allows inspection / mutation of state at a particular point, or re-testing of automation steps after that point.