The main goal of this project is to provide a quick and easy way to build small automation scripts with a graph based user experience. You can build your own automation flow by connecting nodes representing basic actions.
FlowTomator features an engine alowing to run your flows in console mode, and a visual designer and debugger with edit and continue, step by step evaluation among other tools.
- FlowTomator.Common : The core project exposing basic nodes and flows runtime. This is the one you'll need to embed is you want to use FlowTomator core in your own software and tools.
- FlowTomator.Engine : A basic console application used to load a flow and evaluate it. This is typically the easiest way to run an existing flow.
- FlowTomator.Desktop : A desktop software to design and debug flows. Written in WPF, it will allow you to visually create and run your flows.
- FlowTomator.Service : A service used to administrate and run your flows when your computer boots. You will be able to detect and automate actions before you log in your session. This project provide a service monitor process.
FlowTomator features the core ability to load and use assembly plugins. Everyone should be able to easily write a plugin to connect or manipulate other APIs or softwares. Here are some of the plugins I personnaly use :
- FlowTomator.SmartSync : A simple FlowTomator plugin to manipulate and run SmartSync synchronization profiles. It can be used to automate your backups, deployments, ...
Even if the basic structure is working, the tools and the nodes need to be improved. There are still a lot of things to be done :
- Only some basic nodes are provided. We need to add a lot of new actions to manipulate data, files, text, web, devices, ...
- The debugger needs some polish. Some features are available in engine but not yet in the designer like variable creation and manipulation or plug-in import and usage.
- The service project is still an early draft. The monitor uses .NET Remoting functionalities to connect and administrate the service process.
These projects are using C# 6 programming. You can edit and build them using Visual Studio 2015.
I used WPF to build the designer to discover and learn the framework. I made some personal choices and tried some funky things to see how it can behave. I truly believe this is how we - developpers - can find awesome things. Don't blame me for that :)