Integrating / chaining different framaservices (>workflow)

Améliorons ensemble les outils Framasoft
1

Hello.

Have there been any thought on enable simple workflows to chain different services of the framacloud ?

I for instance would like to structure my ideas in a (fra)mindmap, and then being able to show them directly in a (frama)slide. Something like https://github.com/berteh/mindslide

and then use the same mindmap as an outline for a framapad… even though a collaborative ebook infrastructure like https://pubsweet.org/ would be a bit more rich.

and then integrate in the slides and text some collaborative table from framacal and image from framavectoriel… that would remain in sync whenever they get updated by the artists / data update.

How nice would that be while keeping my privacy safe.

Manual import / export is of course an option in many of these steps, but keeping data in sync quickly becomes a mess in collaborative work, and having automated sync when working in team would thus be much more interesting to me.
Thanks for considering it.

Bertrand.

2

I suppose that Framaestro does not bring an answer to your need ?

3

Indeed it does not.

Whereas Framaestro does bring a nice possibility to use simultaneously multiple services on a single screen (mostly for purpose of a virtual meeting or classroom, the way I see it), it does not bind the content of these various services.

4

One way would be, maybe, to only promote software as framaservices provided they expose a proper API (would REST do?). That would then allow for a generic (reusable) chaining / workflow mecanism to be deployed, call it application orchestration or other. Some inspiration: https://getkong.org/ - http://www.cloudslang.io/

Pushing such a request to the various sofware devs teams behind each package does seem reasonable and interesting to me, even if it may represent much work on legacy architectures. inspiration for such devs: https://www.infoworld.com/article/2960312/apis/build-a-reusable-rest-api-back-end.html

5

Don’t forget that Framasoft services are only proofs of concept for free software applications. We will not, for example, propose a single-sign-on access, which would be a first step for a workflow.

6

Thanks for your answer. I understand SSO is out of scope of framasoft, as well explained before.

Application orchestration is for me a completely different story as it aims at integrating information and processes of different providers, different companies, different systems,… and making it all work together for more users benefits. This integration possibility is for me a cornerstone in adopting OpenSource instead of proprietary system, and a good argument against lock-in in closed system.

I hope framasoft can help push this a bit forward too, by trying to select and promote services accordingly.

B.

7

Well, communications between some services already exist, for instance Kanboard (Framaboard) and Mattermost (Framateam) thanks to the “hooks”.

Unfortunately, we don’t have time nor ressources to improve ourselves these softwares, we “just” rely theirs developpers and host them.

Eventually, you could suggest ideas directly to them. If they are accepted and integrated, we will benefit them in the next updates :slight_smile: