Workflows autoupdate

[kevinxucs]

Most of the workflows I installed is from this Github repo.

 

https://github.com/zenorocha/alfred-workflows

 

However, I did find those workflows are being updated very frequently, so manual update is somehow tedious.

 

It would be better if Alfred can implement a way to check whether remote alfredworkfllow files have been updated or not, and autoupdate them if necessary.

 

 

Even better, implementing a Alfred workflows package manager would help both autoupdate and discover new packages.

Edited October 26, 2013 by kevinxucs

[deanishe]

This would be a fantastic feature, but there are a couple of (closely-related) roadblocks.

 

Firstly, Alfred currently doesn't sync workflow data (what workflows save to their settings/cache directories), so some workflows save things that you'd really like synced, like API keys, in the workflow directory itself. These data would probably get overwritten on every update. This might cease to be a problem if Alfred provides a specific location for such workflow sync data.

 

Secondly, and less solvably, any user customisation (e.g. changed keywords) would also be lost on update. Some workflows, like one I just uploaded, are designed with customisation in mind.

 

It will be very difficult to update workflows without losing such customisation.

Edited November 3, 2013 by deanishe

[macnai]

Can I ask a pretty dumb question. How do you update workflows manually or otherwise? It's not easy to see in a forum thread where the latest download link is and whether this version is higher than my current one. Is there some better way I can check for updates? @kevinxucs you mention manual updating - what do you mean by that? Cheers

Edited November 15, 2013 by macnai

[jdfwarrior]

Can I ask a pretty dumb question. How do you update workflows manually or otherwise? It's not easy to see in a forum thread where the latest download link is and whether this version is higher than my current one. Is there some better way I can check for updates? @kevinxucs you mention manual updating - what do you mean by that? Cheers

 

You would need to download the updated version of the workflow and double click to install it the same as you did with the previous version. Alfred should recognize it as the same workflow and replace the previous version with the new one

[deanishe]

Can I ask a pretty dumb question. How do you update workflows manually or otherwise? It's not easy to see in a forum thread where the latest download link is and whether this version is higher than my current one. Is there some better way I can check for updates? @kevinxucs you mention manual updating - what do you mean by that? Cheers

 

Most folks upload the newer versions to the same URL as the old one. Telling whether it's been updated is usually a bit harder, though.

[vitor]

There is an (unofficial) way to check for workflow updates. That workflow itself is deprecated, but its implementation is still used, and it works very well with another workflow (you still have to manually check for updates, but it becomes extremely convenient to do so).

[macnai]

I've installed both Alleyoop 3.06 and Monkey patch and neither can find any compatible workflows which is odd as there are a few that definitely support Alleyoop. Monkey patch at least lists Evernote 7.1 as compatible but then 'could not check for updates' when I implement the updater function. Any thoughts?