Keywords bug in two workflows

[davidhq]

When trying to use these two workflows:

 

http://www.packal.org/workflow/vpn-toggle

http://www.packal.org/workflow/transmission

 

I get this strange problem when entering a keyword:

 

http://cl.ly/image/1q3a2e063b2i

 

So when whole keyword is entered, the option to select it is gone. When I enter it partially and then select the option below, nothing happens....

so I cannot use these workflows... with around 15 others I didn't have this issue...

 

 

Alfred v2.7.1

david

[Vero]

When trying to use these two workflows:

 

http://www.packal.org/workflow/vpn-toggle

http://www.packal.org/workflow/transmission

 

I get this strange problem when entering a keyword:

 

http://cl.ly/image/1q3a2e063b2i

 

So when whole keyword is entered, the option to select it is gone. When I enter it partially and then select the option below, nothing happens....

so I cannot use these workflows... with around 15 others I didn't have this issue...

 

 

Alfred v2.7.1

david

 

Hi David,

 

Taking a look at the workflows, it looks like they both need some setup first in order to work. The workflows both have "Argument optional" so when you type "vpn", the workflow's script doesn't find a relevant result (because it isn't yet set up correctly) and therefore falls back to Alfred's searches.

 

For the VPN workflow, take a look at instructions here:

http://www.alfredforum.com/topic/476-toggle-vpn/

 

For the Transmission workflow, I believe you need to enable remote access. See the latest post in this thread:

http://www.alfredforum.com/topic/198-transmission-bit-torrent-client-workflow/

 

Don't hesitate to pop a post in the respective thread for the workflow if you need help setting them up

 

Moving this to the Closed sub-forum as there's no bug.

 

Cheers,

Vero

[davidhq]

Aha ok! Great, thank you!

 

It was confusing though, maybe Alfred could display some information in this case, really looked like a bug and there was no clear instructions for these workflows on how to set it up...

 

so besides Alfred telling me that I probably need to setup the workflows, it could even open up some txt with specific instructions...

 

just some ideas, not sure if it's feasible... I know now but others may get confused in the future as well

 

thank you again

david

Edited May 29, 2015 by davidhq

[vitor]

maybe Alfred could display some information in this case

That would be akin to saying your OS should display some information every time you fail to setup an app. It’s an unreasonable request, not the least because the power of workflows come from their versatility and not holding you down to much to specific ways of doing things, and because there are too many variables.

Every workflow has a “Readme” section (double click it on the sidebar, and you’ll see it next to “Details”), but it is seldom used.

This is not Alfred’s responsibility, though, but the developers’s of the individual workflows, and it is them you should ask. That said, it is indeed a pain to implement such checks on every workflow when developing, which is why most are accompanied by a set of instructions either here, on Packal (which is not an official repository, so not the responsibility of Alfred’s team as well), or both.

You should always read these before starting to use workflows, anyway — for the most part workflows can’t really be self-explanatory like GUI apps of a --help flag on a CLI tool and making clear instructions is far easier and less error prone than trying to implement checks for everything in the workflows themselves. And since workflows are almost exclusively free and open-source, it’s also a better use of time for the developers to do it like that.

[davidhq]

ok good to know

 

1) the hint for transmisson setup was burried at in the last post on the 3rd page of forum thread... so that's why I faied to see. Here the developer didn't care to explain in readme section or on packal -> it happens

 

2) I stumbled into something that looked like a bug and experiencing it for the first time it was strange.. now I know but it's still not friendly

 

I still think this could be improved.. Alfred should know that's something's missing and give a hint to the user... maybe I'm wrong and there is indeed a deeper technical reason for this UX fail.

 

With other things I agree

thank you!

david

Edited May 29, 2015 by davidhq

[davidhq]

The workflows both have "Argument optional" so when you type "vpn", the workflow's script doesn't find a relevant result (because it isn't yet set up correctly) and therefore falls back to Alfred's searches

 

-->

 

so instead of failing back to Alfred searches it could display "Workflow not setup yet, please read the instructions"

 

it's possible there is a great reason this cannot be done, but I don't know enough... I don't care that much, now I know the trick, just if this appears often with new users, it could maybe be improved

 

that's it from me )

Edited May 29, 2015 by davidhq

[vitor]

1) the hint for transmisson setup was burried at in the last post on the 3rd page of forum thread... so that's why I faied to see. Here the developer didn't care to explain in readme section or on packal -> it happens

Yes, that’s what I said: that is the developer’s responsibility and not Alfred’s.

 

Alfred should know that's something's missing and give a hint to the user... maybe I'm wrong and there is indeed a deeper technical reason for this UX fail.

Yes, you are, and yes, there is. Think back to my OS example: how could the OS know what is “expected” and that there is “something missing”? It can’t, because there is nothing wrong. The workflow still worked correctly, there were no errors, it just so happens that its results were meaningless and didn’t show up, because it did not have sufficient information.

It is the job of the workflow to figure out when no results means a lack of configuration, and warn you about that. Some do, some don’t. Each approach has tradeoffs, and none of them are the responsibility of Alfred’s core.

 

so instead of failing back to Alfred searches it could display "Workflow not setup yet, please read the instructions"

Answered in previews point.

[davidhq]

All clear now, thank you