Being able to define your own functions is super cool. It would be awesome if there was somewhere in the Automations tool for a set of “global” functions, maybe just one big long execute script window where you can drop functions in and then call them from your automations?
Also, when interacting with external APIs or anything that require sensitive keys (or just variables that you’re using over and over again in separate flows), it would be great to be able to load these keys into a list of environment variables and then be able to call them from any automation.
I don’t think storing a function in a different application works though, it’s great for API keys and the like but certainly, I haven’t been able to call a working function from a different app although entirely possible that it is and I just haven’t tried it the correct way.
I agree that one very good solution is to create an app whose job it is to store these API keys and other needed variables, but there’s a few extra considerations to this:
If you wanted to keep these API keys a secret from everyone else on the team, it requires a completely separate workspace to store them, and depending on the access provided by the automation tool, non admin users would still need access to the keys directly in order to write automations based on them.
The system has to do a search for these keys everytime it needs them. If you need them across multiple flows, you’re constantly searching for the same items. Don’t get me wrong, I would agree that Tape searches are a bit more reliable than Podio’s, but it’s still something that’s putting an unnecessary stress on the system if we could store them directly in Automations.
To go even further on security, it would be awesome if an admin could add them and then they could be immediately encrypted forever. That way, other admins can still use them in Automations as global variables but nobody can actually see the tokens.
I’m just thinking about this from the point of view of having a team of developers working on Automations but not necessarily wanting to share this level of private detail.
But the extra app solution is definitely great. You are right @Jason I don’t think this would help with functions and having reusable code stored and callable from one screen would be an AMAZING help.
Absolutely I also would consider my current handling as a work around until something more reliable arrives. Also regarding functions, which are not covered by my approach.
The good thing: Tape doesn’t just need to have the same like the other platform, it can make it much better
