Workflow for iOS review: An awesome Mac-like app for our post-PC devices........ With a style and simplicity all its own, Workflow brings desktop-level automation to the iPhone and iPad..... Our iOS devices arent built for efficiency. Unlike OS X, where we can simultaneously work in multiple apps and position windows and folders on our desktops for optimal output, iOS has a far greater focus on individual tasks. Even accomplishing something as simple as copying text from Safari and pasting it into a note requires a set series of steps and hoops, and any kind of real multitasking is hampered by the safeguards Apple has built into the system. workflow Workflow can automate complicated tasks and help you work smarter and more efficiently—or you can use it at a restaurant to figure out the tip. iOS 8 has begun to alter this line of thinking. Instead of creating isolated islands, developers are now able to build bridges to nearby apps, eliminating the clunky workarounds that they were previously forced to implement. From widgets to extensions, iOS is suddenly alive with expandability and customization. And now we have an app that brings it all together. The first true automator for iOS, Workflow ($3) takes full advantage of Apples looser restrictions on sharing to bring new levels of interactivity and multitasking to our handheld devices. More versatile than the situational IFTTT and more powerful than even Launch Center Pros slick system of shortcuts, Workflows endlessly customizable actions integrate seamlessly into the apps you already use to help you work smarter, faster, and just plain better. Theres a delightful simplicity to Workflows interface that belies its abilities. A quick tutorial walks you through building an automatic GIF maker, and as you set up each step, youll notice that the app brings over another element of OS X that is foreign to the iPhone and iPad: drag and drop. It makes the creation of workflows an absolute pleasure and serves to eliminate much of the requisite knowledge needed to set up proper shortcuts. Where other automating apps rely on the users know-how of Python scripting or URL schemes to accomplish anything beyond the most rudimentary of tasks, Workflow has created a custom iOS framework that does most of the heavy lifting behind the scenes. Its all a bit like an iOS version of Automator, and the finished products are not unlike OS Xs automation recipes.... Take actions workflow2 Youre not seeing things—Workflow lets you drag and drop on your iPhone. Developer DeskConnect has loaded the app with more than 100 common actions that can be stacked and sorted in any number of ways. Things like Quick Look, Add New Event, and Send Email work together to create step-by-step processes designed to simplify and streamline the things we would otherwise turn to the multitasking carousel to accomplish. Each action contains a plain explanation of what it does, but youll learn better by seeing them at work; as you mix and match actions, pressing the “run” button will show you how they work together, and the natural quickness and intuition of the interface encourages somewhat obsessive testing. Theres no limit to how much a workflow can do, and you can rearrange and combine actions to accomplish a whole string of tasks; for example, you can effortlessly make a workflow that collects your last five photos, zips them, uploads them to Dropbox, and emails you a link. But Workflows true beauty lies in its tremendous versatility. The general concept can be grasped in just a few seconds, and while itll take a good deal of trial-and-error experimentation to master it, you dont have to be an expert to find a way to fit it into your routine. A built-in gallery helps get you started, and with an easy sharing mechanism, it wont be long until websites are dedicated to supplying many, many more. The app excels at cutting down the number of steps it would normally take to schedule an appointment or delete a handful of screenshots, but its usefulness extends beyond merely limiting your taps and swipes. In some cases, Workflow is actually able to add functionality that isnt there. Ive always been frustrated by the inability of most text editors to count the number of words in a selection, so I made a simple workflow that counts words on the clipboard and added it to my home screen. With the use of variables, prompts and conditional if commands, its capabilities go well beyond the countless combinations, and while I did my best to put it through its paces, it seemed like I barely scratched the surface of what Workflow is capable of doing. Workflows exist where you want them to—whether thats on your home screen, as a Share Sheet icon or in the app itself—so youre never far from executing one. And even though the app technically needs to launch in each of these instances, the various options give it the quickness of a keystroke, making them seem more like true shortcuts than any of the other automation apps Ive used. Notably missing is a widget that lets you run workflows via the Notification Center, but Apples been a bit persnickety about that lately. Hopefully one will be allowed in a future update.....
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 06:02:06 +0000
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