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Launch HN: Activepieces (YC S22) – Open-Source Zapier Alternative

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Re: Launch HN: Activepieces (YC S22) – Open-Source Zapier Alternative

#51

Post by ashrafsam »

neodon wrote: post #49

How does this relate to Automatisch, if at all? The frontend, documentation, and codebase have eerie similarities to ActivePieces. ActivePieces: - https://www.activepieces.com/docs/ - https://github.com/activepieces/activepieces Automatisch: - https://automatisch.io/docs/ - https://github.com/automatisch/automatisch

Thanks for sharing, we're happy to see other open source automation tools! The projects are unrelated but you can find similarities between how OSS projects are generally structured as they get inspired from famous existing examples.

As to the fronted, I took a look and I think there is a big difference between the two. The UI is very different and one of the projects is built on React while the other is Angular.

Re: Launch HN: Activepieces (YC S22) – Open-Source Zapier Alternative

#52

Post by moabuaboud »

dreadlordbone wrote: post #46

My biggest concern with these zapier alternatives is how easy is it to add an integration for services that aren't already in the system? I use several products which have APIs but are too small for n8n or this to have it baked in. Is there good documentation for this? A boilerplate "new plugin" setup so I can add my own?

Our framework streamlines the process by making pieces simple to define. You only need to specify the properties and the function to carry out the action. The core takes care of everything else, from authentication to the user interface.

For further information, check out the Quickstart tutorial at https://www.activepieces.com/docs/contributing/building-piec..., or the reference guide at https://www.activepieces.com/docs/contributing/building-piec....

We have already received contributions from external contributors in the form of 6+ connectors and we take this seriously and consider them to be just as important as our workflow builder users. Hence, your feedback is highly prized and greatly appreciated.

Re: Launch HN: Activepieces (YC S22) – Open-Source Zapier Alternative

#53

Post by moabuaboud »

WatchDog wrote: post #45

Followed the instructions to run it locally, found a bug, you can't send a http get request without a body, then tried to make the field not required and run again, that's when I realized that the docker compose file doesn't actually run the local code, it just pulls from published images. I see there is a docker-compose.dev file, but there aren't any instructions on actually getting local development to work, should…

Thank you for your feedback. We will improve our HTTP request in response to your query.

Our preferred method for setting up local development is through the use of a VSCode dev container, which can be found at https://www.activepieces.com/docs/contributing/local-develop....

Currently, we have not documented our use of docker-compose.dev as we are still testing it for compatibility with various systems, such as ARM-based machines like the M1 MacBook, which have encountered issues with docker-compose.dev.

However, if you prefer using docker-compose.dev over VSCode dev containers, you can run npm ci followed by running docker-compose.dev.

I hope you have a smooth experience with activepieces. If you encounter any issues, our team is available and responsive on Discord.

Re: Launch HN: Activepieces (YC S22) – Open-Source Zapier Alternative

#54

Post by moabuaboud »

molsongolden wrote: post #47
moabuaboud wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there any programmatic methods to detect integration breakages? Simply relying on unit/integration testing with mock endpoint is not effective, as it cannot capture changes made by third parties. Being notified of breakages is a solution, but not the most ideal one. I've considered sourcing open API specs, like APIsguru.com, to scan for changes, but I was wondering if you have any other suggestions.

Are you thinking of misc. sync errors here (auth issues, temporary downtime, etc.) or API changes? For API changes: It's not super scalable but I've used a changelog monitoring chat (Slack/Zulip/Discord) channel. Automated notifications for changelog updates for all integrated APIs. Maybe there's an assigned person for each integration and that person scans the changelog updates for their assigned services then emoji…

That's an innovative idea, I like it! Was it straightforward to set up automated notifications for the other services? Did you encounter any challenges or problems along the way?

Re: Launch HN: Activepieces (YC S22) – Open-Source Zapier Alternative

#57

Post by ashrafsam »

tonyoconnell wrote: post #56

Lovely app. N8N's community contributions are licensed under the Apache license so would it be possible to download all their integrations and convert them into your format? Then you would have almost 400 apps.

Thanks! I'll look into it and see if there is something that can be equally useful and ethical to do :)

Re: Launch HN: Activepieces (YC S22) – Open-Source Zapier Alternative

#58

Post by qwertyzxcvmnbvw »

moabuaboud wrote: post #38
toomuchtodo wrote: post #5

Congrats on the launch! Huge TAM so there’s lots of room for a healthy ecosystem of competitors in no code low code. My suggestions for succeeding in this ecosystem: * The value is in the long tail. Major services will integrate with other major services on their own. Make it easy to integrate with the smaller services. * Enterprise features is where the rev is at, you want to be able to get into Corp customers who a…

Are there any programmatic methods to detect integration breakages? Simply relying on unit/integration testing with mock endpoint is not effective, as it cannot capture changes made by third parties. Being notified of breakages is a solution, but not the most ideal one. I've considered sourcing open API specs, like APIsguru.com, to scan for changes, but I was wondering if you have any other suggestions.

Maybe https://www.akitasoftware.com/ could help.

Re: Launch HN: Activepieces (YC S22) – Open-Source Zapier Alternative

#59

Post by sidcool »

moabuaboud wrote: post #29
sidcool wrote: post #28

Is there a good way to navigate the code base and understand the layout and structure?

Yup,take look there https://activepieces.com/docs/contributing/repo-structure Most current documentation is about the pieces package (Building Pieces Section), the rest will follow soon.

Thanks
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