[Android Apps and Games] Thedim:
Jurassic automation

Ok, first of all, sorry for my English. It is not my main language and I used to be very lazy on my English classes. Note: Developer… please read all the text.

Ok, I confess I´m a F*** IT Jurassic dinosaur... (Although I’m “only” 48 years old).

There was a time, when Jurassic computers (OSs and languages) ruled the world, and batch programming with command line was a religion. We could never think on automation without using batch programming within event driven technologies.

About me: Once upon a “ long” time…. I used to be a mainframe specialist on OS , basic software (nowadays called system software) what includes batch language, at that time also called control card language just because of legacy first punched card using "?" control character to indicate” begin job”. IBM used double slash instead “?”, as they were fixed on using slashes for everything they named. People used to say IBM should change their name to IB/M… (It is an old joke and you will probably do not understand). Just to clarify how much Jurassic I am, I will tell you I did not used card readers. At that time I already had good technology. I mean, removable 20 Mb disk pack and TTY terminals (with proprietary protocol CSMA CD, pool select with contention). Of course I had good networks and forums, although using proprietary LAN and WAN protocols (much better than TCP /IP). Yes, there was also a gateway to an “academic network” that they used to call “internet”…

Long life to USENET!!!

God... all that cool sophistication 30 years behind from today. The best was that there were no noobies at all working with IT. Lol

At that time I was specialized on Burroughs/Unisys sophisticate WFL (work flow language), similar to JCL, but much more powerful and legible. You can search on this subject on IT museum of Wikipedia… Ok i also studied UNIX (yes, the Linux grandfather) script language (using f*** mnemonic command line and VI editor). Sorry, but UNIX script language is cryptographic and difficult to maintain. I guess that Linux is still the same, I mean, designed by programmers to programmers (ONLY). And now we have Java… it is a great step backward on user-friendliness… lol

By the way, System V (please read system five, not system “v”) is a Linux ancestry with the same proposal and goal. I mean, it was supposed to be a preferred UNIX flavor to consolidate all other flavors. Obviously it failed, as Linux also does... Today we have many Linux different Linux flavors, but it is another subject.

Sorry, I forgot that millenniums dos not like to read. Just kidding (but it is true). On my next texts I will make them compliant with twitter rules. lol

Let´s go to the main subject . I just wrote the introduction because I am on good mood. Hope you are too… :)

Yes, I like old-fashioned emoticons. I´m just wondering to know why they call it now as emoji or smiles.

For those that did not give up reading…

About automation:

My experience with Automateit

I succeeded in doing some very complex automation but I think it is unnecessarily complex due to some Automateit limitation. I studied app concepts and I don´t want to suggest anything that will lead to more user complexity. I understand that Automateit was born for very simple tasks and as far it grew, it got more complex because it misses some important concepts. I just look at Automateit as a visual batch language generator with some event driven features.

I developed a project containing about 40 rules that works as a package in doing the following features.

- 1- Wi-Fi intermittent (5 or 10 minutes).

When screen is off: It takes wifi ON for 45 seconds each 5 minutes delay. If user enables mobile data manually it warns RULE 3G is set intermittently (see the next rule).

When screen is on: It takes wifi on until screen is off (it gives a 10 seconds grace time just in case user turns device on. The opposite applies to screen on with a smaller delay (5 seconds), just to avoiding turning wifi on unnecessarily.

- 2- 3G intermittent (5 or 10 minutes)

Exactly the same behavior described on wifi intermittent routines but using mobile data.

- 3- Network always on

It tries to get always on wifi but if none is connected it changes to 3G for 5 minutes then tries wifi again for 10 seconds (if no wifi is connected it continues with 3 G). User is free to change from mobile data or wifi, although it will always try to get wifi on from times to times.

4- No network

It just disables any of the above rules. It is necessary to give user full mannualy control over wifi and 3g.

I can tell you that was not easy work. All rules work flawlessly and do exactly what they are supposed to do. I tested it extensively… The only drawback was that I could not verify if wifi is scanning, idle, suspended etc. just connected or disconnected worked for me, but it did not affected that much my original goal.

Routines works as a great battery saver at the same time it gives-me periodic connection and notifications. I don´t need any more to be worried to have wifi on or off most of the times.

As far as I could see here and on foruns I just saw people developing standalone rules and struggling to get them working. I think automateit can do many things but it is not easy work for non-programmers.

Last but not least I’m confident I can suggest great features but I just want to write down all the thing if developer is going to consider it. Don´t take me wrong, but I already wasted many of my precious time reviewing apps and developers did not give a **** for that. Either they have a crystallized opinion or just got rich with their “more or less” already working app. On many cases they even did not answered my emails.. I would not care if they say “you are bul****ing”… It´s not possible to be done… That´s a bad idea… The app is not intended to do that… etc

Again, don´t get me wrong and let me know if I there is any interest on my Jurassic opinions over “control card language” features that could be added or changed on Automateit.

Take it easy.

Hope you enjoyed some of IT natural history museum. I swear I will be objective and succinct on next texts.

---------- Post added at 10:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 PM ----------

Oh my god!!! The "*" substituting my cusswords used for parse routine is great feature that will save me a lot of time and avoid exposing my bad education.

Sorry, i could bot resist after reading the published text