[ANN] New Homepage for the Puffin Automation Framework!

[A. Keyton Weissinger]

The new home page for the Puffin Automation Framework is live!

Check it out:

http://www.puffinhome.org

New documentation. New navigational structure.

What are you waiting for, start automating with Puffin today!

What is the Puffin Automation Framework? 

As it's name implies, Puffin allows you to automate "actions." 
An action, in terms of Puffin, is any "high level" execution item 
that may require inputs, may produce outputs, and whose results may
be validated for success or failure. For example, an action may 
involve making an HTTP request to a dynamic web page. It may 
involve grabbing a file's contents or even retrieving a specific 
email based on a keyword in the subject line. All of these are 
actions in the sense that they can be automated by Puffin. Puffin 
will manage all inputs, outputs, and validation for these actions.

Many technologies will allow you to do that. So why use Puffin?

The real differentiators for Puffin are the following:

1) No programming is required! If there is an action type for
   your desired task already in the framework (and more are being 
   added all the time), then all you need is XML to configure your 
   action.
   
2) You can create a transactional grouping of actions that succeed 
   only if every action in the group succeed.
   
3) You can automate tasks in a connected fashion (use the outputs 
   of action #1 as the inputs of actions #2 and #3).
   
4) You can automate intelligent repetition of task execution 
   (execute this action until X happens).
   
5) You can add dependencies to your action execution (execute 
   this action only if this other action's execution is successful).
   
6) Though programming is not required, you CAN extend any part 
   of the Puffin Automation Framework in your own Python programs. 
   The keyword is "framework." You can build applications that 
   leverage Puffin and all it provides.
   
7) You get failed task alerting (via email, file logs, etc) and 
   reporting as part of the framework.
   
8) Workspaces allow you to separate your problem space (places
   where you would want to automate actions) into discrete chunks 
   with separate configurations and action definitions.

Keyton Weissinger
keyton@puffinhome.org