Forum Discussion
IvanWeiss
4 years agoQrew Captain
I have to say I was really disappointed to see this. I knew at some point it was going to happen but I GREATLY prefer automations to Pipelines for Quick base to quick base functionality and simple things. The interface is just so much easier and faster. Plus pipelines does not support a lot of functionality yet.
On top of all of that, I still have a lot of work to do to get the javascript out of my app and now this is another one I need to work on. As a "citizen developer" where this is not my full time job it is frustrating to stop new development so I can rework functioning parts due to features being removed.
I am all for pushing the platform further but it seems like we have half baked tools (the migration tool failed on the first 6 migrations I tried) and not a full functioning system in pipelines and we are eliminating proven automations.
Just my rant as this is very frustrating to me.
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Ivan Weiss
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On top of all of that, I still have a lot of work to do to get the javascript out of my app and now this is another one I need to work on. As a "citizen developer" where this is not my full time job it is frustrating to stop new development so I can rework functioning parts due to features being removed.
I am all for pushing the platform further but it seems like we have half baked tools (the migration tool failed on the first 6 migrations I tried) and not a full functioning system in pipelines and we are eliminating proven automations.
Just my rant as this is very frustrating to me.
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Ivan Weiss
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- MeredithMoore54 years agoQrew Assistant Captain100% with you Ivan.
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QuickBase Girl
------------------------------ - MarkShnier__You4 years agoQrew LegendIvan,
On the JavaScript issue, here's another way to look at it. QuickBase is bound and determined to get a higher security clearance than they had before. I'm not an expert on the different levels but for example SOC 2, is an example of a security level achievement which needs to be passed with a thorough audit by independent auditors. By having that certification it opens doors for them to get into whole industries or sectors where they have been blocked. Perhaps US federal regulated industries or certain healthcare industries or maybe one day industries where financial information and credit cards are stored.
I figure that's a good thing because the bigger QuickBase gets the more engineers they can hire and the quicker we get more features. Typically when they develop new features everybody gets to use them and not just the giant accounts.
As for converting your existing JavaScript, QuickBase is probably obligated to tell you that you have a theoretical security risk by allowing use of JavaScript in your applications. We all know that for most of us that security risk is purely theoretical. Your existing JavaScript will work forever they have not announced that it is ever going to break.
So it is up to you as to when and if you convert that JavaScript. For my clients my focus has been on knowing whether or not if we did need to make a change to a button for some reason would I know how to change the button to make it compliant. But I have no intention of suggesting a project for all of my clients to review all of their uses of JavaScript and remove it from the apps. In my case I prefer to let sleeping dogs lie and I will worry about updating buttons when and if I ever have to change the functionality of that button.
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Mark Shnier (YQC)
Quick Base Solution Provider
Your Quick Base Coach
http://QuickBaseCoach.com
mark.shnier@gmail.com
------------------------------- IvanWeiss4 years agoQrew CaptainHi Mark, I think you might have misunderstood what I meant. I do not mind at all the javascript change from a security standpoint. I fully understand it. My point was when retiring features that require a lot of work from developers in the community do one at a time. If the Javascript end of life is coming up in a few months dont start the clock on automations until after that.
I know it seems like 18 months is a long time away... But I have some things that are not supported in pipelines to my knowledge. Like a table to table import. So what do I do there? I assume their answer is it will be supported before automations is retired but get the replacement product 100% up to speed before announcing a retirement of an old one.
And most importantly finish your first retiring on functionality before adding a second.
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Ivan Weiss
------------------------------- EvanMartinez4 years agoQuickbase StaffHi Ivan,
Our hope is that giving users this longer period of notice will give them time to get to know Pipelines before they need to transition and make sure they aren't continuing to build Automations that they would need to migrate at a later date with the hope that in the 18 months those Automations that have built up can be transitioned. You are correct that there is not a direct action in Pipelines to call a T2T import, the work around some are using is like the one Mark laid out to call it via the webhook channel.
There is a function in Pipelines to help you get the same effect of moving data like T2T imports, it is achieved using the Bulk Records action. This would allow you to find data in Pipelines and then move it in bulk, it just uses a different function so everything stays contained within your Pipeline instead of having to go out to another feature and access it. As an added bonus in the case of T2T imports that go across applications this Pipeline action doesn't pull your apps into the same server when it runs unlike T2T imports across apps which do. We do not have a guide made up to step by step doing this type of set up but it is in the works right now, it is still getting edited and worked on. Once it goes live I can definitely drop the link to it here and it will be in our Automations to Pipelines hub. Then in the future the tool will be seeing some expansions to support migrating over more Automations and workflow use cases.
Your feedback and the feedback of other users on the timing is something we are passing on to the team overseeing the retirement of Automations. We wanted to be able to give those with Automations concerns and JS concerns as much time as possible to be able to consider their planning for both, though unfortunately that does mean there is some overlap in our communications we didn't want to cut down on the window we were offering customers, especially since some customers want to be able to plan for both at once. Definitely let us know where you are finding gaps in the functionality and where the process is painful for you as we want to make sure we keep making this process better.
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Evan Martinez
Community Marketing Manager
Quickbase
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