[HN Gopher] Automa: A Chrome extension for automating the browser
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       Automa: A Chrome extension for automating the browser
        
       Author : hliyan
       Score  : 80 points
       Date   : 2021-11-21 15:08 UTC (7 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (chrome.google.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (chrome.google.com)
        
       | jedimind wrote:
       | It's even open-source [0], makes me feel better since I'm quite
       | paranoid when it comes to chrome extensions.
       | 
       | [0] https://github.com/kholid060/automa
        
         | schleck8 wrote:
         | And rightfully so
        
         | Ginden wrote:
         | Browser extension stores should be more transparent about open
         | source and licensing.
         | 
         | And probably they should collaborate with CI providers - eg.
         | make contract with GitHub to sign artifacts with "these files
         | were built using following pipeline from commit XYZ in
         | repository JohnSmith/UserBase".
        
         | randunel wrote:
         | How can you verify that your extension actually runs the code
         | that's in the open source repository? Extensions' integrity can
         | be signed and verified against something that was also authored
         | by the creator, but what verifies that the code in the linked
         | repository is the same one, not a different one?
        
           | forgotmypw17 wrote:
           | I think you can build it yourself and install that?
        
       | monkeydust wrote:
       | What's the most interesting or complicated flow someone has built
       | using this? Just curious.
        
         | stevenhuang wrote:
         | Extracting my data from sites like my bank/broker. Currently
         | I'm doing it manually whenever I happen to login. After copying
         | the relevant html, I need to fix the formatting and other
         | transforms before the entry can be added to my sheets.
         | 
         | I'm thinking with this I can get it to instantly select the
         | right fields and prepare the data, put it in my clipboard, then
         | I will be able to just paste in my sheet saving some time.
        
         | rajishx wrote:
         | jira stuff, so boring to create a new issue in jira
        
           | dalex00 wrote:
           | What is exactly the use case i am Jira admin and curious to
           | know to offer it my team's..
        
           | bbkane wrote:
           | Try go-jira for this. You can use YAML to template out your
           | tickets and `jira create` to create them. I wrote how I do
           | this at https://www.bbkane.com/blog/career-engineering-by-
           | tracking-w...
        
         | c54 wrote:
         | One use case that got me interested in browser automation is
         | the task of creating a new twitter account which follows
         | everyone followed by an existing twitter account. Aka
         | automating clicking and scrolling the same button down a page.
         | 
         | Something to try out
        
       | schleck8 wrote:
       | This is super cool. The Google search demo automation even types
       | the letters one by one like a real user
        
       | eastendguy wrote:
       | Sounds similar to Browserflow, which was on HN a few days ago.
        
         | stevenhuang wrote:
         | Yup, difference being this one is open source. Now it's even
         | more exciting to try out :)
        
       | nepalvibes wrote:
       | Love the fact that it is open-source and free to use. I can see
       | it being useful for a lot of people who don't want to spend money
       | but know they need to do some form of simple automation using
       | their browser.
        
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       (page generated 2021-11-21 23:01 UTC)