feat(automation): streamline automation management

Surface lifecycle and output summaries, guided creation, and clear deletion safeguards in automation settings.

apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/AutomationPanel.tsx

@@ -30,16 +30,16 @@ export default function AutomationPanel({ location }: PanelBaseProps) {
         />
       </div>
       <div ref={automationsRef}>
-        <AutomationsList automations={data.automations} enabledAutomations={automationState} isLoading={isLoading} />
+        <AutomationsList
-      </div>
-      <div ref={triggersRef}>
-        <TriggersList
-          triggers={data.triggers}
           automations={data.automations}
+          triggers={data.triggers}
           enabledAutomations={automationState}
           isLoading={isLoading}
         />
       </div>
+      <div ref={triggersRef}>
+        <TriggersList triggers={data.triggers} automations={data.automations} isLoading={isLoading} />
+      </div>
     </>
   );
 }

apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/AutomationSettingsForm.tsx

@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ export default function AutomationSettingsForm({
         <Panel.Section>
           <Info>
             <span>Control Ontime and share its data with external systems in your workflow.</span>
-            <span>- Automations allow Ontime to send its data on lifecycle triggers.</span>
+            <span>- An automation is what to send: OSC and HTTP messages, or an action inside Ontime.</span>
+            <span>- A trigger is when to send it. Triggers for a single event live in the event editor.</span>
             <span>- OSC Input tells Ontime to listen to messages on the specific port.</span>
             <ExternalLink href={oscApiDocsUrl}>See the docs</ExternalLink>
           </Info>

apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/AutomationsList.module.scss

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+.table td {
+  vertical-align: middle;
+}
+
+.tags {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.5rem;
+}
+
+.actions {
+  justify-content: flex-end;
+  flex-wrap: nowrap;
+}
+
+.muted {
+  color: $muted-gray;
+}

apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/AutomationsList.tsx

@@ -1,18 +1,25 @@
-import { AutomationDTO, NormalisedAutomation } from 'ontime-types';
+import { Automation, AutomationDTO, NormalisedAutomation, Trigger } from 'ontime-types';
-import { Fragment, useState } from 'react';
+import { useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 import { IoAdd, IoPencil, IoTrash } from 'react-icons/io5';
 
-import { deleteAutomation } from '../../../../common/api/automation';
-import { maybeAxiosError } from '../../../../common/api/utils';
 import Button from '../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
 import IconButton from '../../../../common/components/buttons/IconButton';
 import Info from '../../../../common/components/info/Info';
 import Tag from '../../../../common/components/tag/Tag';
+import { getLifecycleLabel } from '../../../../common/constants/timerLifecycle';
 import useAutomationSettings from '../../../../common/hooks-query/useAutomationSettings';
+import { summariseOutputs } from '../../../../common/utils/automationOutputs';
+import { cx } from '../../../../common/utils/styleUtils';
 import * as Panel from '../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
+import useAppSettingsNavigation from '../../useAppSettingsNavigation';
 import AutomationForm from './AutomationForm';
+import { groupTriggersByAutomation, isAutomation } from './automationUtils';
+import DeleteAutomationDialog from './DeleteAutomationDialog';
+import NewAutomationDialog from './NewAutomationDialog';
 
-const automationPlaceholder: AutomationDTO = {
+import style from './AutomationsList.module.scss';
+
+const emptyAutomation: AutomationDTO = {
   title: '',
   filterRule: 'all',
   filters: [],
@@ -21,37 +28,93 @@ const automationPlaceholder: AutomationDTO = {
 
 interface AutomationsListProps {
   automations: NormalisedAutomation;
+  triggers: Trigger[];
   enabledAutomations?: boolean;
   isLoading: boolean;
 }
 
-export default function AutomationsList({ automations, enabledAutomations, isLoading }: AutomationsListProps) {
+export default function AutomationsList({
+  automations,
+  triggers,
+  enabledAutomations,
+  isLoading,
+}: AutomationsListProps) {
   const { refetch } = useAutomationSettings();
-  const [automationFormData, setAutomationFormData] = useState<AutomationDTO | null>(null);
+  const { setLocation } = useAppSettingsNavigation();
-  const [deleteError, setDeleteError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [editing, setEditing] = useState<Automation | AutomationDTO | null>(null);
+  const [isPickingStart, setIsPickingStart] = useState(false);
+  const [deleteTarget, setDeleteTarget] = useState<Automation | null>(null);
 
-  const handleDelete = async (id: string) => {
+  const lifecyclesByAutomation = useMemo(() => groupTriggersByAutomation(triggers), [triggers]);
-    try {
+  const automationList = Object.values(automations);
-      setDeleteError(null);
+
-      await deleteAutomation(id);
+  /** a recipe creates the automation itself, so it lands in the list rather than in a form */
-    } catch (error) {
+  const handleCreated = async () => {
-      setDeleteError(maybeAxiosError(error));
+    setIsPickingStart(false);
-    } finally {
+    await refetch();
-      refetch();
-    }
   };
 
-  const arrayAutomations = Object.keys(automations);
+  const handleStartEmpty = () => {
+    setIsPickingStart(false);
+    setDeleteTarget(null);
+    setEditing(emptyAutomation);
+  };
+
+  const handleDeleted = async () => {
+    setDeleteTarget(null);
+    setEditing(null);
+    await refetch();
+  };
+
+  const startPicking = () => {
+    setEditing(null);
+    setDeleteTarget(null);
+    setIsPickingStart(true);
+  };
+
+  const startEditing = (automation: Automation) => {
+    setIsPickingStart(false);
+    setDeleteTarget(null);
+    setEditing(automation);
+  };
+
+  const startDeleting = (automation: Automation) => {
+    setIsPickingStart(false);
+    setEditing(null);
+    setDeleteTarget(automation);
+  };
 
   return (
     <Panel.Section>
       <Panel.Card>
-        {automationFormData !== null && (
+        {editing !== null && (
-          <AutomationForm automation={automationFormData} onClose={() => setAutomationFormData(null)} />
+          <AutomationForm
+            // the form snapshots the automation's lifecycles on mount, so it must never be
+            // reused across two different automations
+            key={isAutomation(editing) ? editing.id : 'new'}
+            automation={editing}
+            triggers={triggers}
+            onClose={() => setEditing(null)}
+          />
+        )}
+        {isPickingStart && (
+          <NewAutomationDialog
+            onClose={() => setIsPickingStart(false)}
+            onStartEmpty={handleStartEmpty}
+            onCreated={handleCreated}
+          />
+        )}
+        {deleteTarget !== null && (
+          <DeleteAutomationDialog
+            automation={deleteTarget}
+            attachedTriggers={triggers.filter((trigger) => trigger.automationId === deleteTarget.id)}
+            onCancel={() => setDeleteTarget(null)}
+            onDeleted={handleDeleted}
+          />
         )}
         <Panel.SubHeader>
           Manage automations
-          <Button onClick={() => setAutomationFormData(automationPlaceholder)}>
+          <Button onClick={startPicking}>
             New <IoAdd />
           </Button>
         </Panel.SubHeader>
@@ -60,74 +123,95 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, enabledAutomations, isLoa
 
         <Panel.Section>
           {enabledAutomations === false && (
-            <Info>
+            <Info type='warning'>
-              Automations are disabled. You can still manage automation definitions here, but they will not run until
+              <Info.Body>Automations are off, so nothing in this list will run.</Info.Body>
-              enabled.
+              <Info.Footer>
+                <Button size='small' onClick={() => setLocation('automation__settings')}>
+                  Go to automation settings
+                </Button>
+              </Info.Footer>
             </Info>
           )}
 
-          <Panel.Table>
+          <Panel.Table className={style.table}>
             <thead>
               <tr>
-                <th style={{ width: '45%' }}>Title</th>
+                <th style={{ width: '35%' }}>Title</th>
-                <th style={{ width: '15%' }}>Trigger rule</th>
+                <th style={{ width: '25%' }}>Runs on</th>
-                <th style={{ width: '15%' }}>Filters</th>
+                <th style={{ width: '15%' }}>Filter rule</th>
-                <th style={{ width: '15%' }}>Outputs</th>
+                <th style={{ width: '15%' }}>Sends</th>
                 <th />
               </tr>
             </thead>
             <tbody>
-              {!isLoading && arrayAutomations.length === 0 && (
+              {!isLoading && automationList.length === 0 && (
                 <Panel.TableEmpty
                   title='No automations yet'
-                  description='An automation sends OSC or HTTP messages, or runs an Ontime action, whenever a trigger fires.'
+                  description='An automation sends OSC or HTTP messages, or runs an Ontime action, whenever a trigger fires. Start from a recipe to see one working.'
                   action={
-                    <Button variant='primary' onClick={() => setAutomationFormData(automationPlaceholder)}>
+                    <Button variant='primary' onClick={startPicking}>
-                      Create automation <IoAdd />
+                      New automation <IoAdd />
                     </Button>
                   }
                 />
               )}
-              {arrayAutomations.map((automationId) => {
+              {automationList.map((automation) => {
-                if (!Object.hasOwn(automations, automationId)) {
+                const lifecycles = lifecyclesByAutomation[automation.id] ?? [];
-                  return null;
+                const outputs = summariseOutputs(automation.outputs);
-                }
+
                 return (
-                  <Fragment key={automationId}>
+                  <tr key={automation.id}>
-                    <tr>
+                    <td>{automation.title}</td>
-                      <td>{automations[automationId].title}</td>
                     <td>
-                        <Tag>{automations[automationId].filterRule}</Tag>
+                      {lifecycles.length === 0 ? (
+                        <span className={style.muted}>—</span>
+                      ) : (
+                        <div className={style.tags}>
+                          {lifecycles.map((cycle) => (
+                            <Tag key={cycle}>{getLifecycleLabel(cycle)}</Tag>
+                          ))}
+                        </div>
+                      )}
                     </td>
-                      <td>{automations[automationId].filters.length}</td>
+                    <td>
-                      <td>{automations[automationId].outputs.length}</td>
+                      {automation.filters.length === 0 ? (
-                      <Panel.InlineElements align='end' relation='inner' as='td'>
+                        <span className={style.muted}>—</span>
+                      ) : (
+                        <Tag>{automation.filterRule === 'all' ? 'All filters' : 'Any filter'}</Tag>
+                      )}
+                    </td>
+                    <td>
+                      <div className={style.tags}>
+                        {outputs.length === 0 ? (
+                          <Tag variant='warning'>No outputs</Tag>
+                        ) : (
+                          outputs.map(({ type, label, count }) => (
+                            <Tag key={type}>{count > 1 ? `${label} ×${count}` : label}</Tag>
+                          ))
+                        )}
+                      </div>
+                    </td>
+                    <td>
+                      <div className={cx([style.tags, style.actions])}>
                         <IconButton
                           variant='ghosted-white'
                           aria-label='Edit entry'
-                          onClick={() => setAutomationFormData(automations[automationId])}
+                          onClick={() => startEditing(automation)}
                         >
                           <IoPencil />
                         </IconButton>
                         <IconButton
                           variant='ghosted-destructive'
                           aria-label='Delete entry'
-                          onClick={() => handleDelete(automationId)}
+                          onClick={() => startDeleting(automation)}
                         >
                           <IoTrash />
                         </IconButton>
-                      </Panel.InlineElements>
+                      </div>
-                    </tr>
-                  </Fragment>
-                );
-              })}
-              {deleteError && (
-                <tr>
-                  <td colSpan={5}>
-                    <Panel.Error>{deleteError}</Panel.Error>
                     </td>
                   </tr>
-              )}
+                );
+              })}
             </tbody>
           </Panel.Table>
         </Panel.Section>

apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/DeleteAutomationDialog.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import axios from 'axios';
+import type { Automation, Trigger } from 'ontime-types';
+import { useState } from 'react';
+
+import { deleteAutomation } from '../../../../common/api/automation';
+import { maybeAxiosError } from '../../../../common/api/utils';
+import Button from '../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
+import Dialog from '../../../../common/components/dialog/Dialog';
+import Info from '../../../../common/components/info/Info';
+import { getLifecycleLabel } from '../../../../common/constants/timerLifecycle';
+import * as Panel from '../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
+
+interface DeleteAutomationDialogProps {
+  automation: Automation;
+  /** global triggers pointing at this automation, they are deleted along with it */
+  attachedTriggers: Trigger[];
+  onCancel: () => void;
+  onDeleted: () => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Deleting takes the automation's global triggers with it, so say so before it happens rather
+ * than leaving the user to discover it in the triggers list.
+ *
+ * An automation attached to an event is still refused by the server: that reference lives in
+ * the rundown and removing it is an edit to the show, not to this panel.
+ */
+export default function DeleteAutomationDialog({
+  automation,
+  attachedTriggers,
+  onCancel,
+  onDeleted,
+}: DeleteAutomationDialogProps) {
+  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [isDeleting, setIsDeleting] = useState(false);
+  const [isAttachedToEvent, setIsAttachedToEvent] = useState(false);
+
+  const handleDelete = async () => {
+    setError(null);
+    setIsAttachedToEvent(false);
+    setIsDeleting(true);
+    try {
+      await deleteAutomation(automation.id);
+      onDeleted();
+    } catch (error) {
+      setError(maybeAxiosError(error));
+      setIsAttachedToEvent(axios.isAxiosError(error) && error.response?.status === 409);
+    } finally {
+      setIsDeleting(false);
+    }
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <Dialog
+      isOpen
+      onClose={onCancel}
+      showBackdrop
+      showCloseButton
+      title='Delete automation'
+      bodyElements={
+        <Panel.Section>
+          <Panel.Paragraph>
+            Delete <strong>{automation.title}</strong>? This cannot be undone.
+          </Panel.Paragraph>
+
+          {attachedTriggers.length > 0 && (
+            <Info type='warning'>
+              <Info.Title>
+                {attachedTriggers.length === 1
+                  ? 'Its trigger is deleted with it'
+                  : `Its ${attachedTriggers.length} triggers are deleted with it`}
+              </Info.Title>
+              <Info.Body>{attachedTriggers.map((trigger) => getLifecycleLabel(trigger.trigger)).join(', ')}</Info.Body>
+            </Info>
+          )}
+
+          {error && (
+            <Info type='error'>
+              <Info.Title>Could not delete this automation</Info.Title>
+              <Info.Body>{error}</Info.Body>
+              <Info.Footer>
+                {isAttachedToEvent
+                  ? 'An automation attached to a single event has to be removed from that event first, in the event editor.'
+                  : 'Try again. If the problem persists, check the network log for details.'}
+              </Info.Footer>
+            </Info>
+          )}
+        </Panel.Section>
+      }
+      footerElements={
+        <>
+          <Button onClick={onCancel} disabled={isDeleting}>
+            Cancel
+          </Button>
+          <Button variant='destructive' onClick={handleDelete} loading={isDeleting}>
+            Delete
+          </Button>
+        </>
+      }
+    />
+  );
+}

apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/TriggersList.tsx

@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 import { NormalisedAutomation, Trigger } from 'ontime-types';
-import { Fragment, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import { useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 import { IoAdd } from 'react-icons/io5';
 
 import { deleteTrigger } from '../../../../common/api/automation';
 import { maybeAxiosError } from '../../../../common/api/utils';
 import Button from '../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
-import Info from '../../../../common/components/info/Info';
 import useAutomationSettings from '../../../../common/hooks-query/useAutomationSettings';
 import * as Panel from '../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
+import useAppSettingsNavigation from '../../useAppSettingsNavigation';
 import { checkDuplicates } from './automationUtils';
 import TriggerForm from './TriggerForm';
 import TriggersListItem from './TriggersListItem';
@@ -20,13 +20,13 @@ type FormState = {
 interface TriggersListProps {
   triggers: Trigger[];
   automations: NormalisedAutomation;
-  enabledAutomations?: boolean;
   isLoading: boolean;
 }
 
-export default function TriggersList({ triggers, automations, enabledAutomations, isLoading }: TriggersListProps) {
+export default function TriggersList({ triggers, automations, isLoading }: TriggersListProps) {
   const [formState, setFormState] = useState<FormState>({ isOpen: false, trigger: undefined });
   const { refetch } = useAutomationSettings();
+  const { setLocation } = useAppSettingsNavigation();
   const [deleteError, setDeleteError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
   const openNewForm = () => setFormState({ isOpen: true });
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ export default function TriggersList({ triggers, automations, enabledAutomations
   };
 
   const duplicates = useMemo(() => checkDuplicates(triggers), [triggers]);
+  const orphans = useMemo(
+    () => triggers.filter((trigger) => !Object.hasOwn(automations, trigger.automationId)).length,
+    [triggers, automations],
+  );
 
   // there is no point letting user creating a trigger if there are no automations
   const canAdd = Object.keys(automations).length > 0;
@@ -66,22 +70,28 @@ export default function TriggersList({ triggers, automations, enabledAutomations
           />
         )}
         <Panel.SubHeader>
-          Manage triggers
+          Global triggers
           <Button disabled={!canAdd} onClick={openNewForm}>
             New <IoAdd />
           </Button>
         </Panel.SubHeader>
         <Panel.Divider />
         <Panel.Section>
-          {enabledAutomations === false && (
+          <Panel.Description>
-            <Info>
+            Triggers are managed from the automation itself. This list is for naming them, or for pointing several
-              Automations are disabled. You can still manage triggers here, but they will not run until enabled.
+            differently named triggers at the same automation.
-            </Info>
+          </Panel.Description>
-          )}
           {duplicates && (
             <Panel.Error>
-              You have created multiple links between the same trigger and automation which can cause performance
+              You have created multiple links between the same trigger and automation. Duplicate combinations will only
-              issues.
+              fire once per lifecycle event.
+            </Panel.Error>
+          )}
+          {orphans > 0 && (
+            <Panel.Error>
+              {orphans === 1
+                ? '1 trigger points at an automation that no longer exists and will never run.'
+                : `${orphans} triggers point at automations that no longer exist and will never run.`}
             </Panel.Error>
           )}
           <Panel.Table>
@@ -99,31 +109,32 @@ export default function TriggersList({ triggers, automations, enabledAutomations
                   title='No triggers yet'
                   description={
                     canAdd
-                      ? 'Triggers run an automation at a given point of the timer lifecycle, like when an event starts or finishes.'
+                      ? 'Triggers run an automation at a given point of the timer lifecycle. The usual way to create one is to pick the lifecycles in the automation itself.'
-                      : 'Create an automation first, then add a trigger to decide when it should run.'
+                      : 'Create an automation first, then pick the lifecycles it should run on.'
                   }
                   action={
-                    canAdd && (
+                    canAdd ? (
                       <Button variant='primary' onClick={openNewForm}>
                         Create trigger <IoAdd />
                       </Button>
+                    ) : (
+                      <Button variant='primary' onClick={() => setLocation('automation__automations')}>
+                        Go to automations
+                      </Button>
                     )
                   }
                 />
               )}
-              {triggers.map((trigger, index) => {
+              {triggers.map((trigger, index) => (
-                return (
-                  <Fragment key={trigger.id}>
                 <TriggersListItem
+                  key={trigger.id}
                   automations={automations}
                   trigger={trigger}
                   duplicate={duplicates?.includes(index)}
                   handleEdit={() => openEditForm(trigger)}
                   handleDelete={() => handleDelete(trigger.id)}
                 />
-                  </Fragment>
+              ))}
-                );
-              })}
               {deleteError && (
                 <tr>
                   <td colSpan={5}>

apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/TriggersListItem.tsx

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ interface TriggersListItemProps {
 
 export default function TriggersListItem(props: TriggersListItemProps) {
   const { automations, trigger, duplicate, handleEdit, handleDelete } = props;
+  const automation = automations[trigger.automationId];
 
   return (
     <tr data-warn={duplicate}>
@@ -31,7 +32,8 @@ export default function TriggersListItem(props: TriggersListItemProps) {
         <Tag>{cycles.find((cycle) => cycle.value === trigger.trigger)?.label}</Tag>
       </td>
       <td>
-        <Tag>{automations?.[trigger.automationId]?.title}</Tag>
+        {/* a trigger can outlive the automation it points at, say after a partial project import */}
+        {automation ? <Tag>{automation.title}</Tag> : <Tag variant='warning'>Missing automation</Tag>}
       </td>
       <Panel.InlineElements align='end' relation='inner' as='td'>
         <IconButton variant='ghosted-white' aria-label='Edit entry' onClick={handleEdit}>

apps/client/src/features/app-settings/useAppSettingsMenu.tsx

@@ -84,11 +84,25 @@ const staticOptions = [
       {
         id: 'automation__automations',
         label: 'Manage automations',
-        keywords: ['osc', 'http', 'webhook', 'integration', 'api', 'output', 'action'],
+        keywords: [
+          'osc',
+          'http',
+          'webhook',
+          'integration',
+          'api',
+          'output',
+          'action',
+          'recipe',
+          'example',
+          'preset',
+          'qlab',
+          'vmix',
+          'companion',
+        ],
       },
       {
         id: 'automation__triggers',
-        label: 'Manage triggers',
+        label: 'Global triggers',
         keywords: ['lifecycle', 'on load', 'on start', 'on finish', 'on update'],
       },
     ],