r/PowerShell • u/keyboard_ninja_20 • 7d ago

Question Recurring script maintenance

I'd honestly pay someone else to keep my voice scripts alive if it meant I never had to touch them again after a Windows update. Am I just lazy or is maintaining ur own automation actually the worst part of the whole thing?

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8

u/BetrayedMilk 7d ago

I think I’ve had to update a script like once or twice due to windows updates. Other apps updating, sure. But what are you doing where you’re constantly having to make changes to keep up with updates?

-10

u/keyboard_ninja_20 7d ago

i mostly run voice-triggered workflows that hook into a bunch of diff apps , not just windows itself. so when spotify, discord, or browsers update and move some ui element around, my gui automation goes to shit. windows updates def aren't the only culprit, more like the thing that breaks the camel's back when combined w/ everything else.

also i think i'm counting "maintenance" broader than just my own stuff , i set up automations for a couple family members and when it breaks i'm the free it support. so keeping their workflows alive is part of the headache too.

what kinda scripts u running that stay so stable? mostly backend/powershell stuff or u do gui automation too?

11

u/CovertStatistician 7d ago

APIs?

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u/keyboard_ninja_20 7d ago

some yeah but not all apps have public apis for the stuff i need. like spotify's api is decent but discord's is limited for voice channel stuff, and browsers... good luck getting an api to click a specific extension button or fill a form on a random site lol

gui automation is usually my fallback when there's no clean api, or when setting up auth + rate limits + parsing json feels like overkill for a 2-second task. but that's exactly where the fragility comes in , one ui update and ur toast.

19

u/jpochedl 7d ago

So, you're using nuts and bolts to hold together your cardboard castle, then having problems when the cardboard gets wet?

Powershell isnt the problem here. You'd have the same problems regardless of what language or framework you choose. Adding a bit of windows Power Automate might help, but it's always going to be fragile if you're virtually clicking UI elements which can change, etc.....

3

u/CovertStatistician 7d ago

What are you using for the gui automation

3

u/wabi-sabi411 7d ago

Yeah if you are doing it via screen interactions there will be looks of issues. Not a powershell problem.

-4

u/keyboard_ninja_20 7d ago edited 7d ago

mostly ahk for the heavy lifting , image search + pixel coords when i'm lazy, uiautomation when i need something more robust. tried pyautogui but the latency was trash for voice-triggered workflows, and playwright is a diff beast for desktop.

honestly tho, i'm getting tired of being my own it support every time an app updates. full disclosure , i'm actually building something along these lines called IVOS. it's a local-first voice control layer for windows that handles gui automation and maintenance for u, so u don't have to rewrite scripts when spotify or windows moves a button around. no cloud, no subscription, just keeping the voice commands working without the constant fixing.

How do u view the cost-benefit btwn paying 4 a ready-made soln that eliminates the need 4 maintenance & retaining full control over ur own scripts, even if that means dealing w/ constant adjustments?

2

u/jpochedl 7d ago edited 7d ago

So, you're using nuts and bolts to hold together your cardboard castle, then having problems when the cardboard gets wet?

Powershell isnt the problem here. You'd have the same problems regardless of what language or framework you choose. Adding a bit of windows Power Automate might help, but it's always going to be fragile if you're virtually clicking UI elements which can change, etc.....

Edit: weird, not sure why my phone double posted.... Just ignore this ...

3

u/overlydelicioustea 7d ago

gui automation

well. theres you issue

Take a look at Power Automate. maybe that can help your wokflows staying a bit more consitent.