The State Changers' meeting centered around automating the process of taking data from an FTP server and uploading it to Xano for regular updates. Discussion arose around different automation tools such as Zapier, Integromat, and Make. The attendees explored the use of third-party services which manage FTP operations for users, with the suggestion of possibly bypassing a subscription via cloud-based operation. They looked into SmartFile and GoAnywhere, FTP client services which offer API access and pricing options.
The team also engaged in a discussion on the difference between using an API and a manual process to pull data feeds into Xano. The idea was proposed to create a service that would download the FTP as an API, then have Xano call it just like any other API. Furthermore, the concept of using email as a data delivery method was brought up as an alternative to FTP. A brief reference was made to using bulk inserts into Xano for faster data insertion and the concept of embracing reasonable technical debt for quick market entry was discussed. Keywords mentioned in the discussion: Xano, Zapier, Integromat, Make, SmartFile, GoAnywhere, FTP, API, CSV.
(Source: Office Hours 7/21 )
