Watch and Process Automation - Automate actions based on monitored events


Description:
Watch and Process Automation is a monitoring and automation tool that watches one or more folders and then automatically processes the files it finds using programs and command‑line parameters you specify. It is designed to automate repetitive file-based tasks, boost productivity, and let you build as many customised tasks as you need, each with its own watch folders, file types, polling interval, processing steps, and output paths.

How to use:
1. Choose a task name/description so you can easily recognise what the automation does.

2. Select the folder you want the program to watch or poll for new or updated files.

3. Decide whether to include subfolders and enable that option if you want them monitored as well.

4. Specify which file types (for example, *.pdf, *.jpg, *.txt) should be included in this task.

5. Set the polling interval, which controls how often the folder is checked for matching files.

6. Add one or more programs to run for each file, including any required command‑line parameters; use the Program List and Remove Program button to manage them.

7. Enter an output path where processed files will be moved after all steps are complete, making sure it is different from the input folder.

8. When your configuration is ready, click Add Task, and use the edit, delete, or save‑all buttons as needed to manage your tasks.

9. Select your task in the Tasks list and click Start Watching Folder to begin; use Cancel Watch Folder to stop the task without deleting it so it can be run again later.

10. Optional: Export the logs to review what actions were performed and keep a record for future reference.

What You Can Do With This Program

Potential Uses for Watch and Process Automation:

• Automated File Conversion Pipelines:
  
  • Automatically convert incoming files (for example, documents, images, or videos) as soon as they are dropped into a watched folder, using your preferred command-line tools to handle the conversion steps with no manual intervention.
  
  
  
  
• Batch Document or Report Processing:
  
  • Have the program continually watch for newly generated reports, logs, or exports and immediately process them (such as compressing, renaming, or transforming them) before moving them to an archive or handover location.
  
  
  
  
• Automated Ingestion for Downstream Systems:
  
  • Feed other systems or applications by monitoring a drop folder, running one or more processing programs, and then moving the finished files into an import or staging directory where another system picks them up.
  
  
  
  
• Image, Audio, or Video Pre-Processing:
  
  • Prepare media assets automatically by resizing, transcoding, watermarking, or normalising them via scripted tools every time new files appear in the watch folder, ensuring consistent outputs for publishing or distribution.
  
  
  
  
• Log and Data Cleanup Tasks:
  
  • Keep storage tidy by automatically processing log files, CSV exports, and other data drops on a schedule, such as compressing, rotating, or moving them to long-term storage once they are detected.
  
  
  
  
• Multi-Step Processing Workflows:
  
  • Chain multiple programs together for each file so that a single incoming file can go through several stages (for example, validation, transformation, and packaging) without any manual start/stop steps.
  
  
  
  
• Hands-Off Nightly or Background Jobs:
  
  • Configure long-running tasks that quietly monitor folders in the background or overnight, processing whatever files arrive according to your rules so work is ready for you the next time you sit down.