Layman's terms
stoid said:
Can you explain in laymen's terms what Pipeline would do? Is it just an extension of the Terminal, or would it be a more 'everyday normal user' application?
It basically seems to connect many applications together, gluing them to perform a more specific task, automatically.
In the UNIX world, we'd use scripts with piping, like this:
Code:
[b]balboa:~ will$[/b] app1 | app2 | app3
Which translates to, give the output of app1 to be processed by app2 which will give its output to be processed by app3. Problem with this is that it's obviously very linear, which is solved with "scripts," which allows for decision-making. For example, you noticed a few things in the pipeline screenshot. You can find Items from the Address Book. If I added a few photos to iPhoto and added them to a category, I want to automate the exportation to a HTML gallery, uploading to a web server, informing people by mail, etc. You can combine all that in one single program which is really a script.
Really, really powerful if you take it the correct way. Pipeline just seems to make it easy for the average joe to achieve what UNIX people have been enjoying for years with advanced knowledge of their systems. Of course you could do what I just described in Panther but you'd have to learn AppleScript.
I think the concept is very real and Apple knows it can be an untapped source of power for the average joe to do MUCH more with his computer by automating it.
Edit: Of course I could be totally wrong. We'll see Monday!