Hands On with Microsoft's Conditional Action Programmer (CAP)

Richard Hay, Senior Content Producer

July 14, 2016

14 Slides
Hands On with Microsoft's Conditional Action Programmer (CAP)

 

Microsoft recently unveiled a Microsoft Technology and Research project called the Conditional Action Programmer, or CAP for short, and it is a take on the popular If This Then That (IFTTT) service.

I am a huge fan and daily user of IFTTT for several things so seeing the CAP service from Microsoft caught my eye and I wanted to see what it was capable of in comparison to IFTTT.

At this early stage CAP has a limited number of services that it can connect to right now - just 11 of them compared to the massive options at IFTTT - but this is a project to test capabilities and options so it is not meant to replace your use of IFTTT right now.

The services/triggers that can currently be connected include:

  • Date and Time

  • Email

  • Facebook

  • RSS Feeds

  • HTTP

  • Office 356 Email

  • OneDrive for Business

  • Pocket

  • SMS

  • Stocks

  • Weather

CAP uses natural language recognition, which is the big push behind this project, so you simply type out what you would like to happens when a designated event occurs and then CAP will make all the connections.

You will see a page to verify what CAP understood, make any tweaks, validate any sites credentials that might be needed and then the task is created.

This project is currently only available on the web or as an app on Android although I can not find the listing in the Google Play Store.

 

About the Author

Richard Hay

Senior Content Producer, IT Pro Today (Informa Tech)

I served for 29 plus years in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Master Chief Petty Officer in November 2011. My work background in the Navy was telecommunications related so my hobby of computers fit well with what I did for the Navy. I consider myself a tech geek and enjoy most things in that arena.

My first website – AnotherWin95.com – came online in 1995. Back then I used GeoCities Web Hosting for it and WindowsObserver.com is the result of the work I have done on that site since 1995.

In January 2010 my community contributions were recognized by Microsoft when I received my first Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for the Windows Operating System. Since then I have been renewed as a Microsoft MVP each subsequent year since that initial award. I am also a member of the inaugural group of Windows Insider MVPs which began in 2016.

I previously hosted the Observed Tech PODCAST for 10 years and 317 episodes and now host a new podcast called Faith, Tech, and Space. 

I began contributing to Penton Technology websites in January 2015 and in April 2017 I was hired as the Senior Content Producer for Penton Technology which is now Informa Tech. In that role, I contribute to ITPro Today and cover operating systems, enterprise technology, and productivity.

https://twitter.com/winobs

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