Switch supports Node.js and 100 apps in the Appstore

The Enfocus Appstore reaches a milestone and Node.js Scripting brings new opportunities to app creators and customers

Over 100 apps are now available on the Appstore and the Switch Scripter supports Node.js

Gent, Belgium [9 September 2020], Enfocus, the leader in PDF quality control, advanced PDF editing and workflow automation for the graphic arts industry announces surpassing 100 apps available on the Enfocus Appstore.

100 app milestone

The Enfocus Appstore was launched on February 25, 2016, as part of the Switch 13 update 1 release. The purpose of the Appstore is to foster community solutions to automation challenges. App creators range from users to resellers to third-party partners. Over the years, this community has grown, and knowledge is now shared in various mediums, including the Enfocus Forum and the Official Switch User LinkedIn Group. The Enfocus Appstore is an extension of the commitment to openness and collaboration with our customers and partners. It is an online marketplace where you can instantly buy and use applications that extend your Switch flows and ultimately, your operations.

There are now over 100 community created apps available. Many apps are free to use, while others are offered through a subscription license or a one-time purchase license. The payable apps can be tried first for 30 days, allowing you to try them first before committing to a purchase. The Appstore itself is easy to use. After finding an app that is needed, it only takes a few clicks to assign it to a Switch installation. From the Switch interface, refreshing the app list will show the new apps, ready to use in a Switch flow. It couldn’t be simpler.

Reaching 100 apps has come coincidentally alongside the release of Switch 2020 Spring. This is noteworthy because the Switch Scripter has been updated to allow the use of Node.js to create scripts. What this does is open up thousands of available resources to scripters via npm (node package manager). Apps are created using the Switch Scripter. An explosion of new apps and additional functionality to existing apps is a plausible expectation.

Why is Node.js better?

Node.js is a modern JavaScript environment and npm is a library of open source Node.js packages. It was a logical choice for Enfocus to upgrade the Switch Scripting engine to make use of Node.js. Developers, scripters, Switch administrators, and app creators can draw on their Node.js experience. There is no Switch specific code to learn. Users can call upon and reuse code from npm or their own packages.

For example, the Inject Wildcard app was quickly upgraded to add functionality made available by using Node.js and npm resources. The Excel to XML app no longer requires external python scripts to provide its functionality and the app’s speed has increased. New to the Appstore, PDF Stripper pulls the text and metadata from PDF files into separate files without the need for any third-party software by using Node.js packages from npm.

Three big reasons for Node.js

• API functionality – use of existing packages from npm makes integrating with other software systems much easier and quicker to begin development.
• Debugging is easier – the Switch Scripter has greatly improved by allowing debugging from external scripting applications such as Visual Studio Code.
• Packaging a script – when a script is ready to become an app, all of the npm packages are gathered and included, leaving nothing more for end users to install.

The Enfocus Appstore is gaining a significant user base with 16,000 downloads overall. Enfocus expects to see many more apps in the future thanks to the updated Switch Scripter, Node.js, npm resources, and the commitment from our app creation partners.

To learn more:

• Enfocus Appstore: https://www.enfocus.com/appstore
• Node.js: https://nodejs.org/en/
• npm: https://www.npmjs.com/