## Overview of the n8n and Shortcuts bin day automation
Be the envy of your street by using n8n and Shortcuts to let you know what colour bins are meant to go out.

This tutorial will show you how to use n8n as a backend and Shortcuts (macOS or iOS) as a front end client.

[Bin day automation - how to remember what colour bins need to go out - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY35t81IUL0)

## Take out the correct bins automation flow
![Bin day automation flow diagram](https://mermaid.ink/svg/pako:eNpVkE1rwzAMhv-K0Ai0kB52aslhUJIGdhtsbDB8UWx3MUvs4I9DCPnvU7I1owjBK-mRhDShdEpjgVk2GWtiMQmMre61wEJgQ4FFDn-5d_KGmk4HLgKDgzc9-bF0nfMr_3B8rOv68tsStHRW3dfr86msjgLnec4yYRf78jS08FYtOrTOR5li2G1qL6w92R37_o6AwwFK6jpojAVFI5xfnjn3BEyuLQvw0VIEyeuTX7noYEgRHPuCbsMwx177noziT0zCAvx_gSUf8S1Q2Jm5NCiK-qJMdB6LK3VB50gputfRSiyiT_oGVYb4uH6jBrKfzt3i-QdCgIBn)
```mermaidignore
graph TD

shortcuts(shortcuts)
n8n(n8n)

shortcuts -- Call bin day API --> n8n
n8n -- What colour bin to put out --> shortcuts
```

## How to recreate this automation
### Resources
- [Bin Day Shortcut for macOS/iOS](https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/9beb8e54e8c8470b929c4b62f0193184)
- [n8n workflow](https://github.com/rymawby/tiny-automations-source/blob/main/bin-day-n8n-and-shortcuts/bin_day_api.json)
- [n8n.io - Free and Open Workflow Automation Tool](https://n8n.io/)


### Step 1: Use n8n to create an API
This automation is simple enough that you don't really need this API - as currently the only data I could get was a PDF detailing what bins need to go out. If this changes in the future and I move somewhere with a better bin day website or even it's own API I will just have to change this backend and not the frontend Shortcut.

The n8n backend consists of 3 nodes. A `Webhook` node that we can call via a URL, a `Function` node that figures out what colour bins need to go out next Tuesday (my bin day) and then a `Respond to Webhook` node that returns the data from the `Function` node.

![Bin day API call in n8n](https://ry.d.pr/TW1MvE.png)

If you open the `Bin day` node you can see the URL you need to retrieve the data from this workflow. Take note of this URL as you will need to use it in your Shortcut. We are using `GET` as the `HTTP Method` as we do not need to pass in any parameters. (it would be worth adding some kind of `Authentication` too).

Not also we have set `Respond` to `Using 'Respond to Webhook' node` - this is how we will return the data from the `Function` node.

![The Bin Day URL](https://ry.d.pr/tfxLxt.png)

In the `Function` node we calculate what bins are out the following Tuesday - or today if today is Tuesday. My bins just alternate colours every week - yours may be different and you'd have to analyse and modify the code so it's relevant to you. But my code is something like this: 

```javascript

function getNextDayOfTheWeek(dayName, excludeToday = true, refDate = new Date()) {
    const dayOfWeek = ["sun","mon","tue","wed","thu","fri","sat"]
                      .indexOf(dayName.slice(0,3).toLowerCase());
    if (dayOfWeek < 0) return;
    refDate.setHours(0,0,0,0);
    refDate.setDate(refDate.getDate() + +!!excludeToday + 
                    (dayOfWeek + 7 - refDate.getDay() - +!!excludeToday) % 7);
    return refDate;
}

function daysBetweenTwoDates(startDate, endDate) {
  var millisecondsPerDay = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
  return Math.round((endDate - startDate) / millisecondsPerDay);
}

function isItFortnightlySince(days) {
  return days % 14 === 0;
}

const INITIAL_BIN_DAY = new Date(2022, 0, 4);
const nextBinDay = getNextDayOfTheWeek("Tuesday", false);

const daysBetweenBinDays = daysBetweenTwoDates(INITIAL_BIN_DAY, nextBinDay);

var binColor = "";
if(isItFortnightlySince(daysBetweenBinDays)){
  binColor = "Blue and Green";
} else{
  binColor = "Yellow";
}

items[0].json = {announce: "Put out the " + binColor + " bins."};

return items;
```

Notice the format we return data in n8n - the `items[0].json` usage is so that we can pass data between nodes - also note that the property we are setting is named `announce`.

In the `Respond to Webhook` node just return the `First incoming item`. 
![Respond to Webhook setup](https://ry.d.pr/8CtSX3.png)

Test it out, save and activate - your n8n API is up and running.

### Step 2: Create a Shortcut that calls your n8n API
Now you've set up your n8n backend you can create a Shortcut that calls this API and then displays what it returns. Below is in macOS but you can do the same on iOS/iPadOS.

Re-create the Shortcut as below but with your URL from `Step 1`. We call that URL, that the contents of the URL and then grab the value for `announce` and display it with a `Show Result` node.

![The Shortcut](https://ry.d.pr/kogO8t.png)

Now run your Shortcut - it should call your n8n backend and then display the result.

Be the envy of your street by putting the right colour bins out every week.

Bin day automation using n8n and Shortcuts

## Overview
I selfhost [Paperless-ng](https://github.com/jonaswinkler/paperless-ng) on my local network on a Raspberry Pi. I wanted to be able to just drop documents into a folder on my Mac or iPhone and let automation take care of the rest.

Paperless-ng monitors a folder on the Pi and will automatically import and OCR documents that are placed inside it. All I need to do is get the documents from my Mac or iOS device into that folder. To do this I have [Hazel](https://www.noodlesoft.com/) monitoring an iCloud folder on my Mac - if any document is placed in this folder it is copied to the Pi using [Secure Copy Protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_copy_protocol) (SCP).

[Parpeless-ng workflow with Hazel and SCP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2hhEVwP3o0)

## Automation flow diagram for this Paperless-ng workflow

![Automation flow diagram for this Paperless-ng workflow](https://mermaid.ink/svg/pako:eNpVkEFrwzAMhf-K0Qi0kBy6HjpyGJS0YcdCxw7DFzVWW1PHCoqzkYX89zlduzF0edL7HkgaoGJDkEOSDNbbkA8awplq0pBrOGAbRapuszcUiwdHbTRVBBuxNUpfsGO58g-rRVmW259ISxV7898v10_FZqVhHMck0X6qk2BzVq-bSVuzmNnCcWdUyc6QzKfZ42xf7K5qOdthQxI3aDN_mt8iKsvUC36RU9I5it2ziqFrcrIKbnp1tNHhDxLlKXyyXG7YElKoSWq0Jj5h0F6pvwdEGfe_aNB-jFzXGAy0NTawQH5E11IK2AXe976CPEhHd2hjMd5V_1IN-nfmez9-AwK1fE0)
```mermaidignore
graph TD

id1(iCloud Folder)
id2(SCP)
id3(Paperless-ng)

id1 -- Hazel rule --> id2
id2 -- Copy file over network --> id3
```

## Setup
### Step 1. Setup your Paperless-ng to monitor a folder
I have my Paperless-ng setup to monitor a folder called `consume`. This is the folder it monitors by default. If you want to change this visit the [setup docs](https://paperless-ng.readthedocs.io/en/latest/configuration.html). Make a note of path to the `consume` directory. For example mine is `/home/pi/Docker/paperless-ng/consume`.

### Step 2. Create a shell script that copies files from your Mac to the consume folder
This script takes in a variable (`$1`) which represents the filename of the matching file. It then copies this file to the directory you noted in _Step 1_. Hazel will then pass in the filename variables (`$1`) into this script.

```sh
#!/bin/zsh


scp $1 pi@raspberrypi.local:/home/pi/Docker/paperless-ng/consume
rm $1
exit 0
```

Here `raspberrypi.local` is the hostname or ip address of your device running Paperless-ng. I recommend using ssh keys for security and to make life easier too (I won't go into that here).

When Hazel runs a shell script it will pass a parameter into it - this will be the path to the file that it has matched. We use this file (`$1`) initially in the `scp` command - which will copy the file to your `consume` folder on your Pi.

We then delete the file with `rm $1` - if you don't want to delete the file after copying make sure you delete this line.

### Step 3. Setup hazel to watch an iCloud folder on your Mac.
If we setup Hazel to monitor an iCloud folder it means that this automation becomes more flexible and useful. Any file you add to this folder whether from your Mac, your iPhone or your iPad (or even iCloud web) will end up being processed. Setup your Hazel rule to match files dropped in this iCloud folder and then run the script you created in _Step 2_.

![Hazel rule](https://ry.d.pr/zZiDBO.png)

You could also use another file sync utility such as Dropbox.

### Step. 4. Let it run.
Drop your files into the folder and kick back whilst Paperless-ng processes your documents.

Get your documents into Paperless-ng using Hazel and SCP.

Learn how to automate with iOS