Slack Standup

Slack standup is a script to make a daily status report easy using slack. When the whole team uses this, it gives a nice overview of what everyone is working on without taking time to actually do it in person which many find disruptive.

Table of Contents

• Example
• Release log
  • Version 3.0.0
  • Version 2.0.0
• Installation
• Tips and tricks
• Original Author

Example

See etc/example.yaml for what the standup looks like

Release log

Version 3.0.0

• dropped support for JSON
• swiched over to using slacks web-api
• removed emdash at start of lines to be something special
• use 1. markdown syntax now for numbered lists
• now allows for threadded slack updates

Version 2.0.0

NOTE: slack-standup follows XDG directory specification

Installation

1. npm install slack-standup -g

2. create an app with token at https://api.slack.com/apps/

   To get a working token you need to create a Slack app in your workspace with a user token. Here is one way on how to do that:

   1. Create a new Slack app in your workspace (you can give it any name).
   2. Under Oauth & Permissions / User Token Scopes add the users:write scope.
   3. Install the app into your workspace
   4. After successful installation the token for your app will then shown under Basic Information / App Credentials.

3. create $HOME/.config/slack-standup/slackrc.yaml

   • properties:
     • slack_token - slack token from above
     • channel - channel you wish the post to go to
     • user - slack user to post as (default: env USER)
     • editor - editor to use to post (default: env EDITOR)

   example slackrc.yaml:

   slack_token: xoxp-9152601...
   channel: "#blah"
   user: daniel
   editor: nvim # or code -w ... etc

4. Sublime and VS Code Editor

   • Note you must use the -w (--wait) option with the editor.

5. TMUX Sessions

   • If you use tmux and sublime (or atom) you need to reattach the editor, you may have to install reattach-to-user-namespace. On newer versions of tmux, this shouldn't be necessary.

Tips and tricks

1. Automatic Conversions:

   • Stars (*) at the start of lines are converted to bullets
   • Hash (1.) at the start of the lines are converted to automatically numbered lists

2. Comments in standup YAML file:

   • # commented lines are ignored and not ported to the next day

3. Today to Yesterday:

   • When used daily, Today's lists are automatically appended to Yesterday's list. It will check posts for 7 days

4. Update Standup:

   • Re-run, edit and save; it will update the post with the new data

5. Delete Standup:

   • You can do it via the application or
   • Re-run, change 'live' to false and quit; it will remove the post

6. Threaded:

   • create a thread: top-level field to respond to any thread in any channel. Get it by using slack's copy link in the UI.

     thread: https://slack.com/archives/G0188U2CB/p1601478081930300

Original Author

• https://github.com/caseman72