Desktop Automation

The activities available in Desktop Automation helps you to create bots that can automate processes involving desktop-based applications, such as simple text editor, raster graphic editor, or software calculator, that are installed on a computer.

The RPA Model you create allows you to extract, enter, and read any data from applications through different type of action using keystrokes and mouse activities. This helps you to navigate the complexity and dynamism of the desktop-based application and automate routine and repetitive tasks.

Desktop Automation Actions

You can use the following activities to design a Desktop Automation bot:

This action is intended for opening the applications installed on a computer. It is one of the most commonly used activities in Desktop Automation.

Category: Generic Actions

Properties

  • Name: Enter the display name of the action.
  • Application Name/Path: Enter the name of the computer application in which the action is performed. For example, you can specify calc, notepad, or the path of the locally saved application file such as a Word or Excel file.
You cannot open the following applications using this action: Control Panel and Downloads, Documents, Desktop and Pictures folders.

You can use this action to get the values from the click action and work with the application interface. The values you can use are AutomationIDs. This action can also be used to get values from an application element and assign value to other elements.

AutomationID is a unique identification assigned to each element of an application, for example, the AutomationID of numeric 0 in a desktop calculator is num0Button. It helps the bot to identify the element and perform the step. You can use the Automation Spy tool.

Category: Generic Actions

Properties

• Name: Enter the display name of the action.

• Choose Action:

  • Click Element: The type of mouse action you want to perform, such as right-click, left-click or left down.

    • For example: Name (Five), Action (Left Click), Key (AutomationID), Value (num5Button).

  • Get Value From Element: Get the value contained in the element specified by the automationID and store it in a different user-defined variable.

    • For example: Get From (num5Button), Assign To (testVariable).

 

This action is used to press a specific key on the keyboard. Based on the keyboard inputs defined in the properties, the bot presses the same key to work on the application's interface.

Category: Keyboard Actions

Properties

• Name: Enter the display name of the action.

• Key: Select a standard keyboard key, such as Enter [Return] and Down Arrow [Down].

• Action: Select one of the following actions:

  • Key Press (Down + Up): Click a key and release it. Perform a standard keyboard input.
  • Key Down: Clicks down a key and doesn't release it.
  • Key Up: Releases a key.

 

A commonly used action in Desktop Automation and perform a mouse click action for working on the application interface, perform drag and drop, or other actions that you perform with a pointing device.

Category: Mouse Actions

Properties

  • Name: Enter the display name of the action.
  • Choose click type: Select a mouse action, such as Left Click, Right Click, and Middle Click.

 

This action is used to move the mouse pointer to a defined location on the screen and perform a mouse click action. To define the location on the screen you must enter the mouse coordinates both within an open application or on the entire screen. You can use the Mouse Locator tool.

Category: Mouse Actions

Properties

  • Name: Enter the display name of the action.
  • Enter X Coordinate: Specify the X-axis coordinate of the screen where the mouse pointer must move to.
  • Enter Y Coordinate: Specify the Y-axis coordinate of the screen where the mouse pointer must move to.
  • Choose click type: Select a mouse action, such as Left Click, Right Click, and Middle Click.