Table of Contents
1. Recording
2. Variables
3. Files / Folders
4. Moved Icons/Menus
5. Create Exe Feature
6. Internet
7. Scripting
8. Tasks
9. If Condition
10. Loop
11. Web Recorder
12. Remote Deployment & Deployment Manager
13. Visualize Technology
14. Workflow Designer
15. Get Text
16. Manage Windows Control
17. Others
18. More Questions?
1. Recording
You can easily create new task using SMART task recorder. Click 'RECORD'; perform the activities on your computer that
you want to record, click 'STOP' and then 'SAVE' the recorded activities to a
task. You can play back your recorded actions by using the 'RUN' button and
selecting the task that you saved. For further details refer to the Help file.
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No. Automation Anywhere's SMART Automation Technology automatically adjust to changes of
window size and location.
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You can switch back and forth between various applications while recording.
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Yes. Automation Anywhere
offers unique Auto Login technology. Auto Login allows scheduled tasks to run
even when computer is locked. When you schedule a task you can enable
Auto Login capability. If Auto Login in enabled, and if computer is locked,
Automation Anywhere will unlock the computer, run the task and lock it back.
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Yes. Hold the Escape Key for 2-3 seconds.
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Yes. Press ‘Pause’ on your keyboard. This will temporarily stop the execution
of the task. Click on the ‘Resume’ button that will appear at the bottom
right hand corner of your screen to continue playing the task from where it was paused.
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No. To perform mouse and keyboard actions Automation Anywhere requires control
of mouse & keyboard, and therefore cannot be run in the background.
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Yes. Automation Anywhere supports all the remote access software.
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You can run the same
task with different files of the same program. By default the task will only
run on the specific file(s) it was recorded on. However you can check ‘Enable
this task to run with other similar files and windows 'option under the Properties>
General tab. Now for example if you recorded a task on abc.xls, you can run
this task on def.xls, xyz.xls or any other *.xls files
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2. Variables
You can use Variable inside different commands like ‘Insert Keystroke’,
‘Open Program/File’, ‘Files/Folders’. In all the commands variable names are specified by enclosing the variable names in between the $ sign. For e.g. $Password$
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Yes, you can use a variable in any Task.
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List variable can have many different text values. When
I use the list variable which value will be executed?
Every time a task comes across a list variable during the playback, the next text value in the sequence of the list variable is used. If the
list variable reaches the last text value then its subsequent reference will return the first text value.
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Yes, you can store any special character as a text value in a variable.
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I have to run a task that needs to use a different value for a variable in every
repeat. How do I do that with your Automation Software?
Automation Anywhere provides "Loop – End Loop" commands. You can place your repetitive task inside a Loop – End Loop block. You can
use a List variable inside it for data that keeps on changing with each loop.
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What are these System Variables $CurrentDirectory$, $FolderName$ and $FileName$?
Consider a command in the task -
"Loop for Folders in a <folder>".
Here the <folder> is the specified folder on which the Loop is going
to be executed. Its full path is available at execution time by the System Variable "$CurrentDirectory$"
If 'n' is the number of folders in the specified folders, the loop will be executed 'n' times. Each time the $FolderName$ variable will
have the next folder's name inside the specified folder.
Now if the task is like
"Loop for Files in a <folder>".
Then $FileName$ will represent the next file's name inside the specified
folder.
Outside the loop $CurrentDirectory$, $FolderName$ and $FileName$ will have no data in them.
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3. Files / Folders
Can I create a file with any extension?
Yes, you can create file with any extension using the 'Create File' sub command in the Files/Folders command.
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If
I use a Files / Folders command like "Delete Files 'c:\MyPrgs\*.*' ", will this delete all the files in the subfolders too?
No, this command will delete all the files in the current
folder only. In the above example it will delete all the files in 'c:\MyPrgs' directory only.
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Yes, you can use the "Loop for Files in a <folder>". command.
Here $FileName$ will have next File name inside the specified folder in each Loop execution. You can use this System variable to perform
any operation inside the Loop - End Loop block.
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4. Moved Icons/Menus
No, the SMART Automation Technology built into Automation Anywhere provides a powerful feature that lets you use your original task.
You can check an option from Tools > Options > “Move Icons/Menus”. When you select this to play a task under this mode it opens the same program
that was opened while recording even if the menus have moved.
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- Will my task play correctly even if files, program shortcut icons in the
Quick Launch and the Desktop have moved?
Apart from a few exceptions, opening of most of the files and shortcut icons from both Quick Launch and Desktop will be played back even
if the icons have moved from their original location. Note that, the ‘Move Icons/Menus’ should be checked in Tools > Options menu for this feature to be enabled.
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5. Create Exe Feature
This feature is available only in Automation Anywhere Premier version.
For more information about Automation Anywhere versions check Automation Software.
To create exe right click on any task and click on 'Create Exe' menu.
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No, even if you uninstall your Automation Anywhere program the Exe will work. The Exe is independent of Automation Anywhere.
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I have set most of the properties like email notification,
speed, etc for a task. If I create an Exe and delete the task, will the Exe retain all these properties?
The created Exe will retain all the properties set at that time. Once the Exe is created, it is independent of Automation Anywhere and its task. So it will retain all its properties.
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6. Internet
When you want to confirm that a task has completed running, you can
use E-mail Notification. An e-mail will be sent to the addressed specified in the field associated with it regarding the status of the Task that was run.
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This Button will open up the Options user interface that allows you to
set the outgoing mail server and its port number. Every mail that you send or receive requires the mail server. You have to obtain this information
from your Internet E-mail provider or you may obtain it from the configuration section of your E-mail program.
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Does your Automation Software provide any facility to send an email?
Yes Automation Anywhere provides a command ‘Send mail’. You can use this command to send e-mails to anyone. Note that this command will get
information about the e-mail Server and its port number from the Mail Setting in the Options Menu every time the Task is run.
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7. Scripting
Yes. Not only you can integrate disparate scripts like VBScripts & JScripts within an
Automation Anywhere task but you can use in-built automation services like repeat, notification, etc., on VBScript
& JScripts as well. For more information about Automation Anywhere check
Automation Software
Automation Anywhere Editor has a command “Run Script”.
You can use this command to Run your VBScript or JScript files from Automation Anywhere. You can even pass arguments to your VBScript and JScript files as
you might have been doing it to run it through command prompt.
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You can use the 'If Script Successful' subcommand inside the 'If command'.
This command will Run the Script and will execute the 'If - End If' block only if the Script ran successfully.
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8. Tasks
Yes, You can create a new Task in which you can use ‘Run Task’ command
to Run your individual tasks.
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You can use the 'If Task Successful' subcommand inside the 'If command'.
This command will run the Task and will execute the 'If - End If' block only if the Task ran successfully.
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9. If Condition
Yes. There are number of conditions in IF Command. One of them is “If Window Exists”.
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Yes, you can use If Condition (If Application Running) to see if any application is running or not. You and
specify the exe name that you want to test in the If condition. For e.g. consider the following script
If Application Running ('F:\WINNT\system32\calc.exe')
Comments: Add your commands when the Calculate program is running
End If
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10. Loop
A loop command allows repeated execution of a group of commands when these
commands are placed inside the 'Loop – End Loop' block. The number of the
times these commands will be executed will depend on the type of Loop command selected.
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I want to do particular action on all the folders
inside a folder. How do I do that using your Automation Software?
You can use the Loop command (Start Loop “Each folder in ‘<folder>’)
in Automation Anywhere. If there are ‘n’ folders in the specified folder then this loop will
be executed ‘n’ times. You can get each folder’s name using the $FolderName$ System Variable inside this loop block.
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Can I get all the file names inside a folder using the Loop command?
Yes, you can get the file name using the System variable $FileName$ inside a specified folder by using the Loop command " Start Loop
‘Each File in ‘<folder>’ ".
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11. Web Recorder
Web Recorder reliably and accurately records and automates web
based tasks. Automation Anywhere Web Recorder understands all the
web controls. You can open or close browser, import data from the
web, download files, copy data, check for broken links and much
more.
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Extracting structured data from the internet automatically with the
help of scripts is web data extraction. Automation Anywhere has a
powerful web recorder that makes it easy to record a web data extraction
task instead of writing an automation script from scratch.
To Import table in the Task Editor click on Web Recorder -> Import
Table. Enter the URL and click launch. Click on the Capture button to
capture the table you want to import from the webpage. Select the file
you want the table to be saved in and click Save. Automation Anywhere
will import the table in the specified table. You can also schedule this
task to run at a pre-defined time.
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To check for broken links with Web Recorder in the Task Editor click
on Web Recorder -> Find Broken Links. Enter the URL and specify if you
want the entire website to be checked or just the specified webpage.
Enter the path of the file to save the results and click Save.
Automation Anywhere will check for broken links as specified. You can
schedule to run this task at pre-defined time.
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Extracting unstructured data from the internet is possible with
Automation Anywhere. Automation Anywhere as a screen scraping software
is both flexible enough to suit any kind of web technology or page
format and is also non-intrusive.
To copy data with Web Recorder in the Task Editor click on Web
Recorder -> Copy Data. Enter the website URL and click launch. Click on
the capture button to capture the unstructured data. Data can be
captured before a certain keyword or after a certain keyword.
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To capture image links, radio buttons, text boxes, check boxes and
other web controls Automation Anywhere Web Recorder -> Manage Web
Controls allows capture of web controls and assign them Variables.
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12. Remote Deployment & Deployment Manager
Automation Anywhere provides two ways to deploy a task by directly
clicking on the Deploy button or by using the Deployment Manager.
Clicking on the Deploy button deploys the selected task whereas going
through the Deployment Manager you can deploy any task on your task list
or deploy once again an already deployed task, get the status of tasks deployed, schedule a time
to deploy tasks and even cleanup tasks from remote machines.
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13. Visualize Technology
Automation Anywhere Enterprise 4.5 has an in-built Visualize
Technology that allows for pictorial and storyboard views of the created
task. Visualize Technology is used in the different views in Task
Editor, to capture images on demand with SnapPoint and Image Recognition
with the IF command.
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In Automation Anywhere Enterprise 4.5 when a task is recorded the
images of all mouse clicks and keystrokes are captured automatically.
But when a task is created in Task Editor the images need to be captured
on demand. SnapPoint allows you to capture images on demand; just enable
SnapPoint and set it at across lines of code you want the images to be
captured.
On the other hand if you have upgraded Automation Anywhere from 3.5
to 4.5 Enterprise then for all the tasks that you have images need to be
captured. SnapPoint is a useful tool for capturing images.
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Image Recognition is another feature of the Visualize Technology
available in Automation Anywhere Enterprise 4.5. Using the Visualize
Technology, Image Recognition allows the recognition and comparison of
images from file or window.
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14. Workflow Designer
Workflow Designer is a intuitive graphical view of automating IT
business processes. Automation Anywhere Enterprise 4.5 shows a graphical
representation of conditional logic, task initiation and branching based
on variables defined.
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Workflow Designer is an intuitive graphical representation of a task.
Open Workflow Designer (Shortcut Ctrl+K). Drag-n-drop the objects
from the Toolkit to design an the entire business process.
Workflow Designer provides four objects to design a Workflow:
- Start
- Run Task
- Condition (IF)
- End
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Running a workflow is very easy. Just click on the Run button in the
Workflow Designer. The other option is to click on the workflow in 'MyWorkflow'
file in the Task List and click Run.
On running the workflow through the Workflow Designer, it highlights
the part of the workflow that is being carried out. Once, the workflow
has completed running, it highlights the complete path taken.
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15. Get Text
- How do Get Text in Automation Anywhere?
Get Text command lets you work with windows controls. It allows to
extract a value from windows controls that cannot be selected and copied
using standard clipboard operations.
To Get Text go to Task Editor and click on Get Text. Select the
window from which you need to get text and click on capture and select
the text you want copied. You can also assign the value to a variable.
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16. Manage Windows Control
- How to use and manage Windows Controls to get checkbox or radio
button status in Automation Anywhere?
Manage Windows Controls
command allows you to work with windows controls like checkboxes and
radio buttons. With this command you can find out if the radio button or
check box is checked or not. Automation Anywhere supports only Standard
Windows checkboxes and radio buttons.
Click on Manage Windows Control in Task Editor and select the
appropriate radio button. Select the window to capture the check box or
radio button. The value captured can be assigned to a variable.
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17. Others
Select the command that you do not want to play. Right-click and select 'Disable'. Save the task and run it. while
playing the task will not play the commands that are disabled. You can enable the commands again by right-click and selecting 'Enable'.
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I want to copy a command and use it at many places. Do I need to
create the command every time?
No. You can use the 'Duplicate' function by Right click on command and select 'Duplicate'. This command
Duplicates the currently selected command. You can then just move the newly created command using the Up and Down Arrow key.
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I have created a keystroke
that contains complex sequence of keys that I use repeatedly in many of my Tasks. Do I need to copy the Keystroke
every time I need to create a new Task?
No. You can right click on that Keystroke and click on 'Convert To Variable'. You can then
save the keystroke as a variable. Then use this variable in all the Tasks.
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I have recorded a Task that can be repeated as it is;
only one text has to be replaced every time. I need to enter this text while playing.
How do I do that in your automation software?
Open the Task in the Editor
Right click on the Keystroke
which you have to enter every time.
Click on the "Convert to Prompt" in the popup menu.
Enter the message that should be displayed which running.
Save the Task.
While Running, a dialog box will appear that will ask you to input the text that you wanted to
enter. Once you click ok then entered text will be typed.
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18. More Questions?
You can get more information about Automation Anywhere
from Automation Software
You can see Automation Anywhere Examples & Tutorials
To contact us pleaseopen a support case
and we will be glad to answer any questions.
Do you have tasks that you would like to automate, but don't know how? Ask our Windows Macro
& Automation Expert.
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