BOT CREATOR

LESSON 1 - Recorders

SUMMARY

• Recorders allow for the easiest way to create simple automation tasks.
• After recording a task using the Standard Recorder, changes can be made to it using the Task Editor.
• Recording and editing a task is much faster than creating the task manually using the Task Editor.
• There are two ways to start a new Recorder:
o Using the Record button
o Use the New button
• There are four main types of Recorders:
o Smart Recorder
o Screen Recorder
o Web Recorder
o Task Editor

LESSON 2 - Smart Recorder

SUMMARY

• Smart Recorders work on object, co-ordinates, and image playback mode.

• It uses Object Identification criteria (In AA -> Binoculars (user can select the criteria and make changes as well) to identify the objects.

• Smart Recorders capture Window objects and controls such as:

o Text from drop-down menus, list boxes, buttons, and mouse click actions
o Status from radio buttons and check-boxes
• The components of Smart Recorders include:
o Select Window
o Pause
o Resume
 o Stop

LESSON 3 – Screen Recorder

SUMMARY

• Screen Recorder is one of the three ways to create a Bot.

o Suits simple tasks involving mouse clicks and keyboard operations
o Requires to have the same OS and Screen Resolution
o Limits to static screens and simple desktops or Web applications
• Components of the Screen Recorders are:
o Pause
o Resume
o Stop
• Saving a Task:
o Select a Directory
o Specify a Filename
o Select Save

LESSON 4 - Web Recorder

SUMMARY

• Web Recorder enables automation of Internet-related task actions and features SMART Technology ideal for websites.
• It records based on a provided URL and extracts single data, pattern-based data, and tables.
• Web Recorder also navigates web controls, works as a browser-based tool, and supports IE 100%.
• The components of the Web Recorder include:
o URL, Extract Data, Extract Table, and Stop Recording.

LESSON 5 – Task Editor

SUMMARY
 • The Automation Anywhere Task Editor is a powerful component that contains hundreds of commands that you can use to create automated
processes for your organization.
• It allows you to Add, Modify, or Delete any command along with the line of code that was created:
• The Task Actions List allows you to insert commands and the Actions buttons allow you to manipulate commands with the following actions:
o Edit
o Delete
o Copy
o Paste
• The Variable Manager allows you to add, modify, and copy variables within the automation tasks.

LESSON 6 - Variables

SUMMARY

• Variables are storage locations for known or unknown information.

• Information in the variable may change, but the variable name will not.
• All required actions in a task can support the use of variables; these actions include:
o Selecting Windows.
o Opening Programs.
o Working with files, folders, keystrokes, spreadsheets, logical conditions, and loops.
• The components of Variables include the Variable Manager, which lists all Local Variables available within a particular task.
• There are two types of Variables:
• Local:
o Value - Holds a single value
o List - Holds multiple values in a single dimension
o Array - Holds multiple values in a table of rows and columns
o Random - Generates a random string or random number.
• Default/System:
o Prompt-Assignment - Temporary value type variable.
o My-list-variable : Temporary list type variable
o System Variables – Displays all of the predefined System Variables/constants in Variable Manager | Show System Variables
• The actions of the Variable Manager include:
o Copy/Copy All/Paste
o Add
 o Edit
o Delete
• The components of Default Variables include:
o My-list-variable
o Prompt-Assignment
• User Variables are useful when assigning a value to an existing variable that has been previously defined
• Values can be comprise variables, mathematical expressions, or something as specific as a path or an address.

LESSON 7 - Command Library

SUMMARY

• The Command Library interface consists of numerous commands that are used to record and run various automation tasks.
• To record and run a specific task, select the required command or drag and drop it from the Task Editor pane onto the Task Actions list, where you can
record and run the task.

LESSON 8- Loop Command

SUMMARY

• The Loop Command is used to create loop structures in your automation task to automate repetitive tasks.
• The Loop Command contains a series of commands that are executed repeatedly until a specific condition is met.
• It allows any number of records to be automated - one at a time; and possesses a Start Loop and End Loop command.
• Following are the various components of the Loop Command
o Times
o List
o Condition
o Each row in an Excel Dataset
o Each row in an Internet Explorer Table
o Each row in SQL query dataset
o Each file in a folder
o Each folder in a folder
• Following are the various components of the Loop Command
o Each row in a CSV/Text file
 o Each node in an XML dataset
o Each email message on server
o End loop
o Exit loop
o Continue loop

LESSON 9- Excel command

SUMMARY

• The Excel command is one of the most powerful commands used in the scenarios that include:
o Copying data from one Excel spreadsheet to another
o Extracting data from an application to an Excel spreadsheet
o Extracting data from a website to an Excel spreadsheet
o Moving data from an Excel spreadsheet to another application
o Transferring data from Microsoft Access to Excel
o Transferring Excel data to a website form
o Deleting rows or columns in Excel
o Comparing two columns or two cells in an Excel spreadsheet
o Sorting data in Excel spreadsheets and deleting duplicate rows
o Running Excel macros as part of the complete, end-to-end processes
• The Excel command consists of the following sub-commands:
o Open Spreadsheet
o Get Cells
o Set Cell
o Go to cell
o Delete Cells
o Activate Sheet
o Find/Replace
o Close Spreadsheet
o Save Spreadsheet
o Run Excel Macro
LESSON 10- Database Command

SUMMARY

• Automation Anywhere enables you to transfer data between a database and other applications.
• You can import or export data, in various formats, and convert data from one format to another. For example, you might want to transfer and convert
data while completing a data migration project.
• You can also transfer data from a custom database to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, or from one database to another in predefined formats.
• The Database Command provides the following sub-commands:
o Connect
o Disconnect
o SQL Query
o Insert/Update/Delete
o Run Stored Procedure

LESSON 11- E-mail Automation

SUMMARY

• The E-mail Automation command processes incoming emails by connecting to an email server, monitoring email activities, managing incoming emails,
downloading attachments to the proper folders, and extracting emails & data based on conditions such as Subject, Sent From, Sent To, CC,
Attachments, and Message.
• The components of the E-mail Automation Command include:
o Get All Messages
o Delete Message
o Send Email
o Delete All Messages

LESSON 12- String Operation

SUMMARY
 • The String Operation command enables you to manipulate a text string or extract part of a string and store it in a variable.
• The String Operation command helps you to manipulate strings after capturing them..
• Following are the various components of the String Operation Command
o Before- After
o Compare
o Find
o Join
o Length
o Lower Case and Upper Case
o Replace
o Reverse
o Split
o Sub String
o Trim

LESSON 13- XML Command

SUMMARY

• The components of the XML Command include:

o Start XML Session
o End XML Session
o Insert Node
o Delete Node/Attribute
o Update Node(s)
o Validate XML Document
o Get Node(s)
o Save Session Data
o Execute XPath Function
• The XML command:
o Processes XML information generated from Web services and cloud computing applications
o Supports sessions, node editing, and XPath expression execution, based on a tree structure of an XML document
o Enables the automated task to navigate the tree and make selections based on various criteria
 o Allows to capture data that has XML formatting and saves it to a specified location

LESSON 14- Terminal Emulator

SUMMARY

• The Terminal Emulator:

o Allows access and control default, DOS-based actions of remote terminals
o Allows to send DOS commands like - dir, ipconfig, copy, recover, etc.
o Allows to transfer the exact state of an application between tasks to optimize automation logic
• The Terminal Emulator command provides the sub-commands:
o Connect
o Disconnect
o Send Text
o Get Text
o Set Field
o Get Field
o Get All Fields
o Wait
o Control

LESSON 15- PDF Integration

SUMMARY

• The PDF Integration command takes the automation process to a new level.
• The PDF files are pervasive on the web, in email, and across all sizes and shapes of business and has become critical to automate routine tasks.
• Following are the various sub-commands of the PDF Integration Command:
o PDF to Image
o Extract Text
o Extract Form Fields
o Merge Documents
o Split Documents
o Encrypt Document
 o Decrypt Document
•

LESSON 16- FTP Command

SUMMARY

• You can use the Automation Anywhere FTP/SFTP command to automate the following:
o Use FTP for file uploads and downloads
o Back up websites
o Use Secure FTP for secure remote file transfer
• The FTP/SFTP command includes the following options:
o Connect
o Disconnect
o Put Files
o Put Folder
o Get Files
o Get Folder
o Delete Files
o Delete Folder
o Rename Files
o Change Folder
o Create Folder

LESSON 17- PGP Command

SUMMARY

• The PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) command helps you to automate the process of encrypting and decrypting files for security.
• The PGP Command supports symmetric and asymmetric types of encryption.
• The PGP command provides the following sub-commands:
o Encrypt Files
o Decrypt Files
 o Create Keys

LESSON 18- Object Cloning Command

SUMMARY

• The Object Cloning Command features SMART Technology used for desktop applications and websites and allows the user to “radar-lock” on an
object and specify additional search criteria to uniquely identify objects.
• This command uses the most customizable or adjustable technology and it captures objects based on a selected window title.
• The components of the Object Cloning Command include:
o Object
o Coordinates
o Image

LESSON 19- Error Handling Command

SUMMARY

• The Error Handling Command is used to handle errors while running a task and aids in debugging the task.
• The Error Handling Command has two sub-commands, the Begin Error Handling sub-command and the End Error Handling subcommand.
• The various error handling actions include, the Continue action and the Stop task action.
• The various Error Handling options include:
o Take Snapshot
o Run Task
o Log data into file
o Send Email
o Variable Assignment

LESSON 20- Manage Windows Control Command

SUMMARY
 • The Manage Windows Control command allows you to capture Windows control properties such as, buttons, list box items, text-boxes, menu tabs,
combo boxes, checkboxes, and tables.
• It enables you to perform specific actions or assign to Variable Commands once the commands are captured.
• The components of the Manage Windows Control include:
o Control Properties
o Select Actions

LESSON 21- Workflow Designer

SUMMARY

• The components of the Workflow Designer include:

o Start
o Run Task
o IF (Conditional)
o End
• Workflow Designer presents a high-level, graphical view of a business or an IT Workflow, with a representation of conditional logic and workflow.
• It features an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface to help design the workflows quickly.
• The Workflow Designer assists in designing and improving business workflows, enables building workflow diagrams in a graphical environment, and
allows to be subsequently used to build and run automated workflows.

LESSON 22- Report Designer

SUMMARY

• Report Designer features graphical reports that display the status of tasks and workflows, as well as the ROI over time.
• It assists in creating graphical reports of the tasks, workflows, ROI etc., and enables the exporting of reports to PDF, Excel, HTML, etc.
• Additionally, it displays the timeline, which shows how many tasks were created, modified, and deleted.
• The components of the Report Designer include:
o Select Report Type
o Select Task
o Select Date Range
• The Report Designer lets you create two sets of reports:
o Task/Workflow Run Report
 o Task/Workflow Timeline Report

LESSON 23- Best practices

SUMMARY

• There are certain best practices to be followed whenever we are automating a task. These practices help in creating robust and efficient automated
tasks.
• Things to keep in mind:
o Recorder Hierarchy
o Automation-friendly formats
o Automation non-friendly formats
o Automation-friendly use-cases
o Automation non-friendly use-cases
o Tips and tricks while creating the bots: Wildcard, multiple variables, and Maximize Window
o Naming conventions for bots and variables