Automation Anywhere Enterprise MetaBot Designer User Manual

95 Pages·2016·6.03 MB·English

by  Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere Enterprise 10.3
MetaBot Designer
User Manual
OtherUserResources:
Table of Contents
1.PrerequisitesandSystemRequirements 6
Prerequisites 6
SystemRequirements 6
2.AAE ClientMetaBotDesignerOverview 7
BenefitsofusingMetaBots 7
TheMetaBotDesigner 7
InstallingtheMetaBotDesigner 8
LaunchingtheMetaBotDesigner 8
UnderstandingEnterpriseClient-MetaBots 8
3.CreatingaMetaBotinMetaBotDesigner 10
4.UnderstandingMetaBotDesigner 17
MetaBotDesignerDecoded 17
UnderstandingAssets 18
UnderstandingLogic 20
5.AddingandRecordingaMetaBot 21
CreatingaNewMetaBot 21
1.RecordScreen(s) 22
2.RecordScreen(s)withLogic 24
UpdatingMetaBots 26
DeletingMetaBots 26
6.ConfiguringMetaBotScreens 27
GuidetoConfiguringaScreen 27
7.CalibratingMetaBotScreens 31
GuidetoCalibratingaScreen 31
8.AddingFolderstoaMetaBot 33
GuidetoCreatingaFolder 33
MovingAssetsandLogicwithinFolders 33
8.RecordingLogic 35
HowtoRecordLogic 35
9.UsingtheLogicEditor 37
TheLogicEditor 37
BuildingLogic 39
1.AddingCommands 39
2.AddingandUpdatingActions 40
3.AddingandEditingVariablesintheVariableManager 44
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4.UsingtheErrorView 45
5.RunningtheLogic 45
10.SelectingActionsintheLogicEditor 47
ActionsallowedonHTML controls 47
1.GetText,SetTextandAppendText 47
2.GetProperty 49
GetVisibility 49
ActionsallowedonWindowControls 50
11.ClipboardCommand 52
Sub-Commands 52
UsingtheSub-Commands 52
ClearClipboard 52
AssignToClipboard 52
AssignFromClipboard 53
12.MessageBoxCommand 54
Insertingamessage 54
13.CommentCommand 55
InsertingaComment 55
SampleComments 55
14.ImportDataSet 56
HowtoImportData 56
15.If/Else Command 58
Sub-Commands 58
Overview 58
UsingtheSub-Commands 58
WindowExists/WindowDoesNotExistSub-Commands 58
VariableSub-Command 59
Using'AND'or'OR'conditionsinIF Variablecommand 59
16.ErrorHandlingCommand 61
Overview 61
Sub-Commands 61
ErrorHandlingOptions 61
17.StringOperationCommand 62
Sub-Commands 62
UsingtheSub-Commands 62
Before/AfterCommand 62
OtherUserResources:
CompareCommand 63
FindCommand 64
LengthCommand 64
LowerCaseCommand 64
ReplaceCommand 65
ReverseCommand 65
SubStringCommand 65
TrimCommand 66
UpperCaseCommand 66
18.VariableOperationCommand 67
UsingtheVariableOperationCommand 67
19.Adding,EditingandDeletingVariables 70
AddingVariablestoaTask 70
VariableTypes 70
ParameterTypes 71
EditingaVariable 71
DeletingaVariable 72
20.SystemVariables 73
Date/TimeSystemVariables 73
ErrorHandlingVariables 74
SystemTypeSystemVariables 74
StepstoselectSystemfromVariables: 75
21.Variables-ParameterTypes 76
ParameterTypes 76
22.UsingArrayTypeVariables 77
CreatinganArrayTypeVariable 77
DirectAssignment 77
ReadingfromaTextFile 79
InsertingArrayVariablesinScreensandDLLs 79
23.UploadingMetaBotstoControlRoom 82
UploadingMetaBotswhenVersionControlisEnabled 83
UploadingMultipleMetaBots 83
24.CreatingRolesandAssigningPermissionsforMetaBots 85
CreatingNewRoles 85
AccessPermissionsforMetaBotsUsers 86
ManagingtheUser 86
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25.EnablingVCS 88
UsingVersionControlin MetaBot 88
26.ViewingVersionHistory 91
Viewinghistoryoffileversions 91
RollbackUpdates 92
27.UsingMetaBotLogicinTask 93
AddingMetaBotLogictoaTask 93
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Section 1: MetaBot Designer - Getting Started
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1. Prerequisites and System Requirements
ThistopicdescribestheprerequisitesandsystemrequirementsforMetaBotDesignertoyourmachine.
Prerequisites
TouseMetaBotDesigner,youfirstneedtoinstallAutomationAnywhereEnterpriseClientthatcanbeaccessedbyaControl
RoomUserwhohastherequiredprivilegetoaccessMetaBotDesigner.
SystemRequirements
l OperatingSystem*
1. MicrosoftWindows7(Standard/ProfessionalEdition)
2. MicrosoftWindows8,8.1(Pro/EnterpriseEdition)
3. MicrosoftWindowsServer2008R2,2012R2
*Both-32bitand64bitsupported
l CPU
l Minimum:2GHZ,MultiCoreProcessor
l Recommended:3.5GHZ+with4Coreandabove
l RAM
l Minimum:4GBRAM
l Recommended:8GBRAMandaboveforsmoothfunctioningofproduct.
l HardDiskspace-toinstallallAutomationAnywhereProductsnamely:
l AutomationAnywhereEnterprise:Approx.200MB
Note: You might have to upgrade to a higher configuration post installation depending
upon product usage. For instance, generation of log files, Logic creation, and so on
might require more disk space later.
l Microsoft.NETFramework4.6*
*32bitonly
l BrowserSupport:InternetExplorer8andlater
l TechnologySupport:Windows,HTML,.Net,WPF,Flex,andJava1.6onward(DesktopandWeb).
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2. AAE Client MetaBot Designer Overview
AMetaBotisahighlyre-usableautomationblueprintofanapplication.Thisautomationblueprintcanbeconstructedusing:
l Visualcaptures-TheseareGUIcomponents(screens)ofanapplication.
l InMetaBotDesigner,avisualcaptureisreferredtoasScreen.
l ApplicationAPIs-TheseareinterfacesthatallowlowleveloperationsofanapplicationbycircumventingGUI.
l TheMetaBotDesigneralsosupportsthemostcommonformatofAPIonWindowsplatform–theDLL.
l Navigationalflows-Thesearepre-configuredusecasesofanapplicationandleverageVisualcapturesandAPIs.
l InMetaBotDesigner,ScreensandDLLsformtheAssetsusingwhichyoucandefineandpre-configureanyusecaseof
atargetapplicationtocreateanavigationalflow,knownasLogic.
LearnMore
BenefitsofusingMetaBots
UsingMetaBotsinautomationtaskshavethefollowingbenefits:
l MetaBotsarehighlyre-usable;createonce,useeverywhere.TheyshowupinautomationcommandlibraryinAAEnterprise
andcanbeleveragedbyanyautomationtask.
l EnterprisescanleverageMetaBotlibrarytostandardizeorg-wideautomationinarapidmanner.
l MetaBotsensuressystematic,acceleratedautomationROI.
l MetaBotshelptoeliminatecommonnavigationalerrorsincomplexautomationtasks.
l MetaBotshelptoautomatewithoutrequiringaccesstoliveapplication
l MetaBotscanbeeasilycalibratedtonewerversionsofapplicationstoensurecompatibility.
TheMetaBotDesigner
TheMetaBotDesignerhelpsyoutoconceptualize,create,manageanduploadMetaBots.
WithMetaBotDesigner,youcan:
l CreateMetaBots.
l AddAssets–ScreensandDLLstoyourMetaBots.
l ManageyourMetaBotAssets.
l ConfigureandCalibratetheScreens.
l CreatecustomobjectsontheScreens.
l CreateLogictorepresentanavigationalflowusingScreensandDLLs.
OtherUserResources:
l UploadtheMetaBotstotheControlRoomforusebyotherEnterpriseClientusers.
l EditMetaBotscreatedbyotherusers.
l ExportandImportMetaBotsforuseindifferentControlRoomsetups.
InstallingtheMetaBotDesigner
TheMetaBotDesignercomespre-installedwithAutomationAnywhereClient.
ToaccessMetaBots,theClientuserhastohavetherequiredaccessprivilegesthatareprovidedbytheControlRoomadmin-
istrator.
l TodoaquickcheckthatMetaBotDesignerisinstalledandworkingfine,ensurethatyouseeMetaBotsunderAUTOMATEon
leftpanel.
l ClickonMetaBotstabtolaunchtheMyMetaBotsview. 
l IfyouareusingMetaBotsforthefirsttime, thelistdoesnotdisplayanyfile.Youcansimplystartcreating MetaBots
usingeitherNeworRecordoption.LearnMore
l However,ifyouhaveupgradedtothecurrentversion,youwillseeMetaBotscreatedinearlierversion(s)listed
under MyMetaBots.
l ToaccesstheMetaBotsDesignerconsole,youneedtoclickonEdit.LearnMore
LaunchingtheMetaBotDesigner
AftersuccessfulinstallationofAutomationAnywhereClient setup,thefeatureisaddedtotheproductundertheAutomateTab.
Note: You will have to exit and restart Automation Anywhere Client for the changes to take
effect, if you have upgraded to the current version.
Clickon'MetaBots'tolaunchtheEnterpriseClient-MetaBotDesigner.
UnderstandingEnterpriseClient-MetaBots
A BotCreatorClientwith MetaBotsRepositoryaccesspermissionscancreate,record,edit,upload,download,andrename
MetaBotsfromtheClient-MyMetaBotslistview.
FromtheEnterpriseClient-MetaBotsview,a BotCreatorcan createanewMetaBot,recordscreensforanewMetaBot,upload
anddeleteMetaBot(s).
Additionally,if VersionControlisenabledforcontrollededitsofMetaBots,a BotCreatorcanCheckOuttheMetaBotforeditingand
viewVersionHistory.LearnMore
FromtheMyMetaBotslistview,aBotCreatorcanperformthebelowactions:
OtherUserResources:
1. New-UsethistocreateaNewMetaBot.LearnMore
2. Record-RecordisanalternatemethodofcreatingaMetaBot.LearnMore
3. Upload- UploadtheMetaBotstotheControlRoomtoenableotherBotCreatorstodownloadforTaskBotintegration.Learn
More
4. Delete- UsethistodeleteobsoleteMetaBotsoronesthatarenolongerrequired.LearnMore
Someofthesefeaturesarealsoaccessible from theMetaBotDesignerconsole.LearnMore
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