- Release Notes
- Getting Started
- Setup and Configuration
- Automation Projects
- Dependencies
- Types of Workflows
- File Comparison
- Automation Best Practices
- Source Control Integration
- Debugging
- The Diagnostic Tool
- Variables
- Arguments
- Imported Namespaces
- Trigger-based Attended Automation
- Recording
- UI Elements
- Control Flow
- Selectors
- Object Repository
- Data Scraping
- Image and Text Automation
- Automating Citrix Technologies
- RDP Automation
- Salesforce Automation
- SAP Automation
- VMware Horizon Automation
- Logging
- The ScreenScrapeJavaSupport Tool
- The WebDriver Protocol
- Test Suite - Studio
- Extensions
- Troubleshooting
- About troubleshooting
- Microsoft App-V support and limitations
- Internet Explorer X64 troubleshooting
- Microsoft Office issues
- Identifying UI elements in PDF with Accessibility options
- Repairing Active Accessibility support
- Automating Applications Running Under a Different Windows User
- Validation of large Windows-legacy projects takes longer than expected
Using the Data Manager
The Data Manager panel allows you to manage various types of data in your automation project. This data includes:
- Variables - Store data of different types and pass it between activities in a project.
- Arguments - Store data of different types and pass it between workflows.
- Constants - Store global immutable values of basic types.
- Resources - Activities that add resources such as files, email accounts, applications, or browsers to the project.
- Entities - Records from the Data Service, a centralized data modeling and storage service.
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The following resources from Orchestrator, provided that the Robot is connected to Orchestrator:
- Processes - A process represents a package version linked to a particular folder. When you deploy a new process, it becomes available for all accounts that have access to that Orchestrator folder.
- Assets - Assets usually represent shared variables or credentials that can be used in different automation projects. They allow you to store specific information so that the Robots can easily access it.
- Queues - Container that enables you to hold an unlimited number of items. Queue items can store multiple types of data, such as invoice information or customer details, and enable you to create large automation projects underlined by complex logic.
- Connections - Links between your automation and external applications.
- Namespaces - Define the scope of your expressions, variables, and arguments. Importing namespaces makes it easier to refer to elements from those namespaces.
- Create - Contains the options to create a new Variable, Argument, and Constant.
- Expand All - Expands all of the categories in the Data Manager.
- Collapse All - Collapses all of the categories in the Data Manager.
- Refresh - Refreshes the Data Manager and reloads the data into it. Categories can be refreshed independently. A loading icon is displayed next to each category while it is loading. Resources are disabled while they are loading and become available after the loading finishes.
- Group items by scope - Groups your variables in the panel depending on the scope assigned to them.
- Sync with active scope - When an active scope is in focus, for example, a Use Excel File activity is selected, it only displays the variables with the matching scope assigned to them.
- Sort sections elements - Lets you sort data by selecting one of the available options: Default, Name A-Z, Name Z-A.
- Data manager filters - Lets you select what data is visible in the panel.
For additional information about variables, see Managing Variables.
Creating variables in bulk
To create multiple variables at once, right-click Variables in the Data Manager, and then select Bulk Create Variables. In the Variables Panel window, click New and add the details for each variable you want to add.
Editing a Variable
Removing a Variable
- Open the Data Manager panel.
- Expand the Variables node, then right-click a variable and select Delete Variable.
Converting a Variable to an Argument
- Open the Data Manager panel.
- Under Variables, right-click a variable to open the context menu.
- Select Convert to Argument.
The newly converted argument can be found in the Arguments section of the panel.
Finding All the References to a Variable
Creating a trigger from a global variable
Global variables are used in trigger-based attended automation to store data about user or application events. This data can then be used to trigger other activities or workflows (for example, when the value of a global variable changes). To learn more, see Trigger-based Attended Automation.
To create a trigger from a global variable:
- Open the Data Manager panel.
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Under Variables, right-click a global variable to open the context menu.
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Select Create trigger.
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The Add New File window appears, where you can specify the name of the trigger file and the location where it is stored.
For additional information about arguments, see Managing Arguments.
Creating arguments in bulk
To create multiple variables at once, right-click Arguments in the Data Manager, and then select Bulk Create Argument. In the Arguments window, click Add and add the details for each argument you want to add.
Editing an Argument
Removing Arguments
- Open the Data Manager panel.
- Under Arguments, right-click an argument to open the context menu.
- Select Delete.
Converting an Argument to a Variable
- Open the Data Manager panel.
- Under Arguments, right-click an argument to open the context menu.
- Select Convert to Variable.
The newly converted variable can be found in the Variables section of the panel.
Finding All the References to an Argument
You can copy and paste arguments or variables within the task. Right-click a variable or argument and select Copy. To paste it, right-click in the Data Manager panel and select Paste.
When a variable or argument with the same name already exists, a number is added to the duplicate's name. For example, if a variable with the name number already exists, the copied variable is renamed to number_1.
You can add annotations to your variables and arguments to provide context or just to better keep track of the purpose and contents of those variables or arguments.
To add an annotation:
To edit or remove annotations, simply right-click an argument or variable and select either Edit Annotation or Remove Annotation.
Alternatively, you can edit pinned annotations by clicking them in the panel and changing the text.
Constants enable you to define fixed values that do not change during project execution. Constants are available globally and can be referenced in activity input fields throughout a project. For example, if a company name or department name is an input in multiple screens, you can store the name in a constant and reference it in the activities that interact with each screen.
After you create a constant, you can edit its value, but not its name, type, or scope.
- Constants are not available in Windows - Legacy projects and are not supported in library projects.
- You can order variables, arguments, and constants freely by dragging and dropping them. This feature is disabled when you select the Group items by scope option.
- Currently, you cannot change the name or data type of a created constant. You can only change the constant's default value.
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Variables that do not have a global scope can have the same name as a constant. To distinguish between a constant and a variable with the same name, access the constant using its full name (
GlobalConstantsNamespace.GlobalConstants.YourConstantName
).
In Windows - Legacy and Windows projects, you can view and manage resources such as Excel files, email accounts, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, applications, and browsers.
For information about managing entities, see Importing Entities.
The Data Manager displays Orchestrator resources (processes, assets, and queues) available in the currently selected Orchestrator folder. The panel displays resources from both classic and modern folders. Read more about folders.
If the Robot connected to Orchestrator is of type Standard, then the Data Manager panel can display only the Classic folder which has this Robot provisioned. If the Robot is of type Floating, then the panel displays all Classic and Modern folders that this Robot has access to. Read more about creating Robots in Orchestrator .
To use a process, asset, or queue, drag-and-drop it from the Data Manager into the Designer panel. A set of activities is suggested depending on the resource type, and selecting one adds the activity to the project preconfigured to use the selected resource. For example, if you drag-and-drop a process, the Add Activity search bar is displayed with the suggested activities Invoke Process, Start Job, and Run Parallel Process. Selecting Invoke Process adds the activity with the folder path and process name fields configured with the data of the process.
You can manage the Orchestrator resources as follows:
- Right-click any resource under Assets, Queues, and Processes to access the context menu where you have the option to open the resource in Orchestrator or copy the name and use it in activities that interact with such resources.
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To update Orchestrator resources, click the Refresh button at the top of the Data Manager panel.
Note:- When using a classic,
manually provisioned robot, it must be granted
View
permissions for the corresponding resources (that is, Assets, Queues, and Processes) to appear in the panel. Read more about setting up Roles and permissions in Orchestrator. - If there are both classic and modern folders in Orchestrator and you are connected to Orchestrator using a robot from a modern folder (you signed in to your account or connected using a machine template key), the processes in the classic folders are not available in the Data Manager panel. To have access to the processes from a classic folder, connect to Orchestrator using a classic robot with a standard machine key connection.
- When using a classic,
manually provisioned robot, it must be granted
The folder from which resources are currently loaded in the panel is displayed in the Studio status bar. You can switch to a different folder that you have access to by clicking the current folder name, and then selecting another Orchestrator folder from the menu that appears. In addition to the resources that are available in Studio, the folder selection also determines the default targets available when publishing your processes.
To load resources into the panel, click the Refresh button at the top of the panel. Hover over the folder name in the status bar to see the Orchestrator URL.
Drag and drop assets, queues, or processes from the Data Manager panel directly to your automation project. Upon doing so, suitable activities are suggested in the Add activity search bar. For example, after dragging a queue in your project, pick the Add Queue Item activity from the Add activity search bar and notice that the queue was automatically assigned to the activity's Queue Name property.
You can also right-click any item in the Data Manager panel, and then select Copy to copy its name and use it in activities that interact with such resources.
For additional information about namespaces, see About Imported Namespaces.
- Open the Data Manager, then right-click Namespaces and select Add namespace.
- A dialog listing available namespaces is displayed. To filter through the list, use the search box at the top of the dialog.
- Select the namespace to import it.
- Menu Options
- Variables
- Creating a Variable
- Managing Variables
- Arguments
- Creating an Argument
- Managing Arguments
- Copying and Pasting Arguments and Variables
- Adding, Editing, and Removing Annotations on Variables and Arguments
- Constants
- Creating a Constant
- Managing Constants
- Resources
- Entities
- Processes, Assets, and Queues
- Selecting an Orchestrator Folder
- Using Orchestrator Resources In Your Projects
- Connections
- Viewing the Connections Used in a Project
- Namespaces
- Adding a Namespace
- Removing a Namespace