Insert Keystrokes – Automation Anywhere – Advanced Automation and Robotics

Objective:

In this article, we’ll see what is “Insert Keystrokes” and why this command is so important in Automation Anywhere-RPA Tool.

Insert Keystrokes:

Sometime we need to use command using keyboard to act on an application. To perform these types of action we can use “Insert Keystrokes” command in automation anywhere

Keystrokes is pressing any Function Key i.e. (F1, Del, Page Up and Tab etc) or any special command which can be combination of Alphabets or Numeric with control “Ctrl” or “Alt” or “Shift” key for example “Ctrl+s” is used to save the document or “Alt+F4” to close currently active window.

How to use “Insert Keystrokes” command

To use “Insert Keystrokes” command in automation anywhere please refer to Fig 1.1 and follow the following steps.

  1. Select Window: All the opened application’s title will be populated in the dropdown box. You can select any application title where you need to perform a “Keystroke”.
    1. Refresh: if any title of opened application is not showing in dropdown box then click on “Refresh” button. It will refresh dropdown box and re-populate the “Title” of all the opened applications.
  2. Keystrokes: We can put our commands/content in this field. Following are the item which can be used in this field.
    1. Alphanumeric: we can simply type a paragraph as “Keystrokes” but it’s not recommended, but if there are other commands working then we can use this command to insert data into specific field.
    2. Special Keystrokes: This section of “Insert Keystrokes” command consists all the special key available in standard keyboard refer to Fig 1.1 for example if you need to save a document you can use “Ctrl + s” so keystrokes sequence will be “[Ctrl Down]s[Ctrl Up]”
    3. Insert Variable: This list box contains the all the custom created variable name, system variable name and Keys created in credential manager in control room. You can use variable value in Keystrokes
    4. Insert button: you can use variable value into Keystrokes for this you can choose variable from list box on right side refer to Fig 1.1 named “Insert Variable”. Insert button will move variable name into “Keystrokes” field
  3. Check box Encrypt Keystrokes: This checkbox is used to encrypt the content of “Keystrokes” for security purpose refer Fig 1.2. We can tick this check box to encrypt the value of “Keystrokes” field.
  4. Delay: Delay is very important factor in this command. This delay value is time in milliseconds, which will allow this command to give a small break for typing the content/perform key strokes on application, for example if we are trying to insert “Robotics” and mention delay as 800 milliseconds, then Keystroke command will consider 100 milliseconds delay to type each character of “Robotics”, this calculation will be work for commands or variable values as well. If we’ll not used delay, there will be chances to skip typing content/key strokes. You can insert a variable as well in this field if you storing time in a variable use F2 to use variable.

Fig 1.1

Fig 1.2

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Image Recognition – Automation Anywhere – Advanced Automation and Robotics

Objective

In this article, I’ll explain a powerful feature Image Recognition of Automation Anywhere Enterprise tool.

Image Recognition

Image Recognition (IR) is strong command in Automation Anywhere to click (Left, Right, Double) on any object on windows/web based applications. IR command used object as image and recognized the image into application image, in other words its identify an image in other image and if image found then able to click (Left, Right, Double) on image (Object)

How Image Recognition work.

We are providing step by step action to use Image Recognition command in Automation Anywhere, please refer Fig 1.1 and follow the followings steps

  1. Image1: (This is the image in which you are searching the following image i.e. image2)
    1. Select window: This dropdown box will populate the “title” of all the open application. If any application title is not shown into dropdown box you can click on to “Refresh” button and select “Title” from dropdown box.
    2. Click on Capture: After select the title in “Select Window” dropdown box, click on “Capture” button. This will active the same application, title choose in “Select Window”, now you can select the specific area of that application or complete application visible area.
    3. Check Box Show Coordinates: Tick on this checkbox will give you the opportunity to select image coordinate as (Top, Right, Bottom and Left as rectangle selector) as shows in Fig 1.2, however these fields automatically populate once you use “Capture” button as describe in point no 1.b.
    4. Waiting before capturing the image: This field contain the waiting time in milliseconds. It will help and wait to load application screen properly before start IR command.
  2. Image2: (This is the image you are searching in above image i.e. image1)
    1. From Window: this is the same option as mentioned in 1.a, normally this dropdown value should be same as select window in I.a
    2. Capture: After select the title in “Select window” click on “Capture” button, this action will again active the same window and now this time you need to capture only Object area
  3. If Image Found: If image2 found in image1 then you can select the action event as Left Click, Double Click or Right Click
  4. Match Percentage: Match percentage is 100 by default, it means Image2 should be 100% same in Image1. But sometime due to complexity image quality is not good in that case we can reduce the match percentage which will decrease the possibility of failure. This value should not more 100 ideally.
  5. Tolerance: Tolerance and match percentage is used with each other, let suppose if you set match percentage as 90 then IR command automatically consider tolerance value as 10. However best practice is to mention tolerance value.
  6. Comparison mode: There are three type of comparison mode in IR command.
      1. Normal: if comparison mode is normal, it means IR command will find image2 in image2 as it is. For example, if image1 has multiple color and image2 has specific color then in this mode IR command will find exact same image.
      2. Gray-Scale: if comparison mode is gray scale then IR command will convert image1 and image2 into gray color (single color). This option will decrease the failure percentage.

     

  7. Monochrome: Monochrome comparison mode is usually used for Main Frame, DOS type of software. In which application window is black and white.
  8. Quick Test: This quick test button is very use full in IR command. You can test your settings by clicking on quick test button. After click on this button IR command will execute itself instantly and will display a confirmation message whether IR command can recognize the image2 in image1.
  9. Checkbox Repeat if image not found: This checkbox is very important and relevant here, if IR command not able to find image2 in image1 in first attempt then you can allow IR command for how many times IR command will retry to find image2 and for each try how much time gap should be there. By default, there is value 10 in Times and 300 MS (milliseconds) in Wait between repeats. You can change this value as per complexity.

Reset Crosshair: There is red circle pointer, refer to Fig 1.4, in “Thumbnail Preview of Image2” second. This red circle pointer can be move to specific place on image to perform action as mention in point no 3. Sometime you move this red circle pointer and forget its default location then you can click on “Reset Crosshair” button, this button click event will reset the location of red circle point as it was initially set during capture the image2.

Fig 1.1

Fig 1.2

Fig 1.3

Fig 1.4

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How to delete or drop a database using query analyzer in Microsoft SQL server

To delete/drop a database using query analyzer in Microsoft SQL server. We can use “DROP” statement.

Syntax:
DROP DATABASE Database_Name

How to verify:
You can check it in the list of databases with the following SQL Command.

SHOW DATABASES

OR

Dropped database will not be visible into database dropdown list in SQL Server

Important Notes:
Logged in user should have proper privileges/permission to drop database into SQL Server. If you are getting error message while dropping database, you can contact you SQL Server administrator/provider.

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How to create a database using query analyzer in Microsoft SQL Server

To create a database using query analyzer in Microsoft SQL server. We can use “CREATE” statement.

Syntax:
CREATE DATABASE Database_Name

How to verify:
You can check it in the list of databases with the following SQL Command.
SHOW DATABASES

OR

Newly created database will be populate into database dropdown list in SQL Server

Important Notes:
Logged in user should have proper privileges/permission to create database into SQL Server. If you are getting error message while creating new database, you can contact you SQL Server administrator/provider.

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An Overview on Robotic Process Automation

Robotic process automation is used to automate the repeated clerical work in computer for example fetch the candidate details from excel file and fill into registration page on a website or multiple websites.

There are list of commands available in RPA tools to perform different type of actions. RPA that’s so easy and can use it – for any process, anywhere in the business. Reduce demand on IT time and budget. Measure time to provision in hours not weeks. This is automation for the real world.

Following software tools are industry primary and major player to implement RPA.

1. Automation Anywhere
2. Blue Prism
3. UiPath

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