What’s New with 2002 release of SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation

*** Update ***

Recorded presentation is available here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-UwTI4K4hc&list=PLpQebylHrdh5XQts8bKoMUKexpun_YPvU

Hello,

This article summarizes the SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation enhancements released in the 20.02 release.

Let’s review the improvements and enhancements:

• On-Premise Components improvements
  • Smart Declaration for Desktop Studio
  • Internet Explorer Capture and other enhancements
• Connector improvements
  • SAP GUI for Windows
    • Performance improvements
    • Activities
    • Improvements for Navigation, GUITable, GUITree, GUIStatusBar, GUICalendar, GUISession and Session
  • Surface Automation / OCR improvements
  • Office Activities improvements
• Cloud components improvements
  • Cloud Factory
    • Environment Authorization and Sharing
    • Centralized Logs
    • Agent History
    • Import Package improvements
  • Store
  • Cloud Studio improvements

On-Premise Components improvements

Smart Declaration for Desktop Studio

In this release we introduce the Smart Declaration for UIAutomation, WIN32, WEB, SAP UI5 and SAP GUI for Windows. As you may know already, when you want to declare a UI element, it is often needed to define the criteria. Starting with this release, Smart Declaration would help this task by automatically finding the right criteria. We are working on improving this mechanism for the coming releases. Typically for SAP GUI, ALV Grid or GUI Table Control Bar are already taken into account.

Internet Explorer Capture and other enhancements

We drastically improved the Internet Explorer Connector. Behind the scene, we use the connector – extension – to perform the task. Zoom factor is better supported too.

As part of the other enhancements, we improved the way we take screenshots of some applications which are running in the background. And we better detect – and report – a zoom factor.

Connector improvements

SAP GUI for Windows

Performance improvements

Handle server busy error for synchronous calls

In this release, synchronous requests like get, set or exec are better supported. When SAP GUI for Windows is busy for more than 7 seconds, execution timeout is thrown, so that bot developer can program for this exception message.

Recognition using name field

Recognition of an item happens based on criteria. Before, several COM calls were needed. COM calls can be expensive. Now, a UI element would be recognized using its name in a single COM call, and will improve the overall performance.

Activities

In desktop studio, many activities are available for SAP GUI for Windows. However those activities were not logically grouped. A bot developer has to read the help text for using them. Now activities are grouped based on control type. This helps bot developer to quickly identify the relevant activities of a control. New activities are created for existing controls progressively.

GUITable, GUITree, GUIStatusBar, GUICalendar

Several dedicated activities have been added for those controls.

Navigation

Earlier in order to navigate across different windows in SAP GUI for Windows, a keyboard press or a button click was required. Now it is optimized by using two activities (Start transaction and End transaction). The activities prevent from using keyboard or mouse operations during bot execution.

GUISession and SessionInfo

Create session activity is provided to create a new GUI window. GUI session provides a context in which user performs certain task. GUISessionInfo object gives all technical information that a bot developer needs about a session. Activities are added to get all relevant session information.

Surface Automation (OCR)

In this release we have added the Template Matching. It detects any pre-selected pattern including non-textual patches in UI irrespective of the target location (i.e. buttons with icons only). It can be helpful in detecting patterns in UI on fluid layouts where controls keep changing locations or for extra bot stability.

Office Activities

For Excel, activities are now grouped together with sub-categories.

For Outlook, activities are now exposed and dedicated activities are available for Calendar.

Cloud components

Cloud Factory

Environments – Authorization and Sharing

It is now possible to set authorizations for a given environment. Different privileges can be defined for Anyone, a group or a user. Rights can be Manage, Edit or Read. Deployed packages, triggers will also inherit.

Centralized Logs

A new tab (Logs) is available below Monitoring tab. It aims to centralize unusual system events such as abnormal agent disconnection, cleanup… You can export the content of this tab with a dedicated download button.

Agent history

When you click on a given agent, you get information about available projects, events and jobs executed. It’s similar to trace viewer… but from the Factory perspective. You can download the events for further analysis.

Import Package improvements

Behind the scene, import package is now using a transaction. Importing a Desktop Package now creates automatically a Cloud Project. If you have existing Desktop Package version uploaded in the Factory, you can opt-in for using this new behavior.

Store

You can rename a package prior to import in your tenant.

Since the Store launch (see this blog post from Xiaohui), there are 34 additional bots. The Store has 51 available bots to date.

You can access to the Store without a tenant for browse purpose here.

Cloud Studio

The Data Type is now able to support Enumeration (single or multiple values). It has an improved support of Arrays, and a better support of context defined in Desktop Studio when imported in a Cloud Project.

We also improved the way we suggest the variable during the authoring of process step.

That’s all for this release. We did not mention that some technical improvements were also added. Feel free to browse our community and our help portal (What’s New topic). Stay tuned for the next release!

Cheers,

Alexandre on behalf of SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation Team