Native Actions

Learn how to create tasks that manage your SharePoint environment with this Automate tutorial. In this video, you’ll learn: 

• How to upload files from your local drive into SharePoint 

• How to create a report of the uploaded files and their status 

Watch this tutorial now to learn how to get started with SharePoint automation. 

Find out how Automate’s file system actions support various business use case processes related to files and folders in a Windows environment. In each part of this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

• Part 1: Transform data from one .txt file to another
• Part 2: Move and rename files
• Part 3: Concatenate files

Follow along with the File System Automation Workbook as you watch all three parts to learn more about file system automation.

Automate’s spreadsheet actions enable creation and management of spreadsheets without requiring Microsoft Excel to be installed on the system.

Discover how to use Automate’s spreadsheet automation actions for common spreadsheet use cases in Microsoft Excel or OpenDocument Spreadsheet. These include spreadsheet generation and other basic file formatting features, as well as a number of advanced features such as importing and exporting spreadsheet data, reading, writing, and modifying XLSX, XLS, ODS, and CSV. In each part of this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

• Part 1: Create and write data to a spreadsheet
• Part 2: Open and read data from a spreadsheet
• Part 3: Run Excel macros and transform dynamic data

Follow along with the Spreadsheet Automation Workbook as you watch all three parts to learn more about spreadsheet automation.

Terminal emulation is used to give Automate users the ability to logon and get direct access to legacy processes in a mainframe operating system through a text terminal or green screen. In this video, you’ll learn:

• An overview of the terminal emulation actions
• How to obtain performance metrics from an IBM i system

Watch this tutorial now to learn more about terminal emulation.

Most organization’s depend on databases for their day-to-day business operations. But the manual work involved can eat up a lot of time in your day. With database automation, database processes can be streamlined for more speed and accuracy.

Automate’s database actions allow you to create sophisticated database applications, without the need to write any code. Build database tasks that interact with supported databases, including SQL Server, Oracle, MS Access, Sybase, DB2, or any ODBC-based database.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use Automate to:

• Extract data from a spreadsheet
• Create a globally unique identifier (GUID)
• Insert rows into a database table

Watch this video now to learn more about database automation.

Learn how to create a task that lets Automate monitor an email inbox. This guided tutorial shows you how to set up a task that is triggered when an email arrives with a certain filter. In this video you’ll learn how to:

• Use Automate to grab data about an email, download any attachments, and read the data from the attachment file
• Set up a task that will include every step for email capture

Watch this tutorial now to learn how to get started.

Learn how to create a task that reads a CSV file and quickly imports the contents and saves the output to an Excel file. This guided tutorial explains the actions required to set up this task. In this video you’ll learn how to:

• Locate the CSV file to import
• Create a dataset object to hold the contents of the CSV file
• Use the loop action to show how the CSV dataset can be imported one line at a time for data validation or database lookups

Watch this tutorial now to learn how to get started.

Learn how to create a task in which Automate accesses an SQL database and writes the results to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Automation expert Pat Cameron gives you a guided tutorial on setting up a database to Excel task in Automate. In this video you’ll learn how to:

• Execute a stored procedure with the Database Action
• Use the Excel Action to create a new Excel spreadsheet
• Write the query statements within the task itself

Watch this tutorial now to learn more.

Learn how to extract data from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and insert that data into an SQL database using Automate tasks. Automation expert Andrew Usher gives you a guided tutorial on setting up an Excel to SQL task in Automate. In this video you’ll learn how to:

• Select the Excel spreadsheet and how to get the needed cells
• Create the SQL connections and insert them into the SQL itself
• Find and use a predefined SQL connection

Watch this tutorial now to learn more.

Learn how to create tasks that complete automated file transfers. This is a guided tutorial on creating a managed file transfer task in Automate. In this video you’ll learn:

• How Automate can use logic to sort, compress and encrypt, and move files via FTP
• How to set the file source, where the results output, and the file transfer location

Watch this tutorial now to learn more.

Learn how to create a task that extracts data from a PDF and writes it to an Excel file. Automation expert Pat Cameron shows you two different ways to use Automate for PDF data extraction. In this video you’ll learn how to:

• Use the PDF Action to extract data from the PDF file into a text file and write the data out to Excel
• Use the OCR Action to grab data from specific fields in a PDF to write out to Excel

Watch this tutorial now to learn how to get started.

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Overview:

This example introduces you to the Automate Excel Action. After completing this exercise you will have learned to:

• Open an Excel file (or .csv file to Excel)
• Copy a row of data
• Insert a row into the Excel file
• Save and Close an Excel file (or Excel to .csv)

General Instructions:

• Create a new Task in Automate, for example, “My Excel Challenge”
• Open an Excel file
• Open a new Open/Create workbook Activity from the Excel Action
  • In the Get document field, choose Open from the dropdown
  • In the Session field, name the session (or keep the default)
  • In the File name field, choose the Excel (or .csv) file or type in the complete path and name of file.
  • Save and close the Activity
• Get the contents of the first data row and store it in a dataset
• Open a Get cell(s) Activity from the Excel Action
  • Click on the Session radio button and in the Session field, pick the Session create for this challenge.
  • In the Get field, pick the “Range of cells by reference” option
  • In the Create and Populate Dataset field, type the name of the dataset to be created, for example ExcelDS
  • In the Start Cell Reference field, type in A2. This is the first cell of the first data row in the file.
  • In the End Cell Reference field, type in I2. This is the last cell of the first data row in the file
  • Save and close the Activity
• Write the contents of the dataset to a row in the Excel file
• Open a Set Cells Activity from the Excel Action
  • Click on the Session radio button and in the Session field, pick the session created for this challenge
  • In the Data Source field, pick Dataset
  • In the Dataset field, pick the dataset created in the prior step (i.e., ExcelDS)
  • In the Set Cell By, choose “Reference”
  • In the Upper Left Cell Reference (i.e., the first cell), choose A5. This is the first free cell in the sample file.
  • Save and close the Activity.
• Save a new Excel file and close the session.
• Open a “Close workbook” Activity from the Excel Action
  • In the Session field pick the session created for this challenge.
  • In the On Completion field pick “Save As”
  • In the File field choose the path and name of the file to be created (or type path and name of file)
  • Check the Overwrite If Workbook Already Exists box
  • Save and close the Activity
• Save the task

Run the task. A new file should be created, and the new file should contain a copy of the first row.

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Overview:

This example introduces you to the Automate PDF Action. After completing this exercise you will have learned to:

• Read the entire contents of a PDF file to an Automate (Text) variable
• Fill out a form in a PDF file

General Instructions:

• Create a new Task in Automate, for example, “My PDF Task”
• Create variables for any values you need to extract from the images
• Create a Variable named “DocText” to hold the text of the PDF file. Note: by default the Variable type is set to Auto which will work for this example as the Auto type can hold text and numbers. If you wish, you could change its type to Text.
• Create a Session associated with a PDF file.  
• Open up a “Create Session” Activity from the PDF Action by double clicking on the Activity. Name the Session (or accept the default name).
  • In the “PDF” Field, navigate to the location of the sample PDF file (or type-in the path to the file).
  • Save the Activity.
• Extract all text from file
• Open an “Extract” Activity from the PDF Action.
  • Click on the Session radio button, and for “Session,” pick the session created in the prior step.
  • For “Output type” accept the default type (i.e., Text)
  • For the “Populate carriable with extracted text” pick the variable created in prior step.
  • Save and Close the Activity.
• Fill Given Name and Family Name fields in the forms
• Open a Set field(s) Activity from the PDF Action
  • Click on the Session radio button, and in the Session field, pick the Session for this challenge.
  • In the FIELD AcroForm click on Add and a new row will be added.
    • In the Field Name, type in the name of the field we want to set, in this case “Given Name Text Box”.
      • Hint: How do you know the name given to the field in the PDF file? You can use the Get field(s) Activity
        • Open a Get field(s) Activity.
        • Click on File in the combo-box. In the Source PDF, pick the PDF file (or type in the location and name of file).
        • In the “Create and populate dataset” file, type in the name of a data set, for example TempDS.
        • Close the Activity
        • From the Main Menu choose Run Selected and run just this step.
        • Inspect the values in the dataset (i.e. TempDS). This will list the names of all the files in the form.
        • Close the Activity.
        • Disable this Activity as it is not required for this task. It is simply used to get the names of the fields.
    • In the Value field type in the given name.
  • Repeat steps for Family Name.
  • Save and Close the Activity.
  • Close the Session.
  • Open an “End session” activity.
    • In the Session field, pick the session name for this challenge. In the On Completion field, pick Save as.
    • In the File field, pick location and name of file to save.
    • Save and close the Activity.
• Save the Task.

Run the task and inspect the DocText variable. It should contain the text of the PDF file. Next, open up the saved PDF file. You should see that the two fields in the PDF have been filled in.

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Overview:

This example teaches you how to use the Database Action to access a database. After completing this exercise you will have learned to:

• Connect to a Microsoft SQL database.
• Execute a simple SQL query against the database

Note: The same process is used to access other databases (e.g., MySQL and Oracle) as well.

General Instructions:

You will need access to an SQL Server database. If you have installed an enterprise version of Automate (i.e., Plus or Ultimate), you can use the SQL Server Express database that is installed with it.

If you plan to use the SQL Server Express database installed with Automate you may query existing data, but do not update any data as this could corrupt the Automate installation.

• Create a new Task in Automate, for example “My DB Challenge”
• Create a new Database Connection to connect to the database
• Create a new “Open SQL connection” activity from the Database Action
  • For Type choose Database and name the session, for example DatabaseSession1
  • Click on Build Connection to build the connection
    • For provider choose “Microsoft OLE DM Provider for SQL Server” and click on Next
    • For server name, pick the database you want to connect to from the drop down list
    • Enter the user name and password
    • Enable Allow saving passwords. If you do not, you will need to provide the password every time you run this task which would make it impossible to run the task unattended.
    • Select the database from the drop down list. Note, if the server, username, and password are all correct, then the drop down list should show the available databases.
    • Click on Test Connection. If the data provided is correct you should get a message stating that the connection was successful.
    • Click OK to save the Activity.
  • Create an Activity to execute an SQL query
  • Create an SQL query Activity from the Database Action
    • For CONNECTION choose Session and for Session, pick the session created for this task (i.e. DatabaseSession1)
    • For SQL QUERY, type in the query you want to execute.  For example, if you are using the SQL Express database installed with Automate, you can query the system table by typing “SELECT * from bpasystem” as the query
    • For Create and populate dataset, type in the name of the dataset (i.e. ds_bpasystem). Note that, when the task is executed, this dataset will be created for you
    • Click OK to save and close this Activity.
  • Close the SQL Connection
  • Create a Close SQL connection Activity from the Database Action.
    • For Session, pick the session created for this task (i.e. DatabaseSession1)
    • Click OK to save and close the Activity

Run the task and inspect the Dataset. It should contain the results of the query.

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Overview:

This example teaches you how to set up the Email Action to access EWS using the OAuth authentication model. Setting up access is a two-step process: 1 - register an application (in this case Automate) with the Azure Active Directory; and 2 - set up the Exchange Action to work with EWS. After completing this exercise you will have learned to:

• Setup the Email Action to work with EWS using OAuth
• Read emails from an account

Note: The same process is used to setup the Exchange Action to access EWS as well.

General Instructions:

Before you can access a mailbox in EWS using Automate, you need to register Automate with Azure Active Directory. To register an application you must have administrative permissions (or have an Administrator for EWS to complete the registration). Please see pre-requisites for instructions on how to register Automate with Azure Active Directory.

• Create a new Task in Automate, for example, “My EWS Challenge”
• Create a new Email Session to interact with EWS
• Create a new “Create session” activity from the Email Action.
  • For Protocol, choose EWS Online and name the session, for example, “EmailSession1”
  • For “Email address” chose a valid email address. Note: you must have the credential for this email address in order access that mailbox
  • For “Tenant ID” copy the Tennant ID obtained when registering Automate with Azure Directory.
  • For “Client ID” and “Client secret” copy the Client ID and Client secret from the Azure registration.
  • In the ADVANCED section for “Current folder,” type Inbox. (If you are planning on accessing a different folder (for example, the Trash folder, type in the name of the folder. )
• Download Emails
• Create a new Get message(s) Activity from the Email Action.
  • For CONNECTION select the Session radio button
  • For Session, pick the name of the session created in the previous step (i.e. EmailSession1)
  • Under the EMAIL section for “Create and populate dataset,” type in a name for the dataset to hold the contents of the emails, for example, dsInboxEmails. (Note: when you run this task a new dataset by this name will be created by the Activity).
  • If you want to save the attachments, if any, check the “save attachment(s) in folder” option and provide the path to an existing folder. (If you pick this option, for “If filename already exists” you may also want to choose the “Overwrite exiting file” option.)
• End the session
• Create a new End Session activity from the Email Action.
  • For Session, pick the name of the session (e.g., EmailSession1).

Run the task and inspect the Dataset. It should contain the emails from the inbox. If you had chosen to download attachments and if any of the emails had attachments, they should have been downloaded to the folder specified.