Generate Data Table From Text

UiPath.Core.Activities.GenerateDataTable

Generates a DataTable variable from structured text. This activity enables you to select column and row separators according to which the table is generated. This activity is automatically generated when using the Generate Table feature in the Screen Scraping window.

Project compatibility

Cross - Platform | Windows | Windows - Legacy

Cross - Platform Configuration

• Input - The source of the structured text.
• Parsing method - Data formatting options for the table. The available options are:
  • CSV (Comma Separated Values)
  • Custom
  • Fixed width columns

Properties

• Autodetect Column Types - When selected, automatically detects the column or row type, whether it is String, Int32, etc.
• Use First Row as Column Headers - If enabled, uses the first identified row as the column header.
• Ignore First Column - If enabled, the first identified column is ignored.
• Continue On Error - Specifies if the automation should continue even when the activity throws an error. This field only supports Boolean values (True, False). The default value is False. As a result, if the field is blank and an error is thrown, the execution of the project stops. If the value is set to True, the execution of the project continues regardless of any error.
• Data Table - The DataTable variable that contains the generated table.

Windows, Windows - Legacy Configuration

• Input: - The source of the structured text. In StudioX, you can use the Plus icon to select one of the available options:

  • Data from the Project Notebook, a parent Excel file or Outlook account. For example, select an Excel file, and then select Indicate in Excel to indicate a cell from the file, or select an email in Outlook and then select a field in the email that contains the data to be used as input.
  • Ask when run - Prompt for the data when the project is executed.
  • Paste from clipboard - Paste a value that you previously copied to the clipboard in the project.
  • Text - Enter the data in the Text Builder.
  • Use Saved Value - Select a value that you previously saved for later use in the project.
  • Open in Advanced Editor - Enter a VB expression.
• Options - Click to open the Generate Table Wizard window.

• DataTable - Choose where to save the datatable. In StudioX, you can use the Plus icon to select one of the available options:

  • Select a parent Excel file or the Project Notebook, and then select a named range, table, or sheet where to save the data, or select Indicate in Excel to select directly from the file.
  • Copy to clipboard - Save the data to the clipboard.
  • Save for Later Use - Save the data for later use in your project as input for another activity.
  • Open in Advanced Editor - Enter a VB expression.

Properties

Options

• ContinueOnError - Specifies if the automation should continue even when the activity throws an error. This field only supports Boolean values (True, False). The default value is False. As a result, if the field is blank and an error is thrown, the execution of the project stops. If the value is set to True, the execution of the project continues regardless of any error.

• DisplayName - The display name of the activity.

  Note: If this activity is included in Try Catch and the value of the ContinueOnError property is True, no error is caught when the project is executed.

Fixed Formatting Options

• ColumnSizes - Specifies the size of the columns that are to be created in the table. This field supports only IEnumerable variables.

Formatting Options

• ColumnSeparators - Specifies the character that is to be used as a column separator. This field supports only String variables.
• CSVParsing - select if you want to parse the input data as a CSV. This field only supports Boolean values (True, False). The default value is False.
• NewLineSeparator - Specifies the character that is to be used as a newline separator. This field supports only String variables.

Input

• Input: - Specifies the source of the structured text that is to be converted into a table. This field supports only String variables.
• Positions - If OCR is used for scraping, and the Get Words Info check box is selected, this field contains the IEnumerable<KeyValuePair<Rectangle,String>> variable that has the WordsInfo value.

Misc

• Private - If selected, the values of variables and arguments are no longer logged at Verbose level.

Output

• DataTable - The DataTable variable that contains the generated table.

Table Options

• AutoDetectTypes - When selected, automatically detects the column or row type, whether it is String, Int32, etc.
• UseColumnHeader - If selected, uses the first identified column as the column header.
• UseRowHeader - If selected, uses the first identified row as the row header.

Generate Data Table Wizard

Note:

The Generate Data Table Wizard is only available for Windows and Windows - Legacy projects.

Click the Options... button to open the Generate Data Table Wizard. Use it to easily configure and preview the resulting table format.

Table Options

• AutoDetect Column Types - If checked, automatically detects the column or row type.
• Use First Row as Column Headers - If checked, uses the first identified row as the column header.
• Ignore First Column - If checked, ignores the first identified column.

Data Formatting Options

• Format - Select the input format to be used:

  • CSV (Comma Separated Value) - Allows you to set Column Separators.
  • Custom - Allows you to set Column Separators and NewLine separators.
  • Fixed Width Columns \- Allows you to set the column width of all columns.
• Column Separators - Specify the character that is to be used as a column separator.
• NewLine Separators - Specify the character that is to be used as a newline separator.
• Preview - Click to generate a preview of the resulting table format.

Example of Using the Generate Data Table Activity

This example explains how to generate a table with specific information by using the Generate Data Table activity.

This is how the automation process can be built:

1. Open Studio and create a new Process.

2. Drag a Sequence container in the Workflow Designer.

   Variable Name	Variable Type	Default Value
   DT1	DataTable
   Result	String
   Name	GenericValue

3. Drag a Generate Data Table activity inside the Sequence container.

   • In the Properties panel, add the value False in the CSVParsing field.
   • Add the value Environment.NewLine in the NewLineSeparator field.
   • Add the expression "Name;Surname; John;Doe; James;Liam;" in the Input: field.
   • Add the variable DT1 in the DataTable field.
   • Select the check box for the UseColumnHeader option.

4. Click the Options... button to open the Generate Data Table Wizard.

   • Select the Custom option from the Format drop-down menu.
   • Select the semicolon option from the Column Separators drop-down list.
   • Select the space option from the NewLine Separators drop-down list.
   • Click OK for closing the wizard.
   • This is how the Generate Data Table Wizard panel should look:

     
     

     

     
     

     
     

     

     
     

     6. Drag an Output Data Table activity below the Generate Data Table activity.

   • In the Properties panel, add the variable DT1 in the DataTable field.
   • Add the variable Result in the Text field.

5. Place a Write Line activity under the Output Data Table activity.

   • Add the variable Result in the Text field.
6. Run the process. The robot generates a table by using the input data.

Download example