UI Automation Activities

Last updated Dec 4, 2024

Extract Table Data

UiPath.UIAutomationNext.Activities.NExtractData

Description

Extracts structured information such as table data or web search results that can span multiple pages.

Follow the Table Extraction wizard to indicate what information to extract. To find out more about the way to use the wizard, view the Table Extraction page.

This activity must be added inside a Use Application/Browser activity.

To use this activity outside a Use Application/Browseractivity, you need to provide an Input element.

This activity is compatible with Object Repository.

Project compatibility

Windows - Legacy | Windows | Cross-platform

Windows - Legacy, Windows configuration

Designer panel

Click Indicate target on screen to indicate the data to extract by following the Table Extraction wizard.

After you indicate the target, select the Menu button to access the following options:
- Edit extract data - Open the Table Extraction wizard to configure the extracted data.
- Test extraction - Run a test of the data extraction with the current configuration. The result is displayed in a preview data window.
- Extract data wizard - Open again the Table Extraction wizard to extract data.
- Remove informative screenshot - Remove the screenshot of the target application or web page.
- Add to Object Repository - Add the current UI element to a library project, from where it can be reused throughout your automation process.
Extract to - Where to save the extracted data.

Properties panel

Common

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.
Delay after - Delay (in seconds) between the time this activity is completed and the time the next activity begins any operations. The default value is 0.3 seconds. Adding a delay between activities ensures that one activity has enough time to complete before the next activity begins.
Delay before - Delay (in seconds) between the time the previous activity is completed and the time this activity begins performing any operations. The default value is 0.2 seconds. Adding a delay between activities ensures that one activity has enough time to complete before the next activity begins.
Display name - The name displayed for the activity in the Designer panel. A display name is automatically generated when you indicate a target.
Timeout - Specify the amount of time (in seconds) to wait for the activity to be executed before throwing an error. The default value is 30 seconds.

Input

ExtractMetadata - An XML string that enables you to define what data to extract from the indicated web page.
Table settings - The table settings used when extracting data.
Target - The target element. Target element must be set. Before indicating on screen, this field is set to (null). Once the target is indicated, all properties regarding the element that was indicated are displayed.
- CV Control type - Indicates the type of control identified using Computer Vision.
- CV Text - Indicates the text identified using Computer Vision.
- Fuzzy selector - The parameters for the fuzzy selector.
- Native text - The text that is used to identify the UI element.
- Responsive websites - Enable responsive websites layout.
- Strict selector - The strict selector generated for the UI element.
- Targeting methods - The selector types that you want to use for identifying the element. This property can be set to any combination from the drop-down menu:
  - None
  - Strict selector
  - Fuzzy selector
  - Image
  - Native text
  - Computer Vision - To use Computer Vision as a targeting method, you need to go to Project Settings > Computer Vision and make sure to set the correct server endpoint. You can leave this field as it is and use UiPath Cloud, which is filled-in by default, or you can enter another value either by selecting any of the other public endpoints specific to a server region or your own on-premises server.
    Another way of using Computer Vision as a targeting method is to set Use Local Server to True. This implies that the UiPath.ComputerVision.LocalServer package is installed in your project. When Local Server is enabled, the server value is over-written. However, the Local Server is not available in cross-platform projects.
- Visibility check - Checks whether the UI element is visible or not. You can choose one of three options from the drop-down menu:
  - None - Does not check for visibility.
  - Interactive (for Fuzzy Selector) - Default option. Checks if the element is potentially visible, ignoring page scroll and obstructions by other apps, or the fact that the application is minimized. This check is useful when trying to ensure that you are not targeting invisible elements that exist in the DOM but are hidden.
  - Fully visible - Checks if the UI element is visible or not.
- Wait for page load - Before performing the action, wait for the application to become ready to accept input. You can choose one of three options from the drop-down menu:
  - None - Does not wait for the target to be ready.
  - Interactive - Waits until only a part of the app is loaded.
  - Complete - Waits for the entire app to be loaded.
- Window selector (Application instance) - The selector that is used for the application window. Only applicable when the window attach mode is set to Application instance.
Target (Next button) - The target of the second indicated button, based on which the table is extracted. For more information on the property fields that can be expanded under this property, see the Target property above, as the functionality of the properties is the same.

Misc

Private - If selected, the values of variables and arguments are no longer logged at Verbose level. This field supports only Boolean (True, False) values. The default value is False.

Options

Append results - Specifies whether the results are appended after the already existing values, if applicable, or the entire information is overwritten.
DataTable - The information extracted from the indicated web page. This field supports only DataTable variables.
Delay between pages - The amount of time (in seconds) to wait until the next page is loaded. The default value is 1.5 seconds. If the loading time of the page is longer, this value should be higher.
Input mode - Select how to execute the click on the next page link if the data spans multiple pages. This property works only if a next link button is indicated.
- Same as App/Browser - Use the same input mode as the Use Application/Browser activity.
  
  This is the default option.
- Hardware Events - Uses the hardware driver to perform the action. This is the slowest method, it cannot work in the background, but it is compatible with all desktop apps.
- Simulate - Simulates using accessibility APIs. Recommended for browsers, Java based applications, SAP. Usually more reliable than Hardware Events. Sends all text in a single action. Works even if target app is not in focus. Please test if your target application UI element supports this.
- Chromium API - Performs actions using debugger APIs. Works only for Chromium elements. Sends all text in one go. Works even if target app is not in focus. For more details, check out this page.
- Window Messages - Simulate using Win32 messages. Recommended for desktop apps. Usually more reliable than Hardware Events. Sends all text in a single action. Works even if target app is not in focus. Please test if your target application UI element supports this.
Limit extraction to - Specifies the type of limit that you want to use when extracting data. This property works alongside the Number of items property. The following options are available: Max UI elements, No Limit (default option), and Max Pages.
Number of items - The maximum number of results to be extracted. If the value is 0, all the identified elements are added to the output. This property works alongside the Limit extraction to property.

Cross-platform configuration

Work in scope - Choose the browser tab rendering the web application to automate.
Indicate target on screen - Indicate the data to extract by following the Table Extraction wizard.

After you indicate the target, select the plus button to access the following options:
- Extract data wizard - Open again the Table Extraction wizard to extract data.
- Edit extract data - Open the Table Extraction wizard to configure the extracted data.

Additional options

Timings

Delay before - Delay (in seconds) between the time the previous activity is completed and the time this activity begins performing any operations. The default value is 0.2 seconds. Adding a delay between activities ensures that one activity has enough time to complete before the next activity begins.
Delay after - Delay (in seconds) between the time this activity is completed and the time the next activity begins any operations. The default value is 0.3 seconds. Adding a delay between activities ensures that one activity has enough time to complete before the next activity begins.
Timeout - Specify the amount of time (in seconds) to wait for the activity to be executed before throwing an error. The default value is 30 seconds.
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.

Options

Limit extraction to - Specifies the type of limit that you want to use when extracting data. This property works alongside the Number of items property. The following options are available: Max Rows (default option), No Limit, and Max Pages.
Number of items - The maximum number of results to be extracted. If the value is 0, all the identified elements are added to the output.
Delay between pages - The amount of time (in seconds) to wait until the next page is loaded. The default value is 1.5 seconds. If the loading time of the page is longer, this value should be higher.
Input mode - Select which method the Robot should use to interact with the target application:
- Same as Browser - User the Input mode setting from the parent Use Browser activity.
- Chromium API - Performs actions using debugger APIs. Works for Chrome and Edge elements only. Sends all text in one go. Works if the target app is not in focus.
- Simulate - Simulates the click using accesibility APIs. Works for browsers. Sends all text in one go. This input method works in the background (even if the target app is not in focus).