Trigger and Monitor Events

The example below explains how to monitor user events and trigger different actions by using different hotkeys for opening certain applications. For example, the user can use a hotkey combination for opening the Calculator app from Windows.

It presents activities such as Hotkey Trigger, Monitor Events, or Get Event Info. You can find these activities in the UiPath.UIAutomation.Activities package.

This is how the automation process can be built:

1. Open Studio and create a new Process named by default Main.
2. Drag a Sequence container in the Workflow Designer.

3. Create the following variable:

   Variable Name	Variable Type	Default Value
   ContinueMonitor	Boolean

4. Drag a Log Message activity inside the Sequence container.

   • In the Properties panel, select the Level option from the Message drop-down list.
   • Add the expression "Start monitoring..." in the Message field.

5. Add an Assign activity under the Log Message activity.

   • In the Properties panel, add the variable ContinueMonitor in the To field.
   • Add the condition True in the Value field.

6. Place a Monitor Events activity below the Assign activity.

   • In the Properties panel, add the value ContinueMonitor in the RepeatForever field.

7. Drag a Hotkey Trigger activity inside the Monitor Events activity. This activity opens the Calculator app from Windows.

   • Select the checkboxes for the Alt and Shift options.
   • In the Key field, type the letter c.
   • In the Properties panel, select the option EVENT_BLOCK from the EventMode drop-down list.

8. Drag another Hotkey Trigger activity and place it next to the previous Hotkey Trigger activity. This activity opens a new browser tab and searches on Google the text previously selected by the user.

   • Select the checkboxes for the Alt and Shift options.
   • In the Key field, type the letter g.
   • In the Properties panel, select the option EVENT_BLOCK from the EventMode drop-down list.

9. Drag another Hotkey Trigger activity and place it next to the previous Hotkey Trigger activity. This activity stops monitoring the events.

   • Select the check boxes for the Alt and Shift options.
   • In the Key field, type the letter s.
   • In the Properties panel, select the option EVENT_BLOCK from the EventMode drop-down list.

10. Add a new Sequence container and place it below the Hotkey Trigger activity.

    • In the Properties panel, add the name Event Handler in the DisplayName field.

    • Create the following variable:

      Variable Name	Variable Type	Default Value
      TriggerHotkey	UiPath.Core.EventInfo
      ContinueMonitor	Boolean

11. Drag a Log Message activity inside the Event Handler.

    • In the Properties panel, select the Info option from the Level drop-down list.
    • Add the expression "Event triggered" in the Message field.

12. Drag a Get Event Info activity below the Log Message activity.

    • In the Properties panel, add the variable TriggerHotkey in the Result field.
    • Select the UiPath.Core.EventInfo option from the TypeArgument drop-down list.

13. Place a Switch activity below the Get Event Info activity. All Hotkey Triggers are described inside this activity and treated as cases.

    • In the Properties panel, add the value TriggerHotkey.KeyEventInfo.KeyName.ToLower in the Expression field.
    • Select the String option from the TypeArgument drop-down list.

14. Click the Add new case button from the Switch activity.

    • Add the value c in the Case value field.

15. Place an Open Application activity and place it inside the Case c container. This represents the first Hotkey Trigger case that opens the Calculator app.

    • In the Properties panel, add the expression "calc.exe" in the Arguments field.
    • Add the expression "<wnd app='applicationframehost.exe' title='Calculator' />" in the Selector field.

16. Click the Add new case button from the Switch activity.

    • Add the value g in the Case value field.

17. Drag a Sequence container and place it inside the Case g container. This represents the second Hotkey Trigger case that initiates a Google search for the previously selected text.

    • In the Properties panel, add the name Google selected text in the DisplayName field.

    • Create the following variable:

      Variable Name	Variable Type	Default Value
      TextToSearch	GenericValue

18. Drag a Delay activity and place it inside the Google selected text sequence.

    • In the Properties panel, add the value 00:00:00.5000000 in the Duration field.

19. Add a Copy Selected Text activity below the Delay activity.

    • In the Properties panel, add the value True in the ContinueOnError field.
    • Add the variable TextToSearch in the Result field.
    • Add the value 2000 in the Timeout (milliseconds) field.

20. Drag an If activity under the Copy Selected Text activity.

    • In the Properties panel, add the expression TextToSearch IsNot Nothing in the Condition field.

21. Place an Open Browser activity inside the Then box.

    • In the Properties panel, select the IE option from the BrowserType drop-down list.
    • Add the expression "www.google.com" in the Url field.
    • Select the checkbox for the NewSession option. This starts a new session in the selected browser.

22. Place a Type Into activity inside the Do sequence.

    • In the Properties panel, select the Target option from the Target drop-down list.
    • Add the expression "<webctrl tag='INPUT' aaname='Search' />" in the Selector field.
    • Select the INTERACTIVE option from the WaitForReady drop-down list.
    • Add the variable TextToSearch in the Text field.
    • Select the checkbox for the Activate option. This option brings the UI element to the foreground and activates it before the text is written.
    • Select the checkbox for the SimulateType option. This option simulates the type using the technology of the target application.

23. Drag a Send Hotkey application below the Type Into activity.

    • In the Properties panel, add the expression "enter" in the Key field.
    • Select the Target option from the Target drop-down list.
    • Add the expression "<webctrl tag='INPUT' aaname='Search' />" in the Selector field.
    • Select the INTERACTIVE option from the WaitForReady drop-down list.
    • Select the checkbox for the Activate option. This option brings the UI element to the foreground and activates it before the text is written.
    • Select the None option from the KeyModifiers drop-down list.
    • Select the checkbox for the SpecialKey option. This option indicates if the use of a special key in the keyboard shorcut.

24. Drag a Message Box activity in the Else container.

    • In the Properties panel, select the Ok button from the Buttons drop-down list.
    • Add the expression "Text could not be copied. Please try again." in the Text field.
    • Select the checkbox for the TopMost option. This option always brings the message box to the foreground.

25. Click the Add new case button from the Switch activity.

    • Add the value s in the Case value field.

26. Drag an Assign activity inside the Case s container. This represents the third Hotkey Trigger case that stops monitoring the events.

    • Add the variable ContinueMonitor in the To field.
    • Add the condition False in the Value field.

27. Place a Log Message activity below the Monitor Events activity.

    • In the Properties panel, select the Info option from the Level drop-down field.
    • Add the expression "Stop monitoring.." in the Message field.

    • This is how the workflow should look:

      
      

      

      
      
28. Run the process. The robot activates the Hotkey Triggers and you can use any of the set key shortcuts.

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