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Studio User Guide
Last updated Nov 18, 2024

Using the Data Manager

The Data Manager panel allows you to manage various types of data in your automation project. This data includes:

  • Variables - Store data of different types and pass it between activities in a project.
  • Arguments - Store data of different types and pass it between workflows.
  • Constants - Store global immutable values of basic types.
  • Resources - Activities that add resources such as files, email accounts, applications, or browsers to the project.
  • Entities - Records from the Data Service, a centralized data modeling and storage service.

  • The following resources from Orchestrator, provided that the Robot is connected to Orchestrator:

    • Processes - A process represents a package version linked to a particular folder. When you deploy a new process, it becomes available for all accounts that have access to that Orchestrator folder.
    • Assets - Assets usually represent shared variables or credentials that can be used in different automation projects. They allow you to store specific information so that the Robots can easily access it.
    • Queues - Container that enables you to hold an unlimited number of items. Queue items can store multiple types of data, such as invoice information or customer details, and enable you to create large automation projects underlined by complex logic.
  • Connections - Links between your automation and external applications.
  • Namespaces - Define the scope of your expressions, variables, and arguments. Importing namespaces makes it easier to refer to elements from those namespaces.

Menu Options



  • Create - Contains the options to create a new Variable, Argument, and Constant.
  • Expand All - Expands all of the categories in the Data Manager.
  • Collapse All - Collapses all of the categories in the Data Manager.
  • Refresh - Refreshes the Data Manager and reloads the data into it. Categories can be refreshed independently. A loading icon is displayed next to each category while it is loading. Resources are disabled while they are loading and become available after the loading finishes.
  • Group items by scope - Groups your variables in the panel depending on the scope assigned to them.
  • Sync with active scope - When an active scope is in focus, for example, a Use Excel File activity is selected, it only displays the variables with the matching scope assigned to them.
  • Sort sections elements - Lets you sort data by selecting one of the available options: Default, Name A-Z, Name Z-A.
  • Data manager filters - Lets you select what data is visible in the panel.

Variables

For additional information about variables, see Managing Variables.

Creating a Variable

  1. In the Data Manager, select Create docs image > Variable.
  2. Indicate the name, data type, scope, and default value for the variable.

    The scope can be set to global (available in the entire project), the current workflow file, or any container activity within the workflow file. The default value is the current workflow file.

    Note:
    • Global variables cannot be used in isolated workflows (files invoked using Invoke Workflow File activities configured with the Isolated option).
    • Global variables are not supported in library projects.

Creating variables in bulk

To create multiple variables at once, right-click Variables in the Data Manager, and then select Bulk Create Variables. In the Variables Panel window, click New and add the details for each variable you want to add.



Managing Variables

Editing a Variable

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Expand the Variables node and then the node of the variable.
  3. Edit any of the following: name, data type, scope, default value.

    In the case of global variables, you can edit the value, but not the name, type, or scope.



Removing a Variable

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Expand the Variables node, then right-click a variable and select Delete Variable.

Converting a Variable to an Argument

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Under Variables, right-click a variable to open the context menu.
  3. Select Convert to Argument.

The newly converted argument can be found in the Arguments section of the panel.

Finding All the References to a Variable

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Under Variables, right-click a variable to open the context menu.
  3. Select Find References.

    The Find references panel opens and displays all references to the variable in the project.

Creating a trigger from a global variable

Global variables are used in trigger-based attended automation to store data about user or application events. This data can then be used to trigger other activities or workflows (for example, when the value of a global variable changes). To learn more, see Trigger-based Attended Automation.

To create a trigger from a global variable:

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.

  2. Under Variables, right-click a global variable to open the context menu.

  3. Select Create trigger.

  4. The Add New File window appears, where you can specify the name of the trigger file and the location where it is stored.

Arguments

For additional information about arguments, see Managing Arguments.

Note: If you add or remove an argument from the Data Manager while the Arguments panel is open, the changes are only visible in the Arguments panel after you close and reopen the workflow file.

Creating an Argument

  1. In the Data Manager, select Create docs image > Argument.
  2. Indicate the name, direction, data type, whether it is required, and the default value.

    By default, all new arguments are of String type and have an In direction.

Creating arguments in bulk

To create multiple variables at once, right-click Arguments in the Data Manager, and then select Bulk Create Argument. In the Arguments window, click Add and add the details for each argument you want to add.



Managing Arguments

Editing an Argument

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Expand the Arguments node and then the node of the argument.
  3. Edit any of the following: name, direction, data type, whether it is required, default value.


Removing Arguments

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Under Arguments, right-click an argument to open the context menu.
  3. Select Delete.

Converting an Argument to a Variable

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Under Arguments, right-click an argument to open the context menu.
  3. Select Convert to Variable.

The newly converted variable can be found in the Variables section of the panel.

Finding All the References to an Argument

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Under Arguments, right-click an argument to open the context menu.
  3. Select Find References.

    The Find references panel opens and displays all references to the argument in the project.

Copying and Pasting Arguments and Variables

You can copy and paste arguments or variables within the task. Right-click a variable or argument and select Copy. To paste it, right-click in the Data Manager panel and select Paste.

When a variable or argument with the same name already exists, a number is added to the duplicate's name. For example, if a variable with the name number already exists, the copied variable is renamed to number_1.

Adding, Editing, and Removing Annotations on Variables and Arguments

You can add annotations to your variables and arguments to provide context or just to better keep track of the purpose and contents of those variables or arguments.

To add an annotation:

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Right-click an argument or variable to open the context menu.
  3. Select Add Annotation.
  4. Type in the text and click the pin icon.
    Note:
    • Pinned annotations are displayed under the variable or argument in the panel when expanded.
    • Arguments and variables with unpinned annotations have an icon displayed next to them.
    • The pinned status of annotations is saved when the project is closed or published as a template.


To edit or remove annotations, simply right-click an argument or variable and select either Edit Annotation or Remove Annotation.

Alternatively, you can edit pinned annotations by clicking them in the panel and changing the text.



Constants

Constants enable you to define fixed values that do not change during project execution. Constants are available globally and can be referenced in activity input fields throughout a project. For example, if a company name or department name is an input in multiple screens, you can store the name in a constant and reference it in the activities that interact with each screen.

After you create a constant, you can edit its value, but not its name, type, or scope.

Note:
  • Constants are not available in Windows - Legacy projects and are not supported in library projects.
  • You can order variables, arguments, and constants freely by dragging and dropping them. This feature is disabled when you select the Group items by scope option.
  • Currently, you cannot change the name or data type of a created constant. You can only change the constant's default value.
  • Variables that do not have a global scope can have the same name as a constant. To distinguish between a constant and a variable with the same name, access the constant using its full name (GlobalConstantsNamespace.GlobalConstants.YourConstantName).

Creating a Constant

  1. In the Data Manager, select Create docs image > New Constant.
  2. Provide the following information:
    • Enter the name of the constant.
    • Select the data type of the constant: Text, Number, True or False, Number with decimals, Date, or Duration.
    • Enter the value of the constant.
  3. Select OK.

Managing Constants

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Expand the Constants node.
  3. You have the following options:
    • To change the value of a constant, expand it, and then enter a new value in the corresponding field.
    • To delete a constant, right-click it, and then select Delete Constant.

Resources

In Windows - Legacy and Windows projects, you can expand the Resources node in the Data Manager to view and manage the following resources in the current project file:

Managing Excel file resources (modern Excel activities)

After you add an Excel file with a Use Excel File activity, you can manage the resource as follows:

  • To configure the resource, right-click it in the Data Manager and select Configure. The Manage resource window is displayed.
    • Select Excel file - Browse to and select the Excel file.
    • And give it a name for later - Enter the name by which to refer to the file in the project (by the default, Excel). This is the name of the option that will be available in the Plus menu in children activities of the Use Excel File activity, allowing you to reference the Excel file.
    • Save changes - Select this option if you want the file to be saved at the end of the automation. Otherwise, the file is returned to the initial state after project execution. This option is selected by default.
    • Read only - Select this option if you want to open the file in read-only mode. This allows you to perform data extraction operations if the file is locked for editing or has an edit password. This option is not selected by default.
  • To remove the Use Excel File activity and all its children activities from the project, right-click the Excel resource and select Delete.

Connecting to an Excel file (Workbook activities)

In projects where you use multiple Workbook activities with the same large Excel file, you can achieve the best runtime performance by connecting to the Excel file from the Data Manager to add it as a resource. This ensures the file is loaded in the memory once for all activities at runtime. If you choose to provide the path to the Excel file in each Workbook activity, the file is loaded in the memory for each activity.

To add an Excel workbook as a resource:

  1. At the top of the Data Manager, select Plus > Connect to a new Workbook file. The Manage resource window is displayed.
  2. Configure the resource:
    • Select Excel file - Browse to and select the Excel file.
    • And give it a name for later - Enter the name by which to refer to the file in Workbook activities (by the default, the file name). This is the name of the option that will be available in the Plus menu of the Workbook property allowing you to reference the workbook file.
    • Password - Enter the password of the file, if applicable.
    • Scope - Select the scope of the resource. By default, the scope is set to the main container. To optimize performance, set the scope to the container closest to where the activities that use the resource are placed in the workflow.

After the resource is created, you can edit its configuration by right-clicking it in the Data Manager and selecting Configure. You can reference the resource in multiple Workbook activities by selecting the resource from the Plus menu.



Managing resources

To go to the activity where a resource is defined in the project, double-click the resource in the Data Manager.

To manage a resource from the Data Manager, right-click the resource and select one of the options in the context menu:

  • Open - Opens an Excel, PowerPoint, or Word file added as a resource.
  • Open file location - Opens the folder containing an Excel, PowerPoint, or Word file added as a resource.

    This option is not available when working with remote files (for example, SharePoint).

  • Configure - Opens the Manage resource window where you can edit the properties of an Excel resource.
  • Delete - Removes the resource from the project.

Entities

For information about managing entities, see Importing Entities.

Processes, Assets, and Queues

The Data Manager displays Orchestrator resources (processes, assets, and queues) available in the currently selected Orchestrator folder. The panel displays resources from both classic and modern folders. Read more about folders.

If the Robot connected to Orchestrator is of type Standard, then the Data Manager panel can display only the Classic folder which has this Robot provisioned. If the Robot is of type Floating, then the panel displays all Classic and Modern folders that this Robot has access to. Read more about creating Robots in Orchestrator .

To use a process, asset, or queue, drag-and-drop it from the Data Manager into the Designer panel. A set of activities is suggested depending on the resource type, and selecting one adds the activity to the project preconfigured to use the selected resource. For example, if you drag-and-drop a process, the Add Activity search bar is displayed with the suggested activities Invoke Process, Start Job, and Run Parallel Process. Selecting Invoke Process adds the activity with the folder path and process name fields configured with the data of the process.

You can manage the Orchestrator resources as follows:

  • Right-click any resource under Assets, Queues, and Processes to access the context menu where you have the option to open the resource in Orchestrator or copy the name and use it in activities that interact with such resources.

  • To update Orchestrator resources, click the Refresh button at the top of the Data Manager panel.

    Note:
    • When using a classic, manually provisioned robot, it must be granted View permissions for the corresponding resources (that is, Assets, Queues, and Processes) to appear in the panel. Read more about setting up Roles and permissions in Orchestrator.
    • If there are both classic and modern folders in Orchestrator and you are connected to Orchestrator using a robot from a modern folder (you signed in to your account or connected using a machine template key), the processes in the classic folders are not available in the Data Manager panel. To have access to the processes from a classic folder, connect to Orchestrator using a classic robot with a standard machine key connection.

Selecting an Orchestrator Folder

The folder from which resources are currently loaded in the panel is displayed in the Studio status bar. You can switch to a different folder that you have access to by clicking the current folder name, and then selecting another Orchestrator folder from the menu that appears. In addition to the resources that are available in Studio, the folder selection also determines the default targets available when publishing your processes.



To load resources into the panel, click the Refresh button at the top of the panel. Hover over the folder name in the status bar to see the Orchestrator URL.

Note: Logs generated from processes located in subfolders are visible in Orchestrator only if the subfolder is selected in the Data Manager panel.

Using Orchestrator Resources In Your Projects

Drag and drop assets, queues, or processes from the Data Manager panel directly to your automation project. Upon doing so, suitable activities are suggested in the Add activity search bar. For example, after dragging a queue in your project, pick the Add Queue Item activity from the Add activity search bar and notice that the queue was automatically assigned to the activity's Queue Name property.



You can also right-click any item in the Data Manager panel, and then select Copy to copy its name and use it in activities that interact with such resources.

Connections

Viewing the Connections Used in a Project

  1. Open the Data Manager panel.
  2. Expand the Connections node to view a list of connections used in the project.
  3. Expand the node of a connection to view a list of activities where it is used in the project. Additionally, you can further expand each activity to see more user-specific data associated with a connection (for example, the email folders and the cloud storage folders where emails and files are located).
    Note: Connections are displayed in the Data Manager for certain activities and only after you save the project.

Namespaces

For additional information about namespaces, see About Imported Namespaces.

Adding a Namespace

  1. Open the Data Manager, then right-click Namespaces and select Add namespace.
  2. A dialog listing available namespaces is displayed. To filter through the list, use the search box at the top of the dialog.
  3. Select the namespace to import it.

Removing a Namespace

  1. Open the Data Manager, then expand the Namespaces node.
  2. Right-click the namespace and select Delete.

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