If package

Use the actions in the If package to control the sequence of execution based on one or more conditions of a task.

Use the actions in the If package to check whether an application is running, a folder or file exists, a variable matches the specified value, an application window exists, or a machine or server is running before executing a set of actions.

Actions in the If package

The If package includes the following actions:

Action Description
If See If action
Else if (optional) See Else if (optional) action
Else See Else action

Best practices

When using the If package, here are some best practices to follow:
  • Ensure that the conditions specified in the If statement are clear and precise. This helps in avoiding unexpected behavior.
  • Use Else and Else If actions to handle alternative conditions. This ensures that all possible scenarios are covered.
  • Avoid deep nesting of If statements as it can make the logic complex and harder to maintain. Consider using logical operators (AND, OR) to combine conditions where possible.
  • Add the most likely conditions first to optimize performance. This way, the bot can quickly evaluate the most probable conditions and proceed without unnecessary checks.
  • Use variables to store the results of complex conditions or calculations. This makes the If statements cleaner and easier to read.
  • Implement proper error handling within the If blocks to manage any errors that can occur during the execution of the conditions.
  • Test the If conditions with various data sets to ensure they behave as expected under different scenarios.
  • Use Boolean variables to simplify conditions wherever possible. This can make the If statements more readable and easier to manage.
  • Ensure that the conditions are not redundant and do not overlap. This helps in maintaining the efficiency and clarity of the logic used in the bot.

Conditions in the If action

Use the following conditions in the If action to control the flow of execution in an automation task:

Note: You can add up to a maximum of 32 conditions in a single If action.
Condition Description
Application Use the Application is running or Application is not running condition to run actions based on whether an application is running or not running.

Enter the application path or specify the path using a variable along with the amount of time to wait (in seconds) for the condition to be true.

Note: The Application is running and Application is not running conditions are not applicable for Internet Explorer bots because its corresponding process iexplore.exe runs in the background when Microsoft Edge is launched in IE mode.
Boolean Use the Boolean variable condition to execute actions based on whether a Boolean variable contains the value True or False.

You can also use this condition to compare the values of two Boolean variables by selecting the second variable from the Insert a Variable window.
Data table Use the Data table is empty condition to execute actions based on whether the specified table contains values.

Use the Number of rows and Number of columns conditions to execute actions based on whether the number of columns or rows is Equal to, Greater than, or Less than the specified value.
Datetime Use the Datetime variable condition to execute actions based on whether the value of the source datetime variable is Equal to or Not Equal to, is Greater than or Equal to, or is Lesser than or Equal to the value of the target datetime variable.
Dictionary Use the Check key condition to execute actions based on whether the value of the specified key is Equal to or Not equal to, or Contains or Does not contain the target value.
Note: The key comparison is case-sensitive.

Use the Check for a single value condition to execute actions based on whether a specific key contains the target value.
DLL Use the Dll session exists and Dll session does not exist condition to execute actions based on whether a Dll session is open or closed in a bot.
File Use the following conditions to execute the action:
  • File date

    Use this condition to verify the date and time when a file was created or modified. Specify a date or date range using the On a date, Is within last, Is between, or Is before options. For the On a date option, specify a date to verify whether the file was created or modified on that date. For the Is within last option, specify the number of days or time (in hours, minutes, and seconds). Enter the amount of time (in seconds) to wait for this condition to be true.

  • File exists and File does not exist

    Use these conditions to execute an action based on whether a file exists. For example, if a data file exists, format the file and upload it to a database.

  • File extension

    Use this condition to check the file extension of a selected file and then execute actions based on the results. Use the File path field to select a file.

  • File size

    This condition verifies if the specified file is larger, smaller, not the same, or the same as the size you specify.

    Enter the amount of time (in seconds) to wait for this condition to be true.
Folder Use the Folder exists or Folder does not exist condition to execute an action based on whether a folder exists.
Image Recognition Use these conditions to verify whether:
  • Image file is found in the Image file or not.
  • Image file is found in the Window or not.
  • Window is found in the Image file or not.
  • Window is found in the Window or not.
For the Window conditions, you can use the Resize window option to specify the window dimensions. This option delivers a more reliable bot. It resizes the window to the dimensions at which the task was recorded, which enhances the bot's ability to identify the target object.
Note: This option is only available for windows that can be resized. It is not available for Desktop or Taskbar options.

For the Window conditions, you can use the Preview option to select a specific captured occurrence and position your click location relative to the image.
JavaScript Use the Script is successful or Script is unsuccessful condition to execute actions based the status of the specified JavaScript. Select the file that contains the script and optionally specify the parameters by selecting a list variable.
Legacy automation The Legacy automation conditions are only used in migrated bots to ensure that they run seamlessly in Automation 360. We do not recommend using these conditions for new bot development. The following conditions to verify the following:
  • Whether Web control exists or not.
  • Whether Window control exists or not.
  • Whether Window control is active or not.
  • Whether Script is successful or not.
  • Whether Child window exists or not.

For the Window control conditions, you can use the Resize window option to specify the window dimensions. This option delivers a more reliable bot. It resizes the window to the dimensions at which the task was recorded, which enhances the bot's ability to identify the target object.
List Use the List variable condition to execute actions based on whether the specified list variable contains a particular value. The value can be of Number, String, or Boolean data type.
Number Use the Number variable condition to execute actions based on whether the specified number variable is Equal to or Not Equal to, or is Greater than or Equal to, or is Lesser than or Equal to a particular value.
Ping Use the Ping is successful or Ping is unsuccessful condition to verify if a machine or server is running, and execute actions based on the result. Enter the amount of time (in seconds) to wait for the condition to be true.
Recorder
  • Use the Object exists condition to detect an object in a window. Select a window or variable to capture the object.
  • Use the Object does not exist condition to verify whether a specific object exists in a window, and then based on the result, execute actions. For example, you can use the Object does not exist condition inside the Loop > While condition to make sure that the bot does not execute the next action until the object on the business application is loaded.
  • From the Set system time out field, select either Basic or Advanced.
    • Basic: In the Wait for system response (in seconds) field, specify the number of seconds the bot must wait for object control to appear on the application window. This wait time includes the wait time for both page load and object search.

      We recommend setting a delay time when using the Set text action to enter keystrokes into a text field.

      Note: The timeout specified for the bot to wait for the control to appear on the application window applies only if the window in which the control is present exists. The Recorder first looks for the application window and only then searches for the object inside that window. The default time to search for the window is 30 seconds. Hence, even if you specify the wait time as 5 seconds, it still waits for 30 seconds by default if the window does not exist.

      We recommend that you first use the If > Window exists condition, specify a wait time of zero second and ensure that the application window exists. If the window exists then use the Recorder, specify a wait time of 5 seconds, and run the bot to detect the object.

    • Advanced: Use this option to automate websites that are constantly loading and updating with latest data such as a stocks website. These websites are never technically fully loaded on screen. In such cases, the bot does not need to wait for the web page to load completely and can directly proceed with automating the web page after a certain time.

      In the Wait for browser response (in seconds) field, specify the number of seconds the bot must wait for the browser to load. Select one of the below options:

      • Stop the bot and display an error message: If the web page has not loaded completely within the specified time out, select this option to stop the bot and display an error message.
      • Skip and proceed to the object: Select this option to proceed to the object directly and capture it even if the web page has not loaded completely.

      In the Wait for object response (in seconds) field, specify the number of seconds the bot must wait for object control to appear on the application window.

Note: The Object exists and Object does not exist Recorder conditions support Chromium-based Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.
Service Use the Service is running or Service is not running condition to execute actions based on whether a service is running or not. Select Service list to choose a service from the list of available services.
String Use the String variable condition to execute actions based on whether the specified source string value is Equal to or Not equal to, or Includes or Does not include the target value.

You can select the Match case option to only execute actions if the two strings have matching uppercase and lowercase letters.

When you extract text from a Microsoft application, the extracted text contains the /r/n special characters which indicate a new line. Select the Ignore Carriage return option if you want to ignore the /r special character when you compare the text.

To create a condition based on whether a string is empty or not empty, compare the source value to an empty target field using the Equal to operator.

See Example of using a conditional statement.
Task Bot Use the Task successful or Task unsuccessful condition to execute actions based on the status of the specified Task Bot. You can also use the Error handler with the Task unsuccessful condition to check if the task has failed. This can be done as long as the On error, continue with next action option in the Error handler > Catch action is not enabled.
VBScript Use the Script is successful or Script is unsuccessful condition to execute actions based on the status of the specified Visual Basic script. Select the file that contains the script and optionally specify the parameters by selecting a variable.
Window Use the Window exists or Window does not exist condition to verify if a specific application window is open by entering the Window title or using a variable. Enter the amount of time (in seconds) to wait for the condition to be true. These conditions are used when the window title remains constant and to verify if the specific window is open and execute further actions based on the output.

The Window exists condition uses the same window variable to search the specific window from cache. For example, when you open a Yahoo India web page and perform a Click action on the News option on the web page, the action navigates you to another page which changes the title of the window. In this case, when you use the Window exists condition to verify if the window exists, the bot still fetches the Yahoo India web page from the cache and performs action on it because the window is still the same but only the title has changed. For more information on how window variables work, see Your variables (user-defined)

Use the Window with same title does not exist or Window with same title exist condition to verify whether a window with the same title exists or whether the window title has changed. Enter the amount of time (in seconds) to keep verifying if the condition is true. These conditions are used for window titles that are dynamic. For example, when you open a Google account webpage, enter your username and password to log into your account, the window title changes. If you want to compose a new email as a next action, you can use these conditions before you execute the next action to verify if the window with the same title exists or if the title has changed.

Group conditions

Use the Add group option to add multiple Boolean conditions or combine more than one conditions with And and Or options within a group and when you want the bot to check multiple conditions at a time before executing a set of actions.

You can also add a group within a group.

Example

Build a basic bot that uses a desktop application

An example of how to build a basic TaskBot that uses the If package.