Recorder package updates

Review the updates in released versions of the Recorder package such as new and enhanced features as well as fixes and limitations. The page also lists the release dates of each version, and the compatible Control Room and Bot Agent versions.

Versions summary

The following table lists the versions of Recorder package released either with an Automation 360 release or as a package-only release (in descending order of release dates). Click the version link for information about updates in that package version.

Version Release date Release type Bot Agent version Control Room build
3.3.1-20241001-095119 15 October 2024 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.34 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
3.2.3-20240618-130741 21 June 2024 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.33 (Sandbox) release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
3.2.1-20240606-105427 14 June 2024 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.32 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
3.1.5-20240412-132755 18 April 2024 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.32 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.17.6-20240311-142525 12 March 2024 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.31 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.17.4-20240206-195833 16 February 2024 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.31 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.17.2-20240125-182326 27 January 2024 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.31 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.17.1-20240109-142300 17 January 2024 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.31 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.17.1-20240109-142300 17 January 2024 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.31 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.16.0-20231101-165457 16 November 2023 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.30 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.15.2-20231004-180246 20 October 2023 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.30 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.14.1-20230904-102210 21 September 2023 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.30 (Sandbox) release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.13.6-20230809-153403 16 August 2023 Package-only; post Automation 360 v.29 release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
2.11.5-20230512-083852 6 June 2023 With Automation 360 v.29 (Sandbox) release 21.210 or later 14068 or later
Note:
  • To download an individual package (updated in an Automation 360 release where you want only the package), use this URL:

    https://aai-artifacts.my.automationanywhere.digital/packages/<package-file-name>-<version.number>.jar

  • For Recorder package, the naming convention is: bot-command-recorder-<version-number>-full.jar

    For example, bot-command-recorder-2.17.2-20240125-182326-full.jar

For detailed steps on downloading a package and manually adding it to the Control Room, see Add packages to the Control Room.

3.3.1-20241001-095119

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
What's new
Automate web apps that use the Shadow DOM standard

Recorder now supports object-based automations of modern applications that use the Shadow DOM standard enabling you to seamlessly automate such web applications. The introduction of CSS selector will further enhance the reliability of various web automation processes.

Automate web apps that use the shadow DOM standard
Fix

Automation.CSharpDLLWrapper.exe process no longer crashes and now runs successfully when you use Recorder in your automations.

Service Cloud case ID: 02135681
Limitation

When automating controls within the shadow root element, if the last value in the Shadow-root path property shows the same value as that of the CSS selector property, your automation might fail.

For example, in the following Shadow-root path and CSS selector properties, the last value "paper-button#mainButton" is the same:
  • Shadow-root pathproperty = ["div#brandBand_2>div>div>div:nth-of-type(5)>div>force-aloha-page>div>iframe","sb-page-container#sbPageContainer","div#content>sb-line-editor","div#actions>sb-custom-action:nth-of-type(4)", "paper-button#mainButton"]
  • CSS selector property = paper-button#mainButton

Workaround: Manually remove the CSS selector property value from the Shadow-root path property.

3.2.3-20240618-130741

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
Fix
When you use the Recorder action in your automation and use a variable in the Action to take on object field, the Recorder now considers the correct value of the variable in the following scenarios when native or Generative AI-based fallback is used.
  • When you use the Recorder in a loop.
  • When you execute an automation for multiple times using the Run option.
  • When you copy another Recorder > Capture action and update the value in the Action to take on objectfield.

3.2.1-20240606-105427

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
Note: This package version is also available in the Automation 360 v.33 release.
What's new
Improved compliance with secure recording (Service Cloud case ID: 02095234)
Secure recording is now enhanced to improve compliance through auto-deletion of UI element details not used for automation, ensuring that personally identifiable information (PII) is not accidentally stored in the automation.
Note: This capability is supported with Recorder package (version 3.2.1-20240606-105427 and later) and Bot Agent (version 22.60.23 and later).

Recorder package
Expanded automation coverage (Service Cloud case ID: 02094579, 02113994)
You can now successfully automate browser applications that are running on the same user session but requires varying application-level access within the same automation workflow. For example, non-admin users can perform record creation and validation, and admin users can now provide approvals within the same process automation.
Note:
  • This capability is supported for automation of web applications running on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Edge with IE mode browsers.
  • This capability is supported through the Application tab only. Browser tab and Browser package is currently not supported.
  • This capability is supported with Recorder package (version 3.2.1-20240606-105427 and later) and Bot Agent (version 22.60.23 and later).
  • When your Bot Agent is updated, you must restart your browser application.

Recorder package
Improved visibility for Generative AI fallback

Citizen Developers and Professional developers can now easily move the fallback notification dialogue window at the desired location on the screen according their needs and preferences thus improving the visibility of their business application and the fallback.
Caching of successful Generative AI responses
The Generative AI calls made during successful Generative AI-based fallbacks are now cached in the system memory and the region-based service which are then reused for subsequent executions of the same automation. Hence, the time taken for subsequent executions of the same automation is reduced significantly thus improving performance.
Note: Native fallbacks are cached only in the system memory.
Fixes
When you create a bot using the Capture action and capture an HTML object on web applications using HTML technology to get the innerHTML or HTML InnerText property, and if the captured object is a long text, the captured text no longer retains the garbled characters.

Service Cloud case ID: 02099152
When you use the If > Object exists Recorder condition to verify whether a specific object exists in a window, the bot now times out when the application is not responding and displays an appropriate error message.

Service Cloud case ID: 02125535
When you use Object exists and Object does not exist Recorder conditions in your automation, the Generative AI and native fallbacks for the initial Recorder conditions now occur successfully.

3.1.5-20240412-132755

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
What's new
Introducing Generative Recorder
Generative Recorder significantly improves the resiliency of web based automations, addressing scenarios where updates to web applications historically led to automation failures. This helps minimize business disruptions and improves developer productivity. In addition, Generative Recorder offers recommendations, to automatically update automations to make those more resilient. It also offers insights into fallback decisions influenced by Generative AI.
Note: Ensure that the minimum Bot Agent version and the Control Room version on your system is the version that was released with Automation 360 v.32.

Generative Recorder
Improved automation reliability and performance in Java application

You can now reliably automate controls in Java applications, such as, Oracle EBS applications using the new properties, namely Frame name and Occurrence. This improves the performance and reliability of automations.

Recorder package
Fix

When you use the If > Object exists Recorder condition to automate applications using SAP technology, and if this specified condition is false during bot run, the script running on the SAP application stops after the action is executed.

Previously, when the If > Object exists Recorder condition was false during bot run, the script continued to run on the SAP application thus affecting the reliability of the next action, namely the Set text action with delay or the Set text action via Simulate keystrokes.

Service Cloud case ID: 02087171, 01994842
Limitation

When you use the Object exists and Object does not exist Recorder conditions in a bot, the Generative AI and native fallbacks might not occur for the first few Recorder conditions.

2.17.6-20240311-142525

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
Note: This package version is also available in the Automation 360 v.32 release.
What's changed

This package is now compatible with the new Google Chrome version 123 when the UIA flag in Google Chrome is enabled by default. For more information, see Upcoming change in Google Chrome browser (A-People login required).

2.17.4-20240206-195833

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
Fixes

The bot specific to Java technology now executes successfully, when you use the Recorder package version (2.17.4-20240206-195833) with the Bot Agent (version 22.20.2) that was released with Automation 360 v.31 to perform the Set text and Click actions on the Oracle EBS application.

Previously when you used the Recorder package version (2.15.2-20231004-180246) and later with Automation 360 v.31 Bot Agent to automate an Oracle EBS application, the bot failed due to reliability issues.

Service Cloud case ID: 02105037, 02107049, 02108596, 02106265, 02108537, 02109277, 02106590, 02106001, 02106092
You no longer encounter an error when you use the new Simplified Recorder to automate applications with AISense.

2.17.2-20240125-182326

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
Fixes

When you use Recorder package with the Google Chrome version 121.0.6167.86, the automations are working as expected. Existing automations that are impacted by this issue have to update the package version of the automations to 2.17.2-20240125-182326.

Previously, when you used Recorder package with the Google Chrome version 121.0.6167.86, the automations were not working as expected.

Service Cloud case ID: 02106374, 02106198, 02106333, 02106115, 02106248, 02106124, 02106507, 02106428, 02106517,02106500, 02106487,02106257,02106534,02106575, 02106535,02103955,02106585, 02106486, 02106611, 02106579, 02106615, 02106498, 02106628, 02106441, 02106652, 02106632, 2106773, 02106636

2.17.1-20240109-142300

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
What's new
Automate partially loaded websites
You can now successfully automate specific objects on web pages that are not completely loaded during bot run. Use the new Set system time out > Advanced option in the following packages to choose whether to proceed to the object directly even if the web page has not loaded completely or to stop the bot and display an error message after the wait time has elapsed.
  • Object exists and Object does not exist conditions inside the Loop > While condition.
  • Object exists and Object does not exist conditions inside the If package.
  • Object exists and Object does not exist conditions inside the Wait > Wait for condition action.
Note: When you use the Object exists and Object does not exist conditions inside the Wait for condition action and choose the Stop the bot and display an error message option, the bot will not display an error message but proceed to the next action.
SAP Logon support for Recorder package

All actions in the Recorder package (version 2.16.0-20231101-165457 and later) are supported with SAP Logon 800.

Recorder actions supported in various SAP versions
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop Version 2303 support for Recorder package

All actions in the Recorder package (version 2.16.0-20231101-165457 and later) are supported with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop Version 2303.
Fixes
You no longer encounter COMUI based accessibility using MS Excel and other MS Office applications.
Previously, when you performed the following operation using MS Excel and other MS Office applications, slowness was observed:
  1. Open Bot editor.
  2. Open an Excel file.
  3. Type any text in any cell and try to select text from the text/formula bar or adjust the column width using the mouse.

Service Cloud case ID: 02069627, 02084284, 02095583
When you use the Recorder with MS UI automation technology, you can now successfully retrieve the data from a specific table cell in a Citrix XenApp application.
Note: Ensure that you recapture the table using MS UI Automation technology.

The bot no longer encounters an error when you use the Recorder to capture the SAP table and use the loop action to iterate over the captured table data. Previously, the bot failed and displayed the following error message: Invalid argument supplied to 'record', index '1' is invalid or out of bound.

2.16.0-20231101-165457

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
Note: This package version is also available in the Automation 360 v.31 release.
What's new
Improved automation start-up performance (Service Cloud case ID: 01981949)
When you run the bot with the Recorder package, the executable files used to run configurations in the Bot Agent will now be executed within the Bot Agent component itself. This reduces the bot execution pre-configurations and will improve the performance of your bot execution.
Note: Ensure that you use the Recorder package (version 2.16.0-20231101-165457 and later) with the Bot Agent (version 22.20.2) that was released with Automation 360 v.31.

Recorder package
Citrix XenApp support for multi-version Recorder packages in parent and child bots
You can now successfully execute parent and child bots that use different versions of the Recorder package in a Citrix XenApp environment.
Note: To use and execute multiple versions of the Recorder package in a bot effectively, ensure that your bots, both parent and child, use the Recorder package (version 2.16.0-20231101-165457 and later). Using earlier versions might not support this feature and could cause inconsistencies or errors during bot execution in Citrix environments.

Recorder package
Fixes

You no longer encounter COMUI access violation issues due to unintended object releases during UI element search operations. This improves the overall system performance and user experience.

2.15.2-20231004-180246

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
What's new
Improve productivity from a simplified recording experience
Use the new simplified Recorder to start a recording directly from the business application without having to identify the target application from the list of application titles opened. This enables you to have a simpler and faster recording experience and have a real-time visibility of the automated actions. You can:
  • Review recorded actions and images of the recorded UI elements.
  • Traverse through those recorded actions.
  • Take actions in the midst of the recording.
Important: The simplified Recorder feature is not available out of the box and can be enabled on an on-demand basis. Contact your Automation Anywhere account team for assistance.

Simplified recording experience
Launch Control Room as XenApp
You can now launch the Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser window from a Citrix XenApp application, access the Control Room from the specific browser, and automate other virtual applications which are run as XenApps. This enables reliable object-based automation when you deploy and launch both Control Room and business applications as virtual applications from the same system. The following actions now run successfully in a Citrix Xenapp environment:
  • Recorder > Capture action
  • Mouse > Click and Move actions
Note:
  • Ensure that you install the Bot Agent in the same Citrix XenApp server from where you launch your business applications.
  • When you launch the Control Room as a XenApp, Automation Anywhere remote agent for Citrix is not required.

Recorder package
Automate partially loaded websites

You can now successfully automate specific objects on web pages that are not completely loaded during bot run. Use the new Set system time out > Advanced option in the Recorder > Capture action to choose whether to proceed to the object directly and capture it even if the web page has not loaded completely or to stop the bot and display an error message.

For example, some websites are constantly updating with latest data such as latest stock prices and 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.

Using the Capture action
Fixes
When you use the Recorder with Microsoft UI automation technology, you can now successfully retrieve the data from a specific cell in a table.
Note: Ensure that you recapture the table using Microsoft UI Automation.
You no longer encounter an issue when you use the List view control on the Java-based application to select an item by text or index.

Previously, multiple items were selected when you used list view control to automate an operation within the application.

Service Cloud case ID: 01991025
Limitations
When you launch the Control Room and business applications from the same XenApp sessions, click the Start recording option to capture objects, the task bar and the screen might appear blackened.

When you use the Recorder to automate electron applications using Microsoft UI Automation (COM) technology, you might not be able to capture child elements.

Workaround: Use Microsoft Active Accessibility or Microsoft UI Automation technology first to capture one child element. This will enable the accessibility in electron applications. You can then use Microsoft UI Automation (COM) technology to capture the remaining child elements.

2.14.1-20230904-102210

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
Fixes

The Recorder > Get table action for SAP technology successfully exports all the table data from the SAP application.
AISense technology now validates the table captured in the legacy Recorder package and the Give action is executed successfully.

Service Cloud case ID: 01952160, 01952160

2.13.6-20230809-153403

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
Note: This package version is also available in the Automation 360 v.30 release.
What's new
Automate UI elements having parent controls with inline JavaScript
Use the new Debugger click action in the Recorder when you are unable to execute the Click action on a control whose parent control has an inline JavaScript.
Note:
  • You can use this action to automate controls only on web pages using HTML technology.
  • Ensure that you install the 3.1.0.0 version of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge extensions and the Recorder package (version 2.13.6-20230809-153403) released with Automation 360 v.30.
What's changed
Capture Electron applications using Microsoft UI Automation (COM) technology (Service Cloud case ID: 00785350)

When automating an Electron application, the Recorder now captures specific controls on the application using the Microsoft UI Automation (COM) technology by default. This enables you to automate Electron applications seamlessly without having to recapture the object with a specific technology.
Support device credentials in UPN format with Recorder

The Recorder now captures and automates objects successfully when you enter your device credentials in the UPN (user principal name) format.
The Handle unexpected pop-ups functionality is enhanced with the following changes:
  • Manage multiple (up to 5) pop-ups.
  • Handle unexpected pop-ups for the HTML technology.
Configure pop-up handling
Fixes

When you capture an object in any browser using Recorder > Capture action with technology type as Microsoft Active Accessibility, the bot can now perform left click/right click/double click the object.

Previously, when you captured an object in any browser using MSAA technology, the bot could not perform left click/right click/double click due to the runtime window in the foreground, and the control was not in focus (not visible).

Service Cloud case ID: 01969776
When you capture the Page tab or Tree control using Java technology and then use the Get selected or Select item by text actions, the application does not crash during bot execution.

Previously, the application on which Recorder package executed was crashing.

Service Cloud case ID: 01972119, 01983570, 01976678, 01986154

When you capture the Page tab control and perform the Select item by text action on an already selected tab, it will now execute the bot successfully without any issue.

Previously, the bot displayed an error when you executed the Select item by text action.

When you use Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode to play the HTML Recorder action, the Automation.CSharpDLLWrapper.exe in the Recorder package does not crash any longer. Previously, the Automation.CSharpDLLWrapper.exe crashed intermittently when the frame.length was null.

Service Cloud case ID: 01983400
The Capture action now times out if the SAP application stops responding while trying to capture any interaction.

Service Cloud case ID: 01979580

When you use the Recorder to capture controls using Java technology, the bot now successfully extracts the Path object property of that specific control.

Previously, when you tried to extract the Path object property, it returned a blank value.

When you use the Recorder to automate controls on a Java application, use the Get selected text action to retrieve data from the selected item, and run the bot, the Java application no longer gets terminated.

Service Cloud case ID: 01986154, 01976678

Removed JxCapture dependency.
When you migrate a bot containing an Object Cloning command or MetaBot created using Java technology and run the same bot in Automation 360, it executes successfully without delay.

Previously, when you executed the migrated bot in Automation 360, it took longer to complete execution due to some performance issues.

Service Cloud case ID: 01957525

You can now use the Recorder to search and capture a specific control on a Java web application running on Microsoft Edge with IE mode using the Path or variable path object property. Previously, the Recorder searched the object by location if the search by path failed on a Java web application.

Service Cloud case ID: 01948537, 01946746

You can now use the Recorder with Microsoft UI automation (COM) technology to successfully capture and extract rows from a Table control.

Service Cloud case ID: 01937622, 01937158, 01942234, 01960301, 01956515, 01973683

You can now use the Recorder with Microsoft UI automation (COM) technology to capture and automate tables that have large data sets.

Service Cloud case ID: 01953882, 01958202

When you use the Recorder (version 2.10.2-20230104-214915) to capture objects on a SAP Fiori application, the bot now captures the objects successfully. Previously, the bot failed with an error message: Unable to find BUTTON. Search Criteria did not match.

Service Cloud case ID: 01983593
You no longer encounter issues when you use the Recorder package to automate SAP applications and then use the Control type as Table (Grid view) to set cell by text or index.

Previously, when you used the Control type as Table (Grid view) to set cell by text or index, the bot failed to set the values.

2.11.5-20230512-083852

  • Compatible Bot Agent version: 21.210 or later
  • Compatible Control Room version: 14068 or later
What's new
Automate controls using Microsoft UI Automation (COM) technology
You can use the Microsoft UI Automation (COM) technology to capture and automate the following controls:
  • Calendar controls
  • Menu controls
  • Slider controls

Capture using specific technology | Actions performed on objects captured with Universal Recorder
New actions for Table control
When you use the Microsoft UI Automation (COM) technology in the Recorder to automate a table, you can select the following new Table controlactions from the Action drop-down:
  • Click on cell by index
  • Click on cell by text
  • Left click on cell by index
  • Left click on cell by text
  • Right click on cell by index
  • Right click on cell by text
  • Double click on cell by index
  • Double click on cell by text

Actions performed on objects captured with Universal Recorder
Automate business applications on remote devices accessed over VMWare VDIs

By installing our native Remote Agent on VMware server, you can now automate your business applications that are running on remote devices and are accessed over VMware VDIs. Our native Remote Agent enables secure communication between VMware server and Bot Agent and provides the object level information for automation creation and play back. This enhances the automation coverage to new use cases while providing a reliable native desktop user experience.

VMware-based automation is supported for all VMware protocols, viz VMware Blast, PCoIP, and Microsoft RDP. This eliminates the requirement for any security exceptions by IT administrators. VMware-based automation is supported for Web applications, Java applications and applications built on Microsoft Active Accessibility or UI Automation technologies.

Automate applications running on remote machines
Improved performance when automating applications with multiple controls

When you use UI automation technology to automate window applications with more number of UI elements, you can now use the new IsFirst object property to enable the bot to detect the first object whose ID matches your search criteria. This improves the performance of your bot because the bot no longer needs to traverse the entire tree to match every control based on your search criteria, which would otherwise take more time and impact the performance of your bot. You can use the IsFirst object property when an object does not have a unique Automation ID and when the object hierarchy changes in the application.

Using the Capture action
Fixes

When you use the Recorder > Object exists condition in the If action to detect an object in a window, use the IsVisible object property as a search criterion, and run the bot, the bot now returns the result based on the value (true or false) added in the IsVisible property for the captured object.

Service Cloud case ID: 01920409
When you use the Recorder package (version 2.11.5 and later) in your bot that runs on a multi-user Citrix machine on Windows Server 2012, the bot no longer fails with an error message: Unable to initialize bot execution environment
Note: If you are using a Recorder package (version earlier than 2.11.5) in your bots, then we recommend that you the same version of the Recorder package in all your bots. However, from version 2.11.5 and later, you can use a combination of version 2.11.5 and later versions of the Recorder package.

Service Cloud case ID: 01959207