Automation 360 v.29 Community Edition Release Notes

Release date: 6 June 2023

Review what's new in the Community Edition of the Automation 360 v.29 (Build 18361) release. Build 18361 replaces Build 18345.

Note: When a Bot Agent update is required, the Bot Agent is automatically updated to the compatible version.

For more information on updating to this release, see these resources:

Automation Workspace

What's new
Introducing Help Center - In-app help used to search for automation information

Help Center is a centralized location that contains all the information developers need to develop automations. Wherever you navigate to in the Control Room, the Help Center will show suggested topics related to the page you are on in the widget. Developers can leverage the suggested topics or search for specific packages, actions, or information they need help with. Additionally, the documentation link from contextual help loads the content directly within the Help Center. This feature eliminates the developer from having to switch back and forth between the Bot editor and the documentation portal providing a distraction-free experience.

In-product user assistance
Enhancement to the Bot Agent Installer (Service Cloud case ID: 01857405)

We have enhanced the Bot Agent installer by including new .exe files for the Bot launcher, Node manager, Triggers, and Child session launchers. When you create and run a bot using actions from the File, Folder, or Excel advanced packages, and if your organization has configured security policies such as Document Security Solution (NASCA) DRM (Digital Rights Management), the files will be encrypted and secured by the security program.

The following changes occur in the installer when you:
  • Install the Bot Agent, java.exe will be replaced by NodeManager.exe.
  • Run a bot, javaw.exe will be replaced by BotLauncher.exe.
  • Configure a trigger, the trigger will be activated with TriggerListener.exe instead of javaw.exe.
  • Run a bot with Automation Co-Pilot (integrations) (AARI), javaw.exe will be replaced with ChildSessionLauncher.exe.
Note:
  • If your bots or scripts use java.exe or javaw.exe in the Bot Agent installer folder, we recommend that you modify your bots or scripts using the new .exe files.
  • Ensure that the Bot Agent version installed on your system is the version that is released with Automation 360 v.29.

Install Bot Agent and register device
Time filter for historical activities

As a Control Room user with appropriate permissions, you can use the Time filter option to search for and view specific historical activities based on time duration. Additionally, you can customize the date and time to view these activities.

Time filter
Run bot in elevated mode

After updating to this release, an administrator can use the A360Elevater.exe application to run a bot in an elevated or administrative mode. This enables the Control Room users to run bots that might access any application that requires administrator credentials.

Run a bot in elevated mode
Change variable values while debugging
You can use the Debugger tool to edit the values of the following variable types added to the Watched variables list when you pause in debug mode during a bot run:
  • Number
  • String
  • Boolean
  • Datetime
This enables you to troubleshoot and fix any bot related errors, determine the correct value to use during bot execution, and resolve the issue without stopping the debugger.
Note:
  • You cannot edit constant variables.
  • Ensure that the Bot Agent version installed on your system is the version that was released with Automation 360 v.29.
Improved searchability for bots and files in subfolders (Service Cloud case ID: 01759969, 01838997, 01858215)

You can quickly search and locate bots, files, processes, and forms within a folder and its subfolders in public and the private workspaces even if your repository contains multiple folders and subfolders. To enable this enhanced search feature, select the Include items within sub-folders check box. A new column, Folder path, is displayed which contains the location of the folder and subfolders for the bot.
View references for non-bot file dependencies (Service Cloud case ID: 01793080)

You can view the references (immediate parents) for non-bot file dependencies such as: CSV, PDF, JPG, GIF, XLS, DOC, and PPT in public and private workspaces. You can use this feature to identify the bots, processes, or forms that refer to a non-bot file dependency. When you have many automations dependent on various file dependencies, it is easier to modify or delete the dependencies when you understand the impact of this change on the automations. You can efficiently check the effect of either modifying or deleting the dependency on the automations that refer to it.
Enhancement to the Bot Scanner utility

We have enhanced the Bot Scanner utility and it now includes the option to scan bots that contain any of the Email package actions and Triggers that use the EWS option.

Scan bots for Basic authentication

Document Automation

What's new
Validate table data quicker using auto fill

You can use the Auto fill button in the validation interface to extract hundreds of rows of data from multipage tables. After you manually validate three cells in a column, auto fill extracts the remaining values from that column in the document.
Improved heuristic feedback with form and table extraction

Document Automationprovides an improved extraction through heuristic feedback with a focus on complex scenarios, such as multitables. Additionally, there are extraction improvements for both form fields and out-of-the-box performance (specifically for table fields).

Document-level data validation in Document Automation

With document-level data validation, you can create rules to ensure the accuracy of extracted data across multiple fields in your documents. You can define various conditions, such as pattern matching or equality checks. When those conditions are met, you can effortlessly take action to flag errors or warnings, clean up or replace values, or set new values.