Review what's new in Package SDK for the v.37 release.

What's new

SDK download link: A360-package-sdk-2.12.0.zip

Docs download link: A360-package-sdk-2.12.0-javadoc.zip

Enhanced operating system support for custom packages

This release of the Package SDK significantly expands the compatibility of custom command Packages, now enabling developers to build and deploy packages for macOS, Windows, and cloud-based bot agents.

A new allowed agent type with the value AllowedTarget.MAC_OS has been introduced within the CommandPkg section. This enhancement allows developers to explicitly enable their custom packages for execution on macOS agents. Using this new capability, developers can now create custom packages specifically designed and enabled for the macOS operating system.

To illustrate this functionality, the Concatenate.java example has been updated and is available within the Package SDK. This updated example demonstrates how the Concatenate action can now be used on Windows and macOS machines. By specifying AllowedTarget.MAC_OS in the CommandPkg annotation, the custom packages are now compatible with macOS agents, expanding its usability across different operating systems. The following code snippet from Concatenate.java highlights the modification that enables macOS support:


//BotCommand makes a class eligible for being considered as an action.
@BotCommand

//CommandPks adds required information to be dispalable on GUI.
@CommandPkg(
		//Unique name inside a package and label to display.
		name = "concatenate", label = "[[Concatenate.label]]",
		node_label = "[[Concatenate.node_label]]", description = "[[Concatenate.description]]", icon = "pkg.svg",
		// Added AllowedTarget.MAC_OS to enable this package for macOS agents.
		allowed_agent_targets = {AllowedTarget.HEADLESS, AllowedTarget.MAC_OS},

		//Return type information. return_type ensures only the right kind of variable is provided on the UI.
		return_label = "[[Concatenate.return_label]]", return_type = STRING, return_required = true)
public class Concatenate {

	//Messages read from full qualified property file name and provide i18n capability.
	private static final Messages MESSAGES = MessagesFactory
			.getMessages("com.automationanywhere.botcommand.samples.messages");

	//Identify the entry point for the action. Returns a Value<String>
Important: Note that macOS agent support is currently only for Task Bots and is not yet available for API Tasks.
  • macOS Agent Support: The new AllowedTarget.MAC_OS has been introduced within the CommandPkg section. This allows developers to explicitly enable their custom packages for execution on macOS bot agents.
  • Windows and Cloud Agent Support: The existing AllowedTarget.HEADLESS value ensures that custom packages can be used seamlessly on Windows and Cloud-based bot agents.
  • Windows-Specific Support: The AllowedTarget.WINDOWS value remains available for developers who need to restrict the usage of their custom packages to Windows bot agents only.