Task Builder Quick Reference Guide

The Task Builder is used to visually construct and examine the steps that an Automate Desktop task should carry out when it is run (either manually or automatically with the use of a trigger). Task steps are created by visually dragging-and-dropping Automate Desktop activities from an actions palette and placing them in the sequence desired for execution. This eliminates the need to write code or create batch files. A task can be composed of a single activity or hundreds of activities, depending on what it is designed to perform.

To ensure that newly created tasks are working properly before they are put into production, the Task Builder includes a variety of testing and debugging features that provide detailed, real time information about a running task, which aids a developer in monitoring and debugging tasks as they are being constructed.

What the Task Builder accomplishes

Task Builder is the primary interface used to construct and test the steps of a task. It contains a variety of debug tools to allow developers to conveniently examine tasks while they are being constructed. Task Builder operations include the following:

What the Task Builder does not accomplish

The Task Builder is used to build and test task specific steps that should be carried out when the task is run (or triggered automatically). However, it does not handle the creation of a task, triggering (such as scheduling the task to run automatically) or system settings. For this, use the Task Administrator.

Task Builder Quick Reference Guide

ClosedAccessing the Task Builder

You can access the Task Builder interface in several different ways depending on the scenario:

  • Creating a new task - From Task Administrator, create a new task by clicking the New button on the top panel. This opens the Add Task Wizard where you can open Task Builder by clicking the Create Steps button on the Create Steps portion of the wizard.

  • Editing an existing task -  From Task Administrator, select the task you want to edit and click Edit on the top panel or right-click the task and select Edit Steps from the shortcut menu that appears.

  • Opening Task Builder directly - You can open Task Builder directly from the Windows Start button or from its location in the Automate Desktop program folder. The default location is C:\Program Files\Automate Desktop 2024\AMTB.exe.

ClosedFinding available actions/activities

  1. In Task Builder's Actions panel, click inside the Search dialog or press CTRL+SHIFT+F on your keyboard.

  2. Enter all or part of an action's name. The list is updated as you type each letter.

ClosedAdding steps to a task

  1. Drag an action/activity from the Actions panel onto the Steps panel or simply double-click the action/activity. This will open its properties dialog.

  2. Enter required properties for the activity, and then click OK. The activity then becomes a step in your task.

ClosedViewing or editing task steps

  1. From the Steps panel, do one of the following:

    1. Double-click the task step.
    2. Right-click the step and select Edit from the shortcut menu.
    3. Highlight the step and click the Edit button on the ribbon.
  1. View or edit the properties displayed in the step's properties dialog.

  2. Click OK to save changes and close the properties dialog.

ClosedManually run one or more steps

You can manually run one or more steps from Task Builder for testing and debugging purposes:

  • To run all available steps, select the Run or Run All on the ribbon or press F5.
  • To run selected steps, from the Steps panel, select the desired steps (hold down Ctrl during selection) and select Run Selected or press Ctrl+F5.
  • To start execution from a specific step, select the step to start from and select Run from Here or press Shift+Ctrl+F5.
  • To run each step one by one, select Step or press F9. Do the same to run the next step and each subsequent step thereafter.

ClosedDisabling certain steps from running

  1. From the Steps panel, select the steps to disable. To select more than one step, hold down CTRL during selection.

  2. Do one of the following:
    1. Click the Disable button on the ribbon.
    2. Right-click the highlighted steps and select Disable from the shortcut menu.

  1. Follow the same instructions above to re-enable disabled steps.

NOTE: Disabled steps dimmed and will be omitted from running during task execution.

ClosedSaving your task

You can save your task with or without closing Task Builder. In addition, you can save a copy of your task in the location of your choice:

  • To save without closing Task Builder, from the Quick Access Toolbar (located above the ribbon by default), select the Save icon or press CTRL+S.

  • To save and close Task Builder, select Save and Close on the Home tab of the ribbon.

  • To save to a separate location, from the ribbon, select File > Save Copy As.