Task Builder Ribbon

The Task Builder ribbon is categorized into four contextual tabs, File, Home, Step, and Actions. Each represents an activity area grouped together with related commands, controls or buttons that represents the operation to perform. To view a description of each command and associated hot keys (if any), hover the mouse cursor directly above the desired command. The following tables describe the available commands contained within each tab.

Home tab commands

The following table details each command found in the ribbon's Home tab along with their associated controls and keyboard hot key combinations (if applicable). Each command is categorized by the group they reside in.

Group	Icon	Command	Description	Hot key
---		Edit	Opens the properties of the selected step for editing.	---
Find		Find	Finds a specific word or phrase within the task. More on Find & Replace	CTRL + F
		Find Next	Finds the next instance of a word or phrase. More on Find & Replace	F11
		Find Previous	Finds the previous instance of a word or phrase. More on Find & Replace	F12
		Replace	Replaces an occurrence of the selected text string. More on Find & Replace	CTRL + H
		Replace Next	Replaces the next occurrence of the selected text string. More on Find & Replace	CTRL + SHIFT +R
		Select/Select All	Selects all steps included in the Steps panel.	CTRL + A
		Select Step Number	Opens a dialog allowing entry of the desired step to select. Mainly used to quickly navigate to a specific step within a task that includes a significantly large amount of steps.	CTRL + G
		Select Label	Opens a dialog allowing entry of the desired label to go to. Used to jump to another section of the task defined by a Label.	CTRL + L
Debug		Run	Runs the steps of the current task sequentially. More on run options	F5
		Run Selected	Runs the selected steps. More on run options	CTRL + F5
		Run from Here	Runs all steps from the specified step onward. More on run options	SHIFT + CTRL + F5
		Step	Runs the task one step at a time starting from the highlighted step. Click this button each time you want to run the next step. More on run options	CTRL + F2
		Continue	Continues execution of a paused task from the point of suspension until its completion, or until an error is encountered, a breakpoint is reached, or the Pause button is manually clicked.	F5
		Pause	Pauses a running task. More on run options	F6
		Stop	Stops and resets a running task. More on run options	CTRL + F2
Insert		Attachment	Adds an attachment to the highlighted section of the Steps pane. More on Attachments	---
		Variable	Adds a variable to the highlighted section of the Steps pane. More on Variables	CTRL + ALT + V
		Comment	Adds a comment to the highlighted section of the Steps pane. More on Comments	CTRL + ALT + C
View		Visual Mode	The steps of the task are displayed in Visual Mode which displays a plain English text description of each step. More on editing task steps	---
		AML Mode	The steps of the task are displayed in AML (Automation Markup Language) mode, the internal language used by Automate Desktop. More on editing task steps	---
Recorder		New Recording	Opens the Automate Desktop Recorder – a powerful feature that simplifies the process of automating and recording user interface interactions and actions in Automate Desktop. By using the Recorder's intuitive interface, you can quickly and easily create and add recordings to new or existing tasks. More on the Recorder	CTRL + ALT + R
		Edit	Edits an existing Recorder recording. More on the Recorder	CTRL+ ALT + E
		Split	Splits a Recorder recording into two recordings at the specified step. More on the Recorder	CTRL + ALT + T

Step tab commands

The following table details each command found in the ribbon's Steps tab along with their associated controls and keyboard hot key combinations (if applicable). Each command is categorized by the group they reside in.

Group	Icon	Command	Description
Step		Up Arrow	Moves the selected steps up one line. To select multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection. More on editing task steps	CTRL + UP
		Down Arrow	Moves the selected steps down one line. To select multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection. More on editing task steps	CTRL + DOWN
		Left Arrow	Decreases indentation of the selected steps. To select multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection. More on editing task steps	CTRL + LEFT
		Right Arrow	Increases indentation of the selected steps. To select multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection.  More on editing task steps	CTRL + RIGHT
		Create Region	Creates a region. More on Regions	CTRL + R
		Encapsulate in Region	Encapsulates any selected steps into a region. More on Regions	CTRL + E
		Rename Region	Renames the selected region. More on Regions	---
		Clear Region	Clears the selected region. More on Regions	---
		Clear All Regions	Clears all regions. More on Regions	---
		Expand All Regions	Expands all regions. More on Regions	CTRL + SHIFT + E
		Collapse All Regions	Collapses all regions. More on Regions	CTRL + SHIFT + C
		Reset Indent	Removes indentation from a step. More on editing task steps	---
		Add Label	Adds a label to the highlighted section of the Steps pane. More on Labels	---
		Disable	Enables/Disables execution of the selected steps. To select multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection. Disabled steps appear dimmed and are ignored during task execution. Newly added steps are enabled by default.	---
		Bookmark	Adds a bookmark to the selected steps. To add to multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection. Bookmarks are a means of marking steps so you can find them easily when constructing or editing a task. More on bookmarks	CTRL + F3
		Next Bookmark	Goes to the next step that contains a bookmark. More on bookmarks	F3
		Previous Bookmark	Goes to the previous step that contains a bookmark. More on bookmarks	SHIFT + F3
		Clear All Bookmarks	Clears all bookmarks from all steps. More on bookmarks	CTRL + SHIFT + F3
		Breakpoint	Adds a breakpoint to the selected steps. To add a breakpoint to multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection. A breakpoint is a debug tool that pauses task execution at the specific step to allow the developer time to examine particular data that may change during the course of the task (for example, variables or datasets). More on Breakpoints	F8
Clipboard		Paste	Pastes the previously copied or cut steps. The steps are pasted directly below the currently highlighted line in the Steps pane. More on copying & reusing task steps	CTRL + V
		Cut	Cuts the selected steps. To select multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection. To select all steps, press CTRL+A or click from the Find group. More on copying reusing task steps	CTRL + X
		Copy	Copies the selected steps to the clipboard. To select multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection. More on copying & reusing task steps	CTRL + C
		Copy Description	Copies the text description of the selected steps. The description can then be pasted into another document such as Notepad. To select multiple steps, hold down CTRL during selection. More on copying & reusing task steps	CTRL + D

Actions tab commands

The following table details each command found in the ribbon's Actions tab along with their associated controls and keyboard hot key combinations (if applicable). Each command is categorized by the group they reside in.

Group	Icon	Command	Description
Actions Panel		Add Step	Gets the action selected from the Available Actions pane and places it as the last step on the Steps pane. More on Steps
		Insert Step	Gets the action selected from the Available Actions pane and places it in the specified location on the Steps pane. More on Steps
		Expand All	Expands all folders in the Available Actions pane. More on Available actions Pane
		Collapse All	Collapses all folders in the Available Actions pane. More on Available Actions Pane
		Categories	Enables/Disables categorized folders in the Available Actions Toolkit (Enabled by default). More on Available actions Pane
		Sort A to Z	Changes the sort order of the current Available Actions view to alphabetical A to Z. Click again to reverse the sort order. More on Available Actions Pane
My Actions Panel		Clear Favorites	Clears the My Actions favorite actions list. More on My Actions pane
		Clear Recent	Clears the My Actions recent list of actions.  More on My Actions pane
		Clear All	Clears all the My Actions Favorites, Snippets, Recent, and Frequent lists. More on My Actions pane
		Clear Snippets	Clears the My Actions snippet action list. More on My Actions pane
		Clear Frequent	Clears the My Actions frequent actions list. More on My Actions pane
		Clear Folder	Clears the selected snippet folder in the My Actions pane. More on My Actions pane
		Add to Favorites	Adds the selected action to the Favorites list.  More on My Actions pane
		Add as Snippet	Adds the selected step as a snippet. More on My Actions pane
		Create Folder	Creates a snippets folder. More on My Actions pane
	---	Remove Selected	Removes the selected step, snippet, or region. More on My Actions pane

Layout tab commands

The following table details each command found in the ribbon's Layout tab along with their associated controls and keyboard hot key combinations (if applicable). Each command is categorized by the group they reside in.

Group	Icon	Command	Description
Layout		Step numbers	Turns step numbers On/Off as they appear on the Steps pane (On by default). More on editing task steps
		Word Wrap	Turns word wrap On/Off. When set to ON, the text becomes wrapped in the Steps pane so it doesn't scroll across the entire screen (On by default). More on editing task steps
		Panel Layout	Shows/Hides specific Task Builder windows. All windows are shown by default.

The File tab is located in the upper-left corner of the ribbon and presents a menu of commands and operations that do not directly relate to the editing of the task at hand. They include items that normally reside in the File menu of legacy systems, such as New, Open, Save, Print, and Close . The right-hand portion of the menu lists the most recently opened tasks. These are always conveniently visible so that you don't have to search your computer for a task you previously opened or frequently work on. The bottom right corner of the menu contains the Options button. Clicking this button opens a Preferences dialog that supplies an assortment options used to configure visual and behavioral attributes of the Task Builder.

File menu commands

The following table provides a description for each command found when clicking the Application button along with their associated controls and keyboard hot keys (if applicable).

Command	Description	Hot key
Help	Opens the embedded help files.	---
New	Creates a new task. Selecting this option adds a new tab in the Steps pane. NOTE: Using this option creates an unmanaged task.	CTRL + N
Open...	Opens an existing task. A standard Windows Explorer dialog appears allowing you to navigate to the task (.AML) file to open.	CTRL + O
Save	Saves the current task. If the task being saved is a managed task, it will be saved to its present location. If saving an unmanaged task (for example, created using the New option), a standard Windows Explorer dialog appears allowing you to select the folder in which to save the task (.AML) file.	CTRL + S
Save As	Saves a copy of the task file or saves the task file in another format. A standard Windows Explorer dialog appears allowing you to navigate to the location in which to save the task (.AML) file.	SHIFT + CTRL + S
Save All	Save all open tasks.	---
Close	Closes the current task file. If changes were made, a dialog will appear prompting whether to save the changes. Click Yes to proceed.	---
Close All	Closes all currently opened tasks. If changes were made to one or more tasks, a dialog will appear prompting whether to save the changes. Click Yes to proceed.	---
Print	Prints the steps of the current task as they appear in the Steps pane.	---
Send	Emails the current task to the specified recipient. The available send options are: Mail Recipient - Sends the displayed task in the body of an email. Mail Recipient (As Attachment) - Sends the displayed task as an email attachment. Mail All to Recipient (As Attachment) -Sends all open tasks as email attachments.	---
Options	Allows access to available Task Builder Options. The table below lists available options.	---
Exit	Closes the Task Builder.	---

The Quick Access toolbar is a small, customizable area to the upper left of the ribbon that provides you with one-click shortcuts to commonly used commands that are independent of the ribbon tabs that are currently displayed. You can add specific commands to the Quick Access Toolbar so they are available no matter which tab you are on. Additionally, you can move the toolbar from one of two possible locations; above or below the ribbon, or you can hide it altogether to save space.

Quick Access toolbar default commands

By default, the Quick Access toolbar exposes single-click buttons that represent the most often used commands, such as Open, Save, Undo, Redo, and Run. The following table provides a description of those commands:

Icon	Command	Description	Hot key
	Window	Provides access to windows-based controls.	---
	Open	Opens an existing task. A standard Windows Explorer dialog appears allowing you to navigate to the task (.AML) file to open.	CTRL + O
	Save	Saves the current task. If the task being saved is a managed task, it will be saved to its present location. If saving an unmanaged task (for example, created using the New option), a standard Windows Explorer dialog appears allowing you to select the folder in which to save the task (.AML) file.	CTRL + S
	Find	Finds a specific word or phrase. Sub-commands are as follows: Find Next - Finds the next instance of a word or phrase. Find Previous - Finds the previous instance of a word or phrase.	---
	Run	Runs the steps of the current task sequentially. Sub-commands are as follows: Run All - Runs all the steps of the current task sequentially. Run Selected- Runs the selected steps. Run From Here- Runs the task from the selected step. Step- Runs the task step by step.	F5
	Undo	Returns to a previous state by undoing the effects of one or more commands. Helpful for undoing mistakes.	CTRL + Z
	Redo	Returns back to the state that was previously undone.	CTRL + Y
	Customize Quick Access Toolbar	Provides options to add/remove quick access toolbar icons, move the toolbar above or below the ribbon, and show/hide the ribbon.	---

To add a command to the Quick Access toolbar

To remove a default command from the Quick Access toolbar

1. Click the More Buttons icon (to the right of the toolbar).

2. On the drop-down menu that appears, select the commands you want to omit from the toolbar. The check mark beside that command will disappear indicating that the command has been removed.

3. To reinstate the command, follow the above directions and simply select the command previously omitted.

To display the Quick Access toolbar below the ribbon

1. Click the More Buttons icon (to the right of the toolbar).

2. From the drop-down menu, select the option Show Quick Access Toolbar Below the Ribbon. The toolbar is then displayed below the ribbon.

3. To reinstate the toolbar above the ribbon, select the option Show Quick Access Toolbar Above the Ribbon.

If you prefer to use the keyboard instead of the mouse, the ribbon provides keyboard shortcuts called Access Keys that enable you to quickly perform operations without reaching for the mouse. Access keys provide a quick and convenient way to use a command by pressing a few keystrokes, no matter where you are in the program.

To use the access keys

1. Press and release the ALT key. The KeyTips are displayed over each feature that is available in the current view.
2. Press the letter, number or character combination shown in the KeyTip over the feature that you want to use. Depending on which letter/number you press, you may be shown additional KeyTips.
3. Continue pressing letters/numbers until you reach the command or option that you want to use.

Another way to use the keyboard to work with the ribbon is to move the focus among the tabs and commands until you find the feature that you want to use. The following table lists some ways to move the keyboard focus without using the mouse:

To Do This...
Select the active tab of the ribbon and activate the access keys.	ALT or F10. Press either of these keys again to move back to the document and cancel the access keys.
Move to another tab of the ribbon.	ALT or F10 to select the active tab, and then LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW
Minimize or restore the ribbon.	CTRL + F1
Move the focus to each command in the ribbon, forward or backward.	ALT or F10, and then TAB or SHIFT + TAB
Move down, up, left, or right among the items in the ribbon.	DOWN ARROW, UP ARROW, LEFT ARROW, or RIGHT ARROW
Activate the selected command or control in the ribbon.	SPACE BAR or ENTER
Open the selected menu or gallery in the ribbon.	SPACE BAR or ENTER