Hello!
Today we will be taking a look at the SAP GUI connector included with SAP Intelligent RPA. This connector is what we use to build automated processes in ECC. The connector works as a translator for the bot allowing it to understand the page and how to interact with it. Depending on the type of element the software detects it will suggest a specific activity that was built purposefully to interact with that element. When we dive into the connector we will look at how it impacts two parts of the bot design process: capturing pages and building workflows.
First, lets look at how the connector improves our ability to capture pages. By using the connector we are able to build robust automation that does not rely on screen scraping but instead connects with the system. When building a process with the connector there are no longer concerns of a system update causing a workflow to break, or concerns about the screen resolution changing. With the GUI connector capturing pages and declaring elements is simple. Lets look at an example of capturing the first page of SAP Logon and declare the Tcode Field as an element.
Once you capture the element it is ready to be used in your workflows. The screenshot bellow shows the captured page as well as the captured element:
In the screenshot you will notice that the tcode field has been captured and is now in the list of declared elements on the left side of the page. Then on the right side of the screen you can see that this element has been captured as a "GUI Ok Code Field". That element class will help us select the proper activities when we look at building the workflow.
With the tcode Field captured we can now see how the SAP GUI Connector can help us build workflows. The connector will use the element class from the captured elements to suggest activities. This contextual filtering can simplify the development process by only providing you with the content you need to build your automation. To demonstrate this I will show the steps required to build a small workflow that will enter the tcode we want to navigate to.
With those 3 activities we now have a workflow that will enter the tcode and navigate to it in SAP Logon with the assistance of contextual filtering from the connector.
Have a great day and happy bot building!
–Max McPhee
Today we will be taking a look at the SAP GUI connector included with SAP Intelligent RPA. This connector is what we use to build automated processes in ECC. The connector works as a translator for the bot allowing it to understand the page and how to interact with it. Depending on the type of element the software detects it will suggest a specific activity that was built purposefully to interact with that element. When we dive into the connector we will look at how it impacts two parts of the bot design process: capturing pages and building workflows.
Capturing Pages with the SAP GUI Connector
First, lets look at how the connector improves our ability to capture pages. By using the connector we are able to build robust automation that does not rely on screen scraping but instead connects with the system. When building a process with the connector there are no longer concerns of a system update causing a workflow to break, or concerns about the screen resolution changing. With the GUI connector capturing pages and declaring elements is simple. Lets look at an example of capturing the first page of SAP Logon and declare the Tcode Field as an element.
- Open SAP Logon and navigate to the page you want to capture
- In the Cloud Studio select Create > Application to open the capture tool
- Select the screen you want to capture from the list of screens
- Click Capture
- A page preview will load, now click on the element you would like to interact with from the screenshot
- The studio has selected criteria automatically
- Set a name for the captured element and click "Declare element"
Once you capture the element it is ready to be used in your workflows. The screenshot bellow shows the captured page as well as the captured element:
In the screenshot you will notice that the tcode field has been captured and is now in the list of declared elements on the left side of the page. Then on the right side of the screen you can see that this element has been captured as a "GUI Ok Code Field". That element class will help us select the proper activities when we look at building the workflow.
Building Workflows with the SAP GUI Connector
With the tcode Field captured we can now see how the SAP GUI Connector can help us build workflows. The connector will use the element class from the captured elements to suggest activities. This contextual filtering can simplify the development process by only providing you with the content you need to build your automation. To demonstrate this I will show the steps required to build a small workflow that will enter the tcode we want to navigate to.
- In the Cloud Studio click Create > Automation
- Drag the captured screen onto the start block of the workflow
- Double click on the captured screen you just added to the workflow
- Click on the screen preview to see activities related to the captured screen
- Drag the "Wait (Screen)" activity onto the screenshot to add it to the workflow, this activity will wait to see the screen before doing the next steps
- Click on the tcode field element which is highlighted in green to bring up the activities related to that element
- Drag the "Set Element" activity on to the Tcode field and it will add this activity as the first step in the workflow
- Click on the "Set Element" activity to set the parameters, in the "value" field enter the tcode you would like to open
- Drag the "Keystroke (GUI Frame)" activity onto the screenshot to add it to the workflow
- Click on the activity to open its parameters and select "Enter" for the command parameter
With those 3 activities we now have a workflow that will enter the tcode and navigate to it in SAP Logon with the assistance of contextual filtering from the connector.
Have a great day and happy bot building!
–Max McPhee
More Information
SAP Intelligent RPA
- Explore: Product Information | Successful Use Cases
- Exchange knowledge: SAP Community | Q&A | Blog
- Try SAP Intelligent RPA for Free: Trial Version | Pre-built Bots
- Learn more: Webinars | Help Portal | openSAP
- Follow on: LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook
- Connect with Sebastian Schroetel on LinkedIn and Twitter
- SAP Managed Tags:
