Use Application/Browser

Opens or attaches to a desktop application or a browser tab for the activities inside it, and closes it afterwards as Close says.

Behaviour

Risk: High · Idempotent: No · Safe to retry: No · Recovery: Not replayed after a crash

Package UI Automation activities VeloPhex.UIAutomation.Activities 0.7.1-rc.12 · Supported (Core profile) · type id velophex.ui.useApplicationBrowser

Windows · Needs an interactive desktop session

Properties#

Input#

Target#

TargetKind · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

Application works in a desktop application's window; Browser in a browser tab. Pick application or browser sets it.

Allowed values: Application, Browser.

URL#

Url · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

The page to open when the scope opens a browser. With URL pattern empty, an open tab on this site is used.

Shown when TargetKind!=Application.

Application path#

FilePath · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

The executable to start when the scope opens the application, e.g. notepad.exe or a full path. Needed unless Open is Never.

Shown when TargetKind!=Browser.

Window title#

WindowTitlePattern · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

Wildcard pattern (*, ?) the whole window title must satisfy, such as * - Notepad. Empty matches any title.

Shown when TargetKind!=Browser.

Open#

OpenPolicy · String · Optional · Default: IfNotOpen

IfNotOpen uses the application or tab when it is open and opens it only when it is not; Always opens a new one; Never only attaches to an open one and fails when there is none.

Allowed values: IfNotOpen, Always, Never.

Close#

ClosePolicy · String · Optional · Default: IfOpenedByScope

IfOpenedByScope closes it only when this scope opened it; Always ends the session; Never leaves it open. An application or browser VeloPhex did not start is only ever released, never closed.

Allowed values: IfOpenedByScope, Always, Never.

Window#

WindowAction · String · Optional · Default: None

What to do with the window once the scope has it: None, Maximize, Minimize or Restore.

Allowed values: None, Maximize, Minimize, Restore.

Browser#

Channel · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

edge or chrome. Empty picks the first installed browser, Edge first.

Allowed values: chrome, edge.

Shown when TargetKind!=Application.

URL pattern#

UrlPattern · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

Wildcard pattern (*, ?) the tab's address must satisfy to be used. Empty uses the site of URL, or any tab when URL is empty too.

Shown when TargetKind!=Application.

Method#

Method · String · Optional · Default: Auto

Extension works in your own profile; DevTools in a VeloPhex profile or on a debugging port; Auto uses the extension when connected; WebView2 the web content of an application the enclosing scope started with WebView2 debugging.

Allowed values: Auto, Extension, DevTools, WebView2.

Shown when TargetKind!=Application.

Private window#

PrivateWindow · Boolean · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

Open the browser in a new InPrivate (Edge) or Incognito (Chrome) window. Through the extension the browser must allow it in private windows; with Method Auto the window opens over DevTools when it does not.

Shown when TargetKind!=Application.

User data folder#

UserDataFolderMode · String · Optional · Default: Automatic

Automatic: the extension uses the browser's own profile, DevTools a VeloPhex profile of the run's own. Custom: the folder in User data folder path (DevTools). Default: the browser's own profile (extension).

Allowed values: Automatic, Custom, Default.

Shown when TargetKind!=Application.

User data folder path#

UserDataFolder · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

The browser profile folder to open, created when missing and kept after the run.

Shown when UserDataFolderMode=Custom.

Hidden#

Headless · Boolean · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

Run a browser the scope opens without a window (headless). Uses DevTools; not with Method Extension.

Shown when TargetKind!=Application.

Port#

Port · Int32 · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

A remote debugging port to try when looking for an open browser over DevTools. Empty tries only browsers VeloPhex can discover.

Shown when TargetKind!=Application.

Arguments#

Arguments · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

Command-line arguments passed to the application when the scope starts it.

Shown when TargetKind!=Browser.

Working folder#

WorkingFolder · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

The folder the application starts in. Empty uses the application's own.

Shown when TargetKind!=Browser.

Process name#

ProcessName · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

The process name without extension, e.g. notepad. Empty uses the file name of Application path, or any process when that is empty too.

Shown when TargetKind!=Browser.

Attach mode#

AttachMode · String · Optional · Default: ApplicationInstance

ApplicationInstance: the activities inside work in every window of the application's process (its dialogs and other windows too). SingleWindow: only in the window that matched.

Allowed values: ApplicationInstance, SingleWindow.

Shown when TargetKind!=Browser.

Input method#

InputMethod · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

Simulated (DOM events or accessibility patterns), Hardware (the real mouse and keyboard) or WindowMessages (desktop) for the activities inside that leave theirs at SameAsScope. Empty uses the project default (Simulated).

Allowed values: Simulated, Hardware, WindowMessages.

Wait for page load#

WaitForPageLoad · String · Optional · Default: Interactive

What the activities inside wait for before they look for their element, unless they set their own: None; Interactive (a page is parsed, a window accepts input); Complete (a page has loaded everything, an application is not busy).

Allowed values: None, Interactive, Complete.

Activity timeout (seconds)#

ActivityTimeoutSeconds · Int32 · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

How long the activities inside look for their elements when they set no timeout of their own. Empty uses the project default (30 seconds).

Session#

Session · String · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

The session id from a Use Application/Browser scope. Empty uses the enclosing scope's session, or outside a scope the most recent matching session.

Timeout (seconds)#

TimeoutSeconds · Int32 · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

How long to keep looking for the element or window. Empty or not positive means the same as the enclosing Use Application/Browser scope, or outside a scope the project default (30 seconds).

Highlight before action#

HighlightBeforeAction · Boolean · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata

Draw the highlight around the element before acting on it.

Options#

WebView2 debugging#

WebView2Debugging · Boolean · Optional · Default: Not specified in package metadata · Advanced

When the scope starts the application, open a DevTools port for its WebView2 controls, so a Use Application/Browser inside with Method WebView2 can work in the web content. An application already running is never attached to this way.

Shown when TargetKind!=Browser.

Output#

Session id#

SessionId · String · Output

The id of the scope's session, e.g. browser-1 or window-1, for activities after the scope.

Rules#

  • Must be inside Use Application/Browser.

Retry and risk#

This activity is not marked safe to retry: if it fails partway, check whether its work already happened before running it again. If a run is interrupted and the outcome of a step is unknown, the step is never retried automatically (what to do). How activities declare this: characteristics, retries and risk.

Every activity also has the engine's common properties: Timeout and Continue On Error.

Generated from VeloPhex.UIAutomation.Activities 0.7.1-rc.12. Category: UI Automation › Application & Browser. Keywords: ui, automation, application, app, window, desktop, browser, web, chrome, edge, open, attach, launch, start, use, scope, private, incognito, inprivate.

Properties

Input

Options

Output

Rules

Retry and risk

Related activities