Pre-General Availability: 2024-09-02

Add an Enter Text Action

The enter text action inserts a value into a field in a user interface.

You typically use the enter text action in a text field that is coded as an <input> field in the page's HTML. The robot can enter a variable, an input parameter, or a hard-coded value into the field.

Add an Enter Text Action Using the Recorder

Consider creating any robot resources that the robot action will use, such as variables or a trigger's input and output. If you choose not to create them in advance, you can pause the recorder and create them as you build.

1. Open the robot to edit.
   1. In the navigation pane, select Projects.
   2. Select the project name.
   3. In the left toolbar, select Robot .
   4. In the Robots box, select the robot to open.

      The canvas appears.

2. Start the recorder.
   1. On the canvas, select the action that you want to record after.
   2. On the toolbar, select Record after the selected action .
   3. In the Smart record panel, open the Select browser tab to target drop-down, and select the application that you want to work in. You might need to scroll down to find the application.

      If the application doesn't appear in the list, close the Smart record panel, open the application in another tab, and start the recorder again.

      A splash screen appears, and then the RPA Smart Recording panel appears.

   4. Select Begin Recording.

      The Smart Recording window appears in the lower-left corner of your browser. Additionally, your mouse cursor can now target elements in the user interface.

      

3. Identify the element in the user interface that the robot needs to interact with.
   1. Point to the field from which the robot needs to click a UI element, but don't select the element yet.

      For example, do not select the UI element while the magnifying lens icon appears and the field is shaded purple. The recorder is still collecting information about the UI element.

      

   2. After the icon changes to a target, the shading turns green, and the mouse icon changes to a hand, select the UI element.

      

      For more tips, see Quick Start for Building Robots.

      The Smart Recorder panel appears with details about the element you selected.

   3. Review and update the fields as needed.

      • Name: Enter the name of the target. This text appears on the robot action in the canvas and in the list of targets that are in the robot.

        Your settings determine whether Oracle Integration reuses targets for previously selected UI controls. You can override this setting, if needed. Reusing a target offers benefits. For example, you can update a target one time, and all robots that use the target get the update.

      • Target name: Review the XML Path Language, or XPath, for the element that you selected. Underscores (_) appear in place of invalid characters. You can update the value, if you want.

      • Element: Review the HTML element that you selected. If you selected the wrong element type, select Discard in the panel, and select a different element.

      • Action: Select Enter Text.

      • Value: Enter the value that the robot should insert into the field.

        The following instructions are for selecting a variable. To review all of your options for the value, see Define the Fields of an Action.

        1. Select within the Value field, and select Variables .

           The Variables panel appears.

        2. If the variable to use doesn't exist yet, create it. See Create a Variable.

        3. From the Available variables list, select a variable, and drag it to the Value field.

      • Test value: Provide the value that the recorder should enter into the field so that you can continue with the recording.

   4. Select Save.
4. Choose the appropriate next step:

   • Add another action using the recorder.

     See Add an Action to a Robot.

   • To pause the recorder so you can figure out your next steps, select Pause in the Smart Recording window in the lower-left corner of the browser.

   • To stop the recorder and return to the canvas, select Stop in the Smart Recording window in the lower-left corner of the browser.

     If you close the application that you're recording in, you can still stop the recorder. Select Stop in the toolbar of the canvas.

   • To customize the action you just added, such as by creating validation or identifying the screenshots to capture, stop the recording, double-click the action on the canvas, and update the action as needed.

     All actions are read-only until you stop the recorder.

5. Above the canvas, select Save.

Add an Enter Text Action Using the Low-Code Tools

1. Open the robot to edit.
   1. In the navigation pane, select Projects.
   2. Select the project name.
   3. In the left toolbar, select Robot .
   4. In the Robots box, select the robot to open.

      The canvas appears.

2. Add the action to the robot.
   1. On the canvas, point to an action, and click +.
      

      A menu of available actions appears.

   2. Select Enter Text.

      A Enter Text action appears on the canvas, and the Enter Text panel appears.

3. In the panel, enter a Name and Description for the action.

   The Name appears on the action in the canvas and should help you and others understand the goal of the action.

4. On the Input tab, specify input details for the action.
   1. In another browser window, open the application that the robot needs to work in.
   2. In the robot, click within the Locator field, and select Target a page element .

      The Target a page element panel appears.

   3. In the Target a page element panel, open the Select browser tab to target drop-down, select the application that you want to work in, and select Go. You might need to scroll down to find the application.

      The application that the robot needs to work in opens.

   4. In the application that the robot needs to work in, point to the field into which the robot needs to enter text, but don't select the element yet.

      For example, do not select the UI element while the magnifying lens icon appears and the field is shaded purple. The recorder is still collecting information about the UI element.

      

   5. After the icon changes to a target, the shading turns green, and the mouse icon changes to a hand, select the UI element.

      

      For more tips, see Quick Start for Building Robots.

      The recorder enters a value in the Locator field in the robot.

      Tip:

      Your settings determine whether Oracle Integration reuses targets for previously selected UI controls. You can override this setting, if needed. Reusing a target offers benefits. For example, you can update a target one time, and all robots that use the target get the update.
   6. In the Text field, enter the value that the robot should insert into the field.

      The following instructions are for selecting a variable. To review all of your options for the value, see Define the Fields of an Action.

      1. Select within the Text field, and select Variables .

         The Variables panel appears.

      2. If the variable to use doesn't exist yet, create it. See Create a Variable.

      3. From the Available variables list, select a variable, and drag it to the Text field.
5. On the Input tab, specify whether to capture any screenshots as part of the action.

   See Capture Screenshots in Robots.

6. On the Pre Validate and Post Validate tabs, specify whether to complete any validation before and after the action.

   See Add Validation to a Robot Action.

7. Click OK.
8. Above the canvas, select Save.