Use the Universal App Connector

  • Rversion finale: Australia
  • Mis à jour 12 mars 2026
  • 6 minutes de lecture

    • Create automations for your Windows, Java, Google Chrome, and Edge browser-based applications by using the Universal App Connector (UAC). Configure the applications from a single, unified connector and capture the screens and elements or screen controls such as check boxes, and buttons. Use the methods of these screens and elements to build your automation.

    Avant de commencer

    Add the Universal App Connector plugin from the Plugins Manager before using the connector. For more information about adding the SSH plugin, see Manage plugins in RPA Desktop Design Studio.

    Verify that you have open or active Windows, Java, Google Chrome, or Edge applications.

    Role required: None

    Procédure

    1. In the Toolbox pane, navigate to Connectors, and drag Universal App Connector to Global Objects in the Project Explorer pane.
      The connector is added as a UniversalApplication object under Global Objects.
    2. To use the methods at the Universal App Connector connector level, double-click the UniversalApplication object.
      Method nameReference
      Click Use the Click method for Universal App Connector
      GetValue Use the GetValue method for Universal App Connector
      SetValue Use the SetValue method for Universal App Connector
      Start Use the Start method for Universal App Connector
      WaitForAnyScreen Use the WaitForAnyScreen method for Universal App Connector
      For example, the Start method is used if you want the browser or application to start before interacting with any application screens or elements.
      The methods appear in the Object Explorer pane.
    3. To configure the screens and elements in the UAC, do the steps.
      1. Under Global Objects, right-click UniversalApplication and select Configure.
      2. On the Configure screens and elements window, select the Choose from an open window drop-down (Choose from an open window drop-down.) and select an application screen.
        Open applications.
        Remarque :
        • If no supported applications are open, the App window not found message is displayed.
        • To display newly opened application screens on the list, select the Click to refresh windows icon (Click to refresh windows icon.).
      3. Facultatif : To filter the opened applications by their type, select the All filter application type icon (Filter application type icon.) and select All or the application type.

        For example, if you select Chrome, only Google Chrome web pages appear in the Choose from an open window list.

        For example, if you select Windows Application, only Windows screens appear in the Choose from an open window list.

        Figure 1. Filter the opened applications
        Filter the application types.
      4. To add the selected application screen, select Add screen.
        After you do this step, you can capture the screen elements to perform actions.
        The application screen appears under the Screens and elements pane.

        Application screen name appears under Screens and elements.

      5. To capture the elements from the screen, under the Screen and elements pane, right-click the added screen and select Capture Element.
        Capture Element option.
        The focus is set on the application screen that you had captured and the capture elements dialog appears.
        For example, when you are capturing elements of a Windows application such as Notepad. If you select the UIA mode (UI Automation), the scroll bar of the Notepad is also captured.
        Figure 2. Capture dialog for Windows application - Notepad - UIA mode
        UI Automation mode of the Windows application, such as Notepad.
        If you select the AA mode (Active Accessibility), the scroll bar of the Notepad is not captured.
        Figure 3. Capture dialog for Windows application - Notepad - AA mode
        Active Accessibility mode of the Windows application, such as Notepad.
      6. To use the methods at the Universal App Connector connector level for the two modes, UI Automation and Active Accessibility, double-click the UniversalApplication object.
        For more information about the methods for UI Automation mode and Active Accessibility mode, see Methods of UI Automation mode and Active Accessibility mode.
        The methods appear in the Object Explorer pane.
    4. Do any of the following options for a desired action.
      OptionAction
      To rename UniversalApplication Navigate to Global Objects in the Project Explorer pane, right-click the UniversalApplication and select Rename.
      Figure 4. Rename UniversalApplication
      From Global objects, right-click the UniversalApplication and select Rename.
      To change the name of the screen while configuring the screens and elements
      1. Select the name of the application screen under the Screens and elements pane.

        The information of the selected application screen appears under the Properties pane.

      2. Update the name of the application screen in the Name field and press Enter.

        The name of the application is updated in the Screens and elements pane.

      Figure 5. Update the application screen name
      Update the application screen name in the Properties section.
      To identify the screen uniquely Use the screen match rules to identify and locate the screen.

      During the execution, the plugin must identify the target screen uniquely to automate actions on the screen. Examples of attributes are the title or URL of the application screen. The attributes appear under the Screen match rules pane on the Configure screens and elements window. The UAC uses the screen match rules to identify the screen first, and uses the element match rule to identify the element, and then, perform actions on elements such as Click or Get Text.

      Screen match rules.

      The image below shows an example of multiple elements that match the same criteria given in the Match Attributes section. A multiple number of instances, if any, appears when you refresh the captured element, is indicated within the brackets in red. In such cases, you must tweak the attributes to select exactly the element that needs to be automated. The user can refresh to check if the selected criteria match exactly one element.

      Multiple instances of captured element.
      To identify an element uniquely Use the element match rules to edit the values in the provided Locator and the Match Attributes sections.

      During the execution, the plugin must identify the target element uniquely to automate actions on the element. The attributes appear under the Match Attributes pane on the Configure screens and elements window. The UAC uses the screen match rules to identify the screen first, and uses the element match rule to identify the element, and then, perform actions on elements such as Click or Get Text.

      The image shows the match rules of an element captured.

      Element and its match rules.
      To find the elements on the application screen Use the locators of the captured elements.

      For more information, see Find the elements on the application screen.
      To view the path to an iframe, if any, in a captured element
      1. In the Screens and elements pane, select the element.
      2. Select the Advanced tab.

        The iframe appears.

        iframe appears.

      3. From the Locator list, select a locator to find the path to the iframe.

        iframe locator.
    5. Facultatif : Right-click the application screen or element to perform any additional operations such as Refresh, Refresh screen and elements, Focus, Add custom element, Show Elements, Delete, and more.
      For information on the various additional operations that are available for the application screens and elements, see Additional options for application screens and elements in Universal App Connector.
    6. Select Done after you finish configuring your application screens or elements.
      The application screens and their elements appear under the UAC object in Global Objects.
    7. Double-click the required application screen or element and the Object Explorer pane is displayed listing the related methods.
      For example, if you select a Java application screen or element, the Java connector methods are displayed in Object Explorer.
      • For more information on Java connector methods, see Java connector methods.

      • For more information on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge connector methods, see Chromium connector methods.

      • For more information on Windows connector methods, see Windows Connector methods.

      • If you have captured a web application screen and you want to execute a custom JavaScript on it, you can use the ExecuteJavascript method.

    8. Capture as many screen elements as you need by using the Capture element dialog.

      To learn to use the Capture element dialog, see Use the Capture element dialog.

      The captured screen elements appear under the captured application screen as elements.

      Captured screen controls.

    9. Drag the required method from the Object Explorer pane to the Design surface.

      The method is displayed with the application screen or element name in the Design surface.

    Que faire ensuite

    Design the automation by using the different methods for the application screens and elements, and save the automation.