DocsRead stage
The Read stage allows data to be read from your target application and stored into data items in your visual business object.
Properties
The Read stage properties presents a series of rows, each representing a data retrieval. A row consists of an application element, a read action and a data item. Data is read from the target application element at runtime, and stored into the corresponding data item.
A Read action is a description of what data is to be read from the application element. For example in a list view, you may wish to read any one of a number of pieces of data, such as the number of rows present, the text in the current row, or you may wish to retrieve all of the data at once. Choosing the appropriate read action from the combo box allows you to control this behaviour. The data item that you associate with a particular row must be suitable for the chosen read action: reading all data at once will only be compatible with a collection, whereas reading the number of rows is most suited to a data item of type number.
The data rows are executed one by one in order. If any one read row fails, then the business object halts execution with an error. As a result, the parent Blue Prism process which called the current business object action will fail.
If the application element in question has been made dynamic then parameter values will have to be supplied. These must be set by clicking the "Params" button. If the element is not dynamic then this button will be disabled.
The data type of the data item used in the read row must correspond to the data type of the application element. This data type is displayed in the penultimate column.
Read action inputs
Some Read actions may allow inputs which control their behavior. Such inputs are presented in the list at the bottom of the form. The inputs shown depend on which row is currently selected in the upper list, and the lower list is refreshed each time the selection in the upper list is changed. Where no inputs are accepted for a particular read action, the lower list will be blank and disabled.
Most Read actions do not require any input, but a small number of read actions do. For example, the Read Text action is used to read text from a screenshot image using font recognition. This feature requires the user to specify the font in use, and this font is requested from the user as in input, in the lower list.
