Command reference

Every command of the task language, 60 in all, generated from the definitions the editor and the agent use. See The task language for the syntax.

Variables

set — Declares or updates a variable.
input — Declares a task input parameter.
output — Declares a task output parameter.
variable — Variable operations for every type in one command.
string — Text operations on a text variable.
number — Calculations on a number variable.
boolean — Logic on a true/false variable.
list — Works with a list variable (index 0 is the first item).
dictionary — Works with a dictionary or record variable (keys and their values).
datetime — Dates and times: the current time, reading a date from text, adding time, differences, parts and formatting.
datatable — Works with a data table variable (rows with named columns; row 0 is the first).

if — Runs the enclosed commands when a condition is true.
switch — Runs the commands of the first case whose value equals the switch value (compared as text; numbers such as 1 and 1.0 are equal), or the default section when no case matches.

step — Groups commands into a named step.
runtask — Calls another task.
stoptask — Stops the run here, successfully: the commands after it do not run (finally sections still do) and the outputs are returned.
pausetask — Pauses the run until someone resumes it: Run in the progress window on the agent machine, Resume on the run’s page in the web app, or resumetask.
resumetask — Resumes the paused runs of another task (paused by pausetask, in the progress window or in the web app).
queue — Work queues: items (invoices, orders…) added by one task and processed one at a time by others, with retries.
humantask — Asks a person in the Inbox of the web app: a form to check, correct or fill in (e.g.

try — Error handling block.
retry — Runs the enclosed commands again when one of them fails, up to --times attempts in all; with --until, also while that condition is false after them.
onerror — Task error handler: runs only when an error that no catch handled is about to fail the task (after the failure screenshot is taken), with the error in --error; then the run fails (or ends as completed with --then:complete).
throw — Raises an error: the nearest catch handles it (its --error variable holds the message), otherwise the task fails.

delay — Pauses execution for a number of seconds or milliseconds.
wait — Waits until something happens: a file appears, a window closes, the screen changes, an element shows up… After --timeout the task goes on (with a warning) unless --failontimeout:true.

comment — Descriptive comment; has no effect on execution.
log — Writes a log entry.
logtofile — Writes a line of text to a file on the agent machine.
messagebox — Displays a message dialog on the agent machine.
prompt — Asks the person at the agent machine for a value: text, a password, a number, one of a list of choices, or a file or folder.

window — Manages application windows.
desktop — Interacts with desktop UI elements via Windows UI Automation.
sendkeys — Types text and special keys into a window.
mouse — Clicks, moves, drags and scrolls the mouse at pixel positions: for programs whose elements cannot be captured (remote desktops, drawings).
screenshot — Saves a picture of the screen, of a window or of an area of either, e.g.
ocr — Reads text from the screen or a picture with Windows' built-in OCR: for applications and scans where elements cannot be captured (terminals, Citrix, images).
image — Finds a picture on the screen (a button, an icon, a logo) and clicks it or tells where it is: for screens whose elements cannot be captured (Citrix and remote desktops, canvas apps, games).
clipboard — Reads and writes the text on the Windows clipboard, e.g.

sap — SAP GUI for Windows through SAP GUI Scripting: sign in, run transactions, fill fields, press buttons, read tables and the status bar.

excel — Reads and writes Excel workbooks: .xlsx files directly (Excel does not need to be installed), or through an installed Microsoft Excel with --engine:excel (any format Excel opens, macros, refreshing data, PDF export).
xml — Reads and edits XML documents with XPath.
json — Reads and builds JSON, e.g.
csv — Reads CSV files into data tables and writes data tables as CSV.
pdf — Reads the text of PDF files and merges, splits or extracts their pages (no PDF program needed).
database — Runs database queries; results are stored as datatable variables.

file — File operations.
folder — Folder operations.
zip — Compresses files and folders into a .zip file, extracts one and lists what is in it.

mail — Sends email (SMTP) and works with a mailbox (IMAP): read lists messages as records; their Id is what saveattachments, move, delete and markread take.
restapi — Makes an HTTP request; the response is stored as a record variable.

ai — Asks the AI model set up in Settings → AI (answered through the Botream server, so the key never reaches the robot): answer a question, pull fields out of a document or an email, or sort a text into categories.