All templates
Desktop AutomationBeginner

Run an Application

RobomotionUpdated 6 months ago
Run an Application

Overview

Starts a desktop application by executable path — the simplest form of process orchestration in Robomotion.

Run an Application

Before automating any tasks on your desktop, you have to launch the appropriate application that will perform them. Robomotion allows you to launch virtually any application or file using the "Run Application" action.

What Run an Application can do

  • Build Desktop Path (Core.Programming.Function) — sets msg.desktop_folder_path to <$Home$>\Desktop.
  • Input Dialog titled Run an application, message Select the app you would like to run.., default notepad.exemsg.selected_file.
  • Run App (Core.Process.StartProcess, optBackground: true, continueOnError: true) — inFilePath: msg.selected_filemsg.app_process_id, then Core.Flow.Stop.

Behind the scenes

  • There's no cancel guard — if the dialog returns an empty path, Core.Process.StartProcess will fail, but continueOnError: true lets the flow still reach Core.Flow.Stop cleanly.
  • optBackground: true detaches the launched process, so closing Robomotion doesn't kill the application; msg.app_process_id is captured for any downstream automation that wants to attach to it.
  • msg.desktop_folder_path is computed but unused by the launch itself — it's a convenience value that can be surfaced in future variants (e.g. as the dialog's starting folder).