Advanced Control Flow in UIPath: State Machines

Introduction

• Topic: Advanced Control Flow
• Component: State Machine
• Focus: When and how to use State Machines in projects
• Example Course: 'State Machine in UA Studio 2022 do10'

Key Concepts

State Machine Layouts in UIPath

1. Sequence: Linear representation
   • Keywords: Linear, Uncomplicated, Top to Bottom
   • Use Cases: Procedural workflows, step-by-step navigation, and typing in UI automation tasks
2. Flowchart: Flexibility and visual appeal
   • Keywords: Two-dimensional format, Decision points, Multiple branching logical operators, Complex business processes
   • Use Cases: Flexible connection of activities, decision points, complex business processes
3. State Machine: Interconnected states and transitions
   • Keywords: Transitions, Event-driven, High-level project organization, Continuous processes
   • Use Cases: Complex and continuous processes, RPA frameworks such as REFramework

State Machine Components

1. State Machine Activity (Scope Activity)
   • Contains a Start Node
2. State Activity
   • Three Sections: Entry, Exit, Transitions
   • First state connected to start node is Initial State
3. Final State Activity
   • Contains only the Entry Section

Key Differences

• State Activity: Entry, Exit, and Transition sections
• Final State Activity: Only the Entry section

Practical Example

• Use Case: Simulate a customer care center for different types of travel bookings (bus, train, flight)
• Initial State: A message box that prompts users to continue or exit
• Transitions: Based on user choices ’OK’ or ‘Cancel’
• Final State: Displays a message, 'Thanks, visit again'.

Notes on Final State Usage

• A final state can only have one transition
• It contains only an entry section

Practical Exercise

• Create a state machine to prompt user selection (bus, train, or flight)
• Based on selection, navigate the user to the respective state with information on ticket counters
• Demonstrate usage of Entry and Exit sections
• Detailed coverage of conditions and transitions in state activities

Important Points for Exam

• Initial State: Only one initial state per state machine
• Final State: Can have multiple final states
• Transition Sections: Three sections—Trigger, Condition, Action
• Operations:
  • Transitions are automatically created when linking states
  • One state can have multiple transitions
  • Conditions and transitions are evaluated in the order they appear