- In an open project, from the Task Builder Guide or the Task menu, choose New Task.
- In the New Task dialog box, name the task and select a starting point for recording.
To start recording Then At the initial host screen You can mark your task as a login task. This makes the task available as a login task when you configure pools in Management & Control Service for Screens. At the end of an existing task The tasks are linked; that is, the existing task becomes your new task's parent. When you start recording, Task Builder automatically navigates to the endpoint of the parent task. For more information, see Branching and Combining Tasks, Overview. When you use an existing task for the starting point of a new task, the Input Confirmation dialog box displays. Verify that the task inputs are valid for your new task. Modifying the values can provide an opportunity to add a branch to your task.
Task names cannot contain spaces; they can contain only the following characters: letters, numbers, the underscore (_), and the dollar sign ($). Also, do not use any of the reserved words. For a list of reserved words, see Reserved Words.
- Click OK.
- From the Task Builder Guide or Task menu, choose Start Recording Task.
- In Live Screen mode, navigate through the host screens needed to build your task. As you move through the screens, task steps are automatically recorded in the Task Steps pane.
In the course of recording a task, when user id or password fields are recorded, the data contained in those fields is not encrypted and is saved in the NavMap. If you make a mistake, you can cancel recording this task (from the Task menu, choose Cancel Recording). Your task and steps are cleared but you will still have to navigate back to the initial host screen before you start again.
- When you have finished recording, choose Mark Task Endpoint on the Task Builder Guide or from the Task menu.
Marking a task's endpoint also marks the point where a new task could begin.
- Navigate back to the beginning of your task.
A complete task consists of the transactions performed and the information retrieved. The task is "complete" when the task endpoint has been reached and is marked. While you must navigate back to the beginning of your task, this "resetting" of the task should not contain any host interaction or perform any transactions.
If your task contains only one task step, causing the initial settled task step to also be your task endpoint, then task output data is supplied.
If you are recording a task that includes a host disconnect, verify that the task endpoint is set before the host disconnect occurs and after the initial task step, otherwise, the task will test successfully in Task Builder, but will fail during run-time. In the event the task endpoint has not been set, Task Builder will automatically set the task endpoint at the last settled (non-transient) step before the host disconnect occurred. - At the initial screen, choose Stop Recording.
- Choose the Review Screen tab.
- In Review Screen mode, select each step in the Task Steps pane. You will see task steps labeled Transient Screen. These screens are sent by the host without being requested by the user and are always followed by a "settled" task step.
- Verify that each "settled" task step has an unique recognition rule, especially those that immediately follow transient screens.
Transient recognition rules are always "true."
For more information on transient screens, task steps, and recognition rules, see Modifying Recognition Rules, Overview.
