Trying to the UiPath jargon, specifically ‘descriptors’ vs ‘selectors’. Is there a difference? They seem to be used interchangeably.
Selectors are used for automation to target specific UI elements, while descriptors are part of the Studio’s UI Explorer feature, providing additional metadata and information about UI elements for easier management and understanding within the development environment.
Descriptors are metadata or descriptions associated with UI elements in the User Interface Explorer. They provide additional information about the elements, such as their type, properties, actions, and selectors.
- Selectors:
- In UiPath, a selector is a mechanism used to identify a UI element on the screen. It’s a string of XML that contains information about the element’s properties, such as its name, type, position, and more.
- Selectors are used by activities in UiPath to interact with specific UI elements in applications.
- Selectors are essential for automating processes as they allow robots to identify and manipulate UI elements accurately.
- Descriptors:
- While “descriptors” is not a term commonly used in UiPath, it may refer to the attributes or properties of an element within the selector.
- Descriptors could include properties such as id, name, class, tag, etc., which are used to uniquely identify the UI element.
- Descriptors provide details about the element within the selector, helping to refine the selection process and make it more precise.
In summary, selectors are the overall XML strings used to identify UI elements, while descriptors could refer to the specific properties or attributes within those selectors that help identify the element. They are interconnected concepts within the context of UiPath automation.
In UiPath, “selectors” and “descriptors” are both used to identify UI elements for automation, but they serve different purposes and are used in different contexts:
- Selectors are the primary method for identifying UI elements in UiPath. They are XML fragments that store the attributes of a graphical user interface element and its parents. Selectors are robust and reliable because they do not rely on the position of the element on the screen, which can change. Instead, they use the attributes of the elements, such as
id,name, orclass, to find and interact with them1. - Descriptors, on the other hand, are a more advanced configuration in UiPath, often used in conjunction with selectors. They can include additional information such as anchors, which are stable elements near the target UI element that help to identify it more reliably. Descriptors can be particularly useful when dealing with dynamic or complex UIs where simple selectors might not be sufficient2.
In summary, selectors are the standard way to identify UI elements, while descriptors provide additional context or details to improve the accuracy of element identification, especially in more complex scenarios.
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In the context of UiPath, “selector” and “handle” are often used interchangeably, denoting a unique path to a UI element. However, strictly speaking, a “selector” usually refers to a line of code containing information about the properties of an element, such as the element’s id, class, or path. While a “handle” can include not only a selector, but also other parameters that describe the element, such as its type, location, and actions that can be performed on that element. Thus, a “descriptor” can be a broader concept that includes information about the element as a whole, while a “selector” focuses on identifying it.
Hey @Terry_Marr ,
Selectors: Selectors are expressions that help UiPath locate UI elements on the screen. They are usually based on attributes like IDs, class names, or other properties of the UI elements. Selectors are crucial for activities like Click, Type Into, and Get Text, as they tell the robot where to interact with the UI.
Descriptors: Descriptors are used in UiPath’s Document Understanding framework. They provide a structured way to define and understand documents, such as invoices or receipts. Descriptors help the robot extract specific data from documents by defining the layout, fields, and relationships within the document.
Hope this helps…Happy Automating.!!
Please mark the response of your query which helps you out as solution.
Cheers.
hello @Terry_Marr,
- Descriptors:
- Descriptors in UiPath usually refer to properties or attributes of UI elements or activities. These properties describe various characteristics or attributes of an object or activity within an automation workflow.
- Descriptors can include attributes such as name, type, position, visibility, and more, depending on the type of element or activity being described.
- Descriptors are used to identify and interact with UI elements during automation, allowing the robot to simulate human interactions with applications.
- Selectors:
- Selectors are a specific type of descriptor in UiPath that provide a way to uniquely identify UI elements within an application or webpage.
- Selectors are XML-based expressions that define the unique characteristics of a UI element, allowing the robot to locate and interact with it accurately.
- Selectors typically include information such as the element’s type, ID, name, position, and other attributes that make it distinguishable from other elements on the screen.
- Selectors are crucial for automating processes accurately, as they enable the robot to reliably locate and interact with specific UI elements even if their positions or appearances change.
Regards,
Dheerendra Vishwakarma
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