Difference between thin client, thick client and surface Automation in Uipath

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In UiPath, all three terms - thin client, thick client, and surface automation - deal with automating tasks on applications, but they differ in how UiPath interacts with those applications:

Thin Client Automation:

  • This refers to automating tasks done on web applications accessed through a browser.
  • In essence, UiPath acts like a regular user interacting with the web interface.
  • Examples include logging into a web portal, filling out forms, or extracting data from a website.

Thick Client Automation:

  • This refers to automating tasks done on desktop applications installed locally on the machine.
  • UiPath can directly interact with the elements of the application like buttons, menus, and data fields.
  • Examples include automating tasks in software like Microsoft Office applications or custom-built desktop programs.

Surface Automation:

  • This is a specific approach used for automating applications that run in virtual environments like Citrix or Remote Desktop.
  • Since these applications are presented as a “surface” on the user’s screen, UiPath relies on techniques like image recognition and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to interact with them.
  • This is because traditional methods of identifying UI elements might not work within the virtual environment.

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