Add PID as an output to Launch Action in Navigate stage

[asilarow]

Currently, the Launch action only provides the tracking ID as an output, which in some instances can be helpful, however this has quite a limited scope.

It would be very useful (and it's not complicated to do) if the Launch action would also output the Process ID (PID).

This could then be used to attach much more effectively, as the attach action already is set up to take this input:

There are many situations where using window titles is quite problematic (i.e. dynamic webpages), so using PID would simplify the attaching process greatly, and add much more resilience.

[Neel1]

Voted for this Idea!

[simone.tomaCNH]

It is a good idea to have it by standard but it is also true that it is an adaptation to the object Utility - Environment with the addition of very few lines of code and with a filter on the WindowsTitle <> ''

[asilarow]

@simone.tomaCNH - I know what you mean, but it's not quite that simple... The Utility - Environment object is relying on System.Diagnostics.Process class, and whilst yes, it does have the MainWindowTitle property, this will only apply to the Parent PID, and not any child PID.

This proves tricky when you get multiple Browser Windows/Tabs open... as some of them might not give you a result back by using MainWindowTitle.

[Rambo27]

Good Idea 

[Denis__Dennehy]

I swear the underlying Blue Prism interface code (some of it over 23 years old as PB started out as a service company writing scripts) used PID everywhere as the main way of connecting and interfacing with User32 dll code.  I am guessing the use of PID is probably not used in every underlying coded interface so it's use and provision might need to be interface technology specific.

Is there a get PID action in the interface somewhere - it is strange that it is available as an input to reconnect if needed but can't be got out from the interface somehow (for the life of me I can't remember)...

[asilarow]

@Denis__Dennehy nope. Not natively available anywhere. It's of course possible to get through a code stage... but it would be so much easier if it would just be an output of the Launch action...