Errors using Excel with Robots

This topic describes how to resolve and prevent errors while running Robots using the built-in Excel driver.

SORT function might sort only one cell

When you enter a SORT function in Excel, it usually sorts cells and shows the results sorted in order. With the built-in Excel driver, the result of the SORT function applies to only one cell (the first one in the sorted order).

Use the Desktop Automation Service to automate Microsoft Excel on the desktop.

An @ symbol might appear in formulas

If a Robot inserts a formula in a workbook, newer versions of Microsoft Excel might display these inserted formulas with an additional @ symbol. This is a limitation of the Microsoft Excel API.

Example: =SORT(A2:A9) may be displayed by Microsoft Excel as =@SORT(A2:A9).

If the workbook is opened again in a Robot, the formula should appear correctly without the @ symbol.

The @ is the implicit intersection operator introduced in newer Microsoft Excel versions. In these versions, Microsoft Excel shows the operator in formulas as a compatibility hint for functions that are calculated in Implicitly Intersection Evaluation mode. The @ indicates that the results of the function will not overflow into adjacent cells.

Set Formatting> Custom Format field must be localized

Some field formatting patterns, such as dates, in Microsoft Excel depend on the Windows Regional Settings of the system. These settings affect the way elements are ordered and the codes that must be used for elements. For example, the date format and the code for the year field differ between locales.

The Set Formatting step localizes predefined settings based on the language of the Kofax RPA installation. If this does not match the Windows Regional Settings, use the Custom Format option to specify the appropriate formatting for the installation.

The Custom Format field is passed to Microsoft Excel as-is. The developer is responsible for using formats that match the Windows Regional Settings corresponding to the system running the Robots.