# Core Concepts This section explains the fundamental concepts that power Flow Master's automation capabilities. Understanding these concepts will help you create more effective and reliable automations. ## Table of Contents - [Components](#components) - [Flows](#flows) - [Actions](#actions) - [Conditions and Logic](#conditions-and-logic) - [Variables and Data](#variables-and-data) - [Scheduling and Triggers](#scheduling-and-triggers) - [Error Handling](#error-handling) ## Components ### What are Components? Components are the building blocks of automation - they represent UI elements that Flow Master can recognize and interact with. Think of them as "snapshots" of buttons, input fields, icons, or any visual element on your screen. ### Component Types ``` Component Categories: ├── Interactive Elements │ ├── Buttons: Clickable UI elements │ ├── Input Fields: Text entry areas │ ├── Checkboxes: Toggle controls │ ├── Dropdowns: Selection menus │ └── Sliders: Value adjustment controls ├── Visual Indicators │ ├── Icons: Status or action indicators │ ├── Labels: Text displays │ ├── Progress Bars: Loading indicators │ └── Status Lights: State indicators └── Structural Elements ├── Windows: Application containers ├── Dialogs: Modal popup windows ├── Panels: Content sections └── Toolbars: Action collections ``` ### Component Properties Each component has several important properties: - **Image Template**: The visual representation captured from screen - **Match Threshold**: How closely a screen element must match (0-100%) - **Search Region**: Area of screen where component might appear - **Action Type**: What interaction is possible (click, type, read, etc.) - **Context Information**: Application and window details ### Best Practices for Components - **Capture Minimal Distinctive Areas**: Include only the essential visual elements - **Use High Contrast Elements**: Sharp edges and clear boundaries work best - **Avoid Dynamic Content**: Don't capture elements that change frequently - **Create Variations**: Capture different states (normal, hover, disabled) - **Test Across Conditions**: Verify components work in different lighting/themes ## Flows ### Flow Fundamentals A Flow is a sequence of automated actions that accomplishes a specific task. Flows combine components, actions, and logic to create powerful automations. ### Flow Structure ``` Flow Hierarchy: ├── Flow Definition │ ├── Metadata: Name, description, category │ ├── Configuration: Settings and parameters │ └── Documentation: Usage notes and requirements ├── Execution Steps │ ├── Sequential Actions: Step-by-step operations │ ├── Parallel Actions: Concurrent operations │ ├── Conditional Branches: If/then/else logic │ └── Loop Structures: Repeated operations ├── Error Handling │ ├── Try/Catch Blocks: Exception management │ ├── Retry Logic: Automatic recovery attempts │ ├── Fallback Actions: Alternative execution paths │ └── Cleanup Operations: Resource management └── Validation ├── Pre-conditions: Requirements before execution ├── Post-conditions: Expected results after execution ├── Intermediate Checks: Validation during execution └── Success Criteria: How to determine completion ``` ### Flow Types - **Linear Flows**: Simple step-by-step sequences - **Branching Flows**: Multiple execution paths based on conditions - **Looping Flows**: Repeated operations with iteration control - **Event-Driven Flows**: Triggered by external events or conditions - **Composite Flows**: Combination of multiple sub-flows ## Actions ### Action Categories #### Component Actions ``` Component Interactions: ├── Click Actions │ ├── Left Click: Primary interaction │ ├── Right Click: Context menus │ ├── Double Click: File opening, selection │ └── Middle Click: Special functions ├── Input Actions │ ├── Type Text: Enter data into fields │ ├── Clear Text: Remove existing content │ ├── Paste Content: Insert clipboard data │ └── Select Text: Highlight text regions ├── Drag Actions │ ├── Drag and Drop: Move elements between locations │ ├── Scroll Operations: Navigate through content │ └── Resize Operations: Adjust window or element sizes └── Read Actions ├── Extract Text: Get text from UI elements ├── Capture Images: Save screenshots ├── Check Status: Verify element states └── Monitor Changes: Watch for updates ``` #### System Actions ``` System Operations: ├── Window Management │ ├── Focus Window: Bring application to front │ ├── Minimize/Maximize: Change window state │ ├── Move Window: Position adjustment │ └── Close Window: Terminate application window ├── File Operations │ ├── Open File: Launch documents or applications │ ├── Save File: Store data to disk │ ├── Copy/Move Files: File system operations │ └── Delete Files: Remove files or folders ├── Application Control │ ├── Launch Application: Start programs │ ├── Switch Applications: Change focus between apps │ ├── Close Application: Terminate programs │ └── Monitor Application: Check app status └── Network Operations ├── HTTP Requests: Web API interactions ├── File Downloads: Retrieve remote files ├── Upload Operations: Send data to servers └── Network Monitoring: Check connectivity ``` ### Action Parameters Each action can be customized with various parameters: - **Timing Controls**: Delays before/after execution - **Retry Logic**: Number of attempts and retry delays - **Validation Rules**: Success/failure criteria - **Error Handling**: What to do when action fails - **Variable Binding**: Input/output data connections ## Conditions and Logic ### Conditional Statements Flow Master supports sophisticated conditional logic: #### Basic Conditions ``` Condition Types: ├── Component Conditions │ ├── Component Exists: UI element is present │ ├── Component Visible: Element is currently visible │ ├── Component Enabled: Element can be interacted with │ └── Component Text: Text content matches criteria ├── System Conditions │ ├── Window Active: Specific window has focus │ ├── Application Running: Program is currently active │ ├── File Exists: File or folder is present │ └── Network Available: Internet connection active ├── Data Conditions │ ├── Variable Equals: Variable matches specific value │ ├── Variable Contains: Variable includes substring │ ├── Variable Empty: Variable has no value │ └── Variable Type: Variable is specific data type └── Time Conditions ├── Time Range: Current time within specified range ├── Day of Week: Specific days only ├── Date Range: Within date boundaries └── Duration: Time elapsed since event ``` #### Logical Operators - **AND**: All conditions must be true - **OR**: At least one condition must be true - **NOT**: Condition must be false - **XOR**: Exactly one condition must be true ### Control Structures #### Branching Logic ``` If/Then/Else Structure: ├── If Condition: Evaluate boolean expression ├── Then Branch: Actions when condition is true ├── Else If: Additional conditions to check ├── Else Branch: Actions when all conditions false └── End If: Continuation point after branching ``` #### Loop Structures ``` Loop Types: ├── For Loop: Fixed number of iterations ├── While Loop: Continue while condition true ├── For Each Loop: Iterate over collection items ├── Repeat Until: Continue until condition true └── Infinite Loop: Manual break conditions only ``` ## Variables and Data ### Variable Types Flow Master supports various data types: #### Primitive Types - **String**: Text data ("Hello World") - **Number**: Numeric values (42, 3.14) - **Boolean**: True/false values - **Date/Time**: Temporal data with timezone support #### Complex Types - **Arrays**: Ordered collections of values - **Objects**: Key-value data structures - **Files**: File system references - **Images**: Screenshot and image data ### Variable Scope ``` Scope Hierarchy: ├── Global Variables: Available to all flows ├── Flow Variables: Specific to current flow execution ├── Step Variables: Limited to current action step └── Temporary Variables: Automatic cleanup after use ``` ### Data Operations - **Assignment**: Set variable values - **Calculation**: Mathematical operations - **Concatenation**: Combine string values - **Transformation**: Convert between data types - **Validation**: Check data integrity and format ## Scheduling and Triggers ### Trigger Types #### Time-Based Triggers ``` Time Triggers: ├── Fixed Time: Execute at specific time ├── Interval: Repeat every X minutes/hours/days ├── Cron Expression: Complex scheduling patterns └── Relative Time: Offset from other events ``` #### Event-Based Triggers ``` Event Triggers: ├── File System Events: File created, modified, deleted ├── Application Events: App launched, closed, focused ├── System Events: Startup, shutdown, login, logout ├── Network Events: Connection, disconnection, data received └── Custom Events: User-defined trigger conditions ``` #### Manual Triggers - **User Interface**: Click "Run" button in Flow Master - **Hotkey**: Keyboard shortcut activation - **API Call**: External system trigger via REST API - **Command Line**: Execute via CLI interface ### Scheduling Concepts - **Schedule Priority**: Execution order when multiple flows trigger - **Resource Conflicts**: Managing concurrent flow execution - **Dependency Management**: Flows that depend on other flows - **Retry Scheduling**: Automatic rescheduling of failed executions ## Error Handling ### Error Types #### Component Errors - **Component Not Found**: UI element not present on screen - **Component Changed**: Element appearance modified - **Multiple Matches**: Ambiguous component identification - **Timeout Error**: Component search exceeded time limit #### System Errors - **Application Not Available**: Target program not running - **Permission Denied**: Insufficient access rights - **Resource Unavailable**: System resources exhausted - **Network Error**: Connection or communication failure #### Logic Errors - **Invalid Data**: Variable contains unexpected value - **Division by Zero**: Mathematical operation error - **Type Mismatch**: Data type incompatibility - **Null Reference**: Attempting to use empty variable ### Error Handling Strategies #### Recovery Mechanisms ``` Error Recovery: ├── Retry Logic: Attempt action again with delays ├── Fallback Actions: Alternative approach to same goal ├── User Intervention: Pause for manual correction ├── Graceful Degradation: Continue with reduced functionality └── Complete Abort: Stop execution safely ``` #### Prevention Techniques - **Pre-condition Validation**: Check requirements before execution - **Input Sanitization**: Validate and clean input data - **Resource Monitoring**: Check system capacity before operations - **State Verification**: Confirm system state before proceeding ### Best Practices - **Fail Fast**: Detect errors as early as possible - **Meaningful Messages**: Provide clear error descriptions - **Recovery Guidance**: Suggest corrective actions - **Logging**: Record detailed error information for debugging - **User Communication**: Keep users informed of issues and resolutions These core concepts form the foundation of effective automation with Flow Master. Understanding how they work together enables you to create robust, reliable, and maintainable automation flows.