Please let me introduce myself. I’m Rafael from the Netherlands and I joint this community primarily because of my fascination and interest for IT and my eagerness to learn new things and extend my knowledge overall specially regarding computers and software applications. I am 34 years old and work as an business operations manager at a mental health institution. (this is also what I studied for)
Because of my work in combination with my overall interest in IT solutions I came across the term RPA in an article approx 2 years ago and ever since that article it has been on my mind. I watched countless youtube video’s on what RPA is and what it can do. On which my interest grew and even considered to start learning how to use one and built my own personal robot. However since I am not an IT guy, and I don’t have any degree on the subject and I thought at the time that it would be impossible for me to learn something like that because I don’t know how to code.
2 -3 months back I was yet again on youtube because of my latest hobby project (building my own NAS, I am still learning) and in the suggestion box I came across a video that was talking about openRPA. I watched the video of Anders Jensen and other videos of Allan Zimmermann. The application seemed fairly easy to use for a beginner especially with the record mode. This was the moment I thought “why not give it chance and learn a new skill” so I downloaded the application. Watched even more videos of Allan and Anders. I started playing with the application and visited the forum regularly. However I pretty fast noticed that the people here are on a whole different level than I am right know. And felt a little “out of my league”
Since I really want to learn I thought to reach out and just ask.
I am like a blanche canvas I was wondering if you guy’s are willing to help me out on my journey to learn openRPA. Perhaps even open a separate topic/category with noob questions, so future enthusiast like me can learn how to use openRPA from zero?
@rafael
You can ask any questions here. Unless you should first try to solve the problem yourself: read the documentation, look for the answer here on the forum, or just think with your head. If you have no ideas at all, then yes, you can create a new topic with a question. Most questions are answered by Allan or other people.
I’ll also give you a little advice - to work more efficiently, it’s still worth learning some programming language (C#, Python, Visual Basic). It will be enough to learn the very basics so that you can perform actions that cannot be performed with the built-in steps of OpenRPA (working with files, working with mail other than Outlook, etc.). The RPA is still limited in its actions and cannot perform any specific algorithms. In such cases, built-in code blocks help, in which you yourself set the logic of behavior
It’s encouraging to see your eagerness to learn and extend your knowledge, especially in IT and software applications. Regarding your question: Can you learn RPA? Yes, I believe everyone can learn to build something that works with one of the RPA products. There are generally three types of RPA products:
Visual Workflows (like OpenRPA, BluePrism, UiPath) - These try to visualize logical operations, making it easier for non-coders to understand. However, they can become complex, and you might end up with something difficult to navigate or maintain.
Rule Engines (like Microsoft Power Automate, Kryon, Foxtrot) - They attempt to simplify workflows into more compact representations. They are usually more manageable, even when they grow large, but without a good discipline in segmenting your code, it can become overwhelming.
Proprietary Coding Languages (like Robin, G1ant, TagUI) - These platforms advocate learning the basics of logical operations first, with the idea that without understanding the fundamentals like “if, switch, try/catch,” you won’t create anything meaningful. They focus on making RPA functionalities very accessible.
Extended Real Coding (like OpenFlow, Sikuli, TagUI) - These take well-known programming languages and extend them with RPA functionalities. They cater to those who already have some programming experience.
For a beginner, visual workflows could be a good start. OpenRPA is particularly user-friendly with its record mode. Your suggestion for a noob questions section is great; it would help many new enthusiasts.
So, pick your path - whether it’s workflows, rule engines, or coding - each has its learning curve. For instance, UiPath StudioX is brilliant for quick tasks and is very easy to learn. OpenRPA and UiPath Studio require more studying but can yield faster results. If coding is your interest, Python is very popular, and tools like RoboCorp or the Python version of TagUI could be your choice, especially if you prefer open-source.
There is a great community for each of the tools, and if you choose ours, there are no “noob” questions, but we sometimes have a tendency to expect that people have done a little self-studying first.
First of all, welcome to the OpenRPA community! It’s great to have you here, and I’m glad to see your enthusiasm for learning and exploring new things, especially in the field of IT and RPA.
It’s admirable that you’ve embarked on your journey to learn RPA. Remember that learning any new skill, especially in the realm of technology, can be a gradual process. Don’t be disheartened by initial challenges; take it one step at a time. Before you know it, you’ll make significant progress in RPA.
I really like your idea and if you need I’ve created a space with some stauff about OpenRPA that I think you’ll find useful for your studies. You or anyone can access it HERE.
Feel free to share your specific questions or concerns in the forums, and I’m looking forward to seeing your growth in the future.
@Velinkton
Thank you for the support.
I will surely try to find my own solutions before starting asking questions. That’s still the best way to learn new thing. (Trail and error)
Regarding your suggestion off learning programming languages I understand and was also considering this, however I think at this moment the learning curve is still too steep. Perhaps when I find the limitations of the program I will consider programming language.
Hello Allan,
Thank you for your support. Before choosing openrpa I stumbled upon the different options there are. Where I work they sometimes use Power automate, and actually tried it and build some very basic automation’s ( using some templates as example of course) . The reason I chose to learn openrpa is because its more broader to implement and use, rather than power automate for example, Also because its opensource and visually and logical for me to follow and understand specially the record option.
I would really like to actively contribute to the community so if I can be of any use for the noob question section, please let me know.
I’m looking forward to learn a lot from the community.
Thank you for your support and kind words. I appreciate the link you shared. The link is really a good starting point for me and others. Can’t wait to dive in the content. Actually I already started browsing haha.
wish me luck
