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PAD > UI Automation > looping through Excel files using variable

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Posted on by JeromeCrametz

Hi,

My end goal is to loop through Excel Files and run power queries for desktop (ideally I cloud like this one the cloud but until Excel Online supports Power Queries (external sources) I am stuck with Power Automate Desktop).

With PAD (one flow) with variables

opening and going through the UI to refresh some specific queries is fine.

opening a second file is fine but the UI Automation is still going to the first file:

:desktop > window[Name@="^(.*)%file_name_2%(.*)Excel$"][Process="EXCEL"] > pane[Class="EXCEL2"]:eq(0) > ....

I also tried

:desktop > [Process="EXCEL"] > pane[Class="EXCEL2"]:eq(0) >....

in both case the second file is ignored (even with %file_name_2%), it's still associated with the first file / initial file used to create the first loop.

....I don't get it, it looks like there is hidden reference somewhere.

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Building flows

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Nived_Nambiar 18,129 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hi

So when you say automation is going through second file even first file, so the first excel file is opened as well ?

Also can you share the flow design ?

Thanks & Regards,
Nived N

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JeromeCrametz 4 on at

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Hi Nived,

If swap my second file with my first / Intial file, well it fails so it's still referring the initial file that was used to built the 1st loop.

I must do something wrong:

I create my 2 variables:

Set variable File_Path

Set variable File_Name

Launch Excel with %file_path%%file_name%

I use the "Inspect UI Tool" to select the Data Tab

> pane[Class="EXCEL2"]:eq(0) > toolbar[Class="MsoCommandBar"] > pane[Class="MsoWorkPane"][Name="Ribbon"] > pane[Class="NUIPane"] > pane[Class="NetUIHWNDElement"] > pane[Class="NetUInetpane"][Name="Ribbon"] > tab[Class="NetUIPanViewer"][Name="Ribbon Tabs"] > tabitem[Class="NetUIRibbonTab"][Id="TabData"]

and edit the UI Element to add:

:desktop > window[Name@="^(.*)%file_name%(.*)Excel$"][Process="EXCEL"]

so I have

:desktop > window[Name@="^(.*)%file_name%(.*)Excel$"][Process="EXCEL"] > pane[Class="EXCEL2"]:eq(0) > toolbar[Class="MsoCommandBar"] > pane[Class="MsoWorkPane"][Name="Ribbon"] > pane[Class="NUIPane"] > pane[Class="NetUIHWNDElement"] > pane[Class="NetUInetpane"][Name="Ribbon"] > tab[Class="NetUIPanViewer"][Name="Ribbon Tabs"] > tabitem[Class="NetUIRibbonTab"][Id="TabData"]

and this will only works with the file used with the "Inspect UI Tool" it's not dynamic.

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JeromeCrametz 4 on at

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I found my rookie mistake.... the dynamic element needs to be setup in each UI Elements in the UI Element selector not directly in the Text editor of the UI Automation action

So in the UI Element section:

window element set

:desktop > window[Name@="^(.*)%file_name_2%(.*)Excel$"][Process="EXCEL"]

UI Element set

> pane[Class="EXCEL2"]:eq(0) > ....

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