Automate Processes and Distribute Python Tools With RPA and RCC

The Real Python Podcast

Are you exploring automation of your repetitive business tasks with Python? How are you going to share your helpful tools with co-workers? This week on the show, Sampo Ahokas from Robocorp is here to discuss robotic process automation (RPA) and distribution of these robots.

Sampo is a co-founder and VP of engineering at Robocorp. We talk about using Robot Framework, an open-source RPA tool, to develop bots that implement your existing Python skills. Sampo shares example projects and additional resources for new users.

We discuss the typical difficulties of sharing automation tools with a team and trying to avoid the dreaded “works on my machine” problem. Sampo describes how their group worked to develop a Conda-based tool for creating shareable packages and environments.

Course Spotlight: Manipulating ZIP Files With Python

In this video course, you’ll learn how to manipulate ZIP files using Python’s zipfile module from the standard library. Through hands-on examples, you’ll learn how to read, write, compress, and extract files from your ZIP files quickly.

Topics:

• 00:00:00 – Introduction
• 00:02:25 – What is robotic process automation (RPA)?
• 00:03:55 – What do you mean by automation?
• 00:05:56 – Additional examples of RPA
• 00:07:41 – What is the RPA platform?
• 00:10:06 – What is the Robot Framework?
• 00:12:42 – Robocorp portal
• 00:14:09 – Python integration
• 00:17:06 – Sponsor: REVSYS
• 00:17:56 – Distribution with RCC
• 00:20:24 – Why does the system use conda under the hood?
• 00:24:12 – What hurdles did you face creating RCC?
• 00:27:51 – Steps for the end user
• 00:30:52 – Making the project open source
• 00:35:20 – Video Course Spotlight
• 00:36:42 – Tips for someone starting with automation
• 00:42:17 – Integration with VSCode
• 00:44:18 – Intelligent document processing (IDP)
• 00:45:36 – What are you excited about in the world of Python?
• 00:47:46 – What do you want to learn next?
• 00:48:13 – How can people follow the project online?
• 00:48:46 – Thanks and goodbye

Show Links:

• Open Source RPA - Intelligent Automation Software - Robocorp
• What is RPA? A breakdown of RPA and its benefits - Robocorp
• Robocorp Portal
• RPA Documentation, Training Courses, Certificates - Robocorp documentation
• rpaframework: Collection of open-source libraries and tools for Robotic Process Automation (RPA), designed to be used with both Robot Framework and Python
• rcc: RCC is a set of tooling that allows you to create, manage, and distribute Python-based self-contained automation packages - or ‘robots’ as we call them.
• Conda - documentation
• QuantStack
• micromamba - documentation
• Low-code RPA Development Solution | Automation Studio - Robocorp
• Bolster IDP With Robotic Process Automation - DZone
• Visual Studio Code - Code Editing. Redefined
• Welcome to LangChain - 🦜🔗 LangChain 0.0.131
• Sampo Ahokas - LinkedIn
• Robocorp (@RobocorpInc) - Twitter
• Community for Software Robot Developers
• RPA Resources, White Papers and Case Studies - Robocorp

Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:

• Reading and Writing Files in Python
• Testing Your Code With pytest
• Manipulating ZIP Files With Python

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