Essential .NET Dependencies for Building Robust Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Solutions

Discover the essential .NET dependencies required to build robust Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions. Learn how the right libraries and tools can enhance the efficiency of RPA projects.

To develop Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions using the .NET Core platform (or its latest iteration, such as .NET 9 as of March 06, 2025), you’ll need to leverage a variety of dependencies, libraries, and tools. These dependencies enable you to interact with applications, process data, handle UI automation, and integrate with external systems.

Below is a detailed breakdown of the key dependencies and tools you might need for RPA development in .NET Core:

Core Dependencies in .NET Core for RPA

These are foundational libraries and packages available within or compatible with .NET Core/.NET 9 that are commonly used for RPA development.

1. System.Windows.Automation (UI Automation)

• Purpose: Automates interactions with desktop application UIs (e.g., clicking buttons, entering text).
• Availability: Built into .NET Core (Windows-specific).
• Use Case: Automating legacy Windows applications without APIs.
• Limitation: Windows-only; for cross-platform UI automation, consider alternatives.

2. Microsoft.Extensions.Logging

• Purpose: Provides logging capabilities for tracking bot activities and errors.
• Availability: Built into .NET Core.
• Use Case: Logging RPA process steps, exceptions, or performance metrics.
• NuGet Package: Included by default in ASP.NET Core or minimal API projects.

3. System.Net.Http

• Purpose: Enables HTTP requests to interact with web services or APIs.
• Availability: Built into .NET Core.
• Use Case: Automating web-based tasks (e.g., submitting forms, retrieving data from REST APIs).

4. System.IO

• Purpose: Handles file operations like reading/writing files (e.g., CSVs, PDFs).
• Availability: Built into .NET Core.
• Use Case: Processing input files or generating output reports in RPA workflows.

5. Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection

• Purpose: Manages dependency injection for modular RPA bot design.
• Availability: Built into .NET Core.
• Use Case: Structuring complex RPA applications with reusable components.

6. System.Threading.Tasks

• Purpose: Supports asynchronous programming for efficient I/O operations.
• Availability: Built into .NET Core.
• Use Case: Running parallel automation tasks or waiting for external responses without blocking.

Popular NuGet Packages for RPA Development

These are third-party or Microsoft-provided libraries available via NuGet that enhance RPA capabilities in .NET Core.

1. HtmlAgilityPack

• Purpose: Parses HTML for web scraping or web automation.
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package HtmlAgilityPack
• Use Case: Extracting data from websites when APIs are unavailable.
• Version: Check for the latest compatible version (e.g., 1.11.x as of early 2025).

2. Selenium.WebDriver

• Purpose: Automates web browser interactions (e.g., Chrome, Firefox).
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package Selenium.WebDriver
• Additional Dependency: Requires a browser driver (e.g., ChromeDriver).
• Use Case: Automating web-based workflows like filling forms or clicking buttons.
• Note: Pair with Selenium.WebDriver.ChromeDriver (or equivalent) for specific browser support.

3. iText7 (or iTextSharp for older versions)

• Purpose: Reads, creates, or manipulates PDF documents.
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package itext7
• Use Case: Extracting text from PDFs or generating PDF reports in an RPA process.

4. Newtonsoft.Json

• Purpose: Serializes/deserializes JSON data for API interactions.
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package Newtonsoft.Json
• Use Case: Processing JSON responses from web APIs or storing bot configuration.
• Note: .NET Core includes System.Text.Json, but Newtonsoft.Json is often preferred for its advanced features.

5. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel (Windows-only)

• Purpose: Automates Excel operations (e.g., reading/writing spreadsheets).
• Availability: Built into .NET (Windows-specific).
• Use Case: Automating data entry or report generation in Excel.
• Alternative: Use EPPlus for cross-platform Excel automation:
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package EPPlus
• Note: Requires a license for commercial use.

6. OpenCvSharp

• Purpose: Provides computer vision capabilities for image processing.
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package OpenCvSharp4
• Use Case: Recognizing UI elements in images or processing scanned documents.
• Note: Useful for RPA bots that need to interact with non-standard UIs.

7. Microsoft.Azure.Storage.Blob (or newer Azure SDKs)

• Purpose: Interacts with Azure Blob Storage for cloud-based file handling.
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package Azure.Storage.Blobs
• Use Case: Storing/retrieving files processed by RPA bots in the cloud.

8. FluentFTP

• Purpose: Handles FTP operations for file transfers.
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package FluentFTP
• Use Case: Automating file uploads/downloads in legacy systems.

Tools and Frameworks

Beyond libraries, certain tools and frameworks can accelerate RPA development in .NET Core:

1. UiPath.Core.Activities (Optional)

• Purpose: Integrates with UiPath for custom C# activities.
• NuGet Command: Available via UiPath’s package sources.
• Use Case: Extending UiPath bots with custom .NET Core logic.

2. Playwright for .NET

• Purpose: Modern alternative to Selenium for browser automation.
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package Microsoft.Playwright
• Use Case: Cross-browser automation with better performance and reliability.

3. Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting

• Purpose: Runs RPA bots as background services or scheduled tasks.
• Availability: Built into .NET Core.
• Use Case: Creating unattended bots that run continuously or on a schedule.

4. ML.NET (Optional)

• Purpose: Adds machine learning capabilities to RPA bots.
• NuGet Command: dotnet add package Microsoft.ML
• Use Case: Intelligent automation, such as classifying documents or predicting outcomes.

Development Environment Dependencies

To build and test RPA solutions in .NET Core, you’ll need the following:

1. .NET SDK

• Version: .NET 9 SDK (latest as of March 06, 2025).
• Download: Available from the official .NET website.
• Purpose: Provides the runtime and tools to compile and run .NET Core applications.

2. IDE

• Options: Visual Studio 2022/2025 (Windows), Rider, or VS Code.
• Purpose: Coding, debugging, and testing RPA bots.

3. NuGet Package Manager

• Purpose: Installs and manages third-party libraries.
• Built-in: Available via dotnet CLI or IDEs.

Example: Setting Up a Basic RPA Project

Here’s how you might set up a .NET Core project for RPA with some of the above dependencies:

# Create a new console app
dotnet new console -n RpaBot -f net9.0

# Navigate to the project directory
cd RpaBot

# Add necessary packages
dotnet add package Selenium.WebDriver
dotnet add package Selenium.WebDriver.ChromeDriver
dotnet add package HtmlAgilityPack
dotnet add package Newtonsoft.Json        

Sample C# Code (Web Automation Example):

using OpenQA.Selenium;
using OpenQA.Selenium.Chrome;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Initialize ChromeDriver
        using var driver = new ChromeDriver();
        
        // Navigate to a website
        driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");
        
        // Automate an action (e.g., clicking a button)
        var button = driver.FindElement(By.Id("submit-button"));
        button.Click();
        
        Console.WriteLine("Button clicked successfully!");
        
        // Clean up
        driver.Quit();
    }
}        

Considerations

• Cross-Platform: .NET Core is cross-platform, but some dependencies (e.g., System.Windows.Automation) are Windows-only. Use alternatives like Playwright or OpenCvSharp for broader compatibility.
• Licensing: Check licensing for packages like EPPlus if used commercially.
• Performance: Leverage .NET 9’s performance improvements (e.g., AOT compilation) for faster bots.

More Details please Visit — https://medium.com/asp-dotnet/robotic-process-automation-rpa-solutions-with-net9-a-step-by-step-guide-197151b57f25

Conclusion:

Understanding and implementing the right dependencies in .NET is critical for building scalable, efficient Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions. By leveraging the appropriate libraries and frameworks, you can ensure seamless integration, optimize performance, and create robust automation workflows that deliver real business value.

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