Patent ID: 8239826

Claim:
A method for automating a step in a modular script formed of a plurality of steps, comprising: (1) given a modular script having a plurality of steps outlined therein and given a software environment prepared for automation, performing one or more user actions on a software product executing on a computer system, the user actions being representative of a subject step in the given modular script and initially being a manual step that is now the subject step to be automated, said performing being while the computer system records the user actions such that the modularity of the modular script is retained and playback of the recorded user actions provides automation of the subject step; and (2) providing user input to the computer system indicating that user actions have been performed and causing the computer system to stop recording, wherein said modularity being retained preventing content duplication in the given modular script by enabling re-use of the recorded user actions within the given modular script and between modular scripts, and wherein the subject step being used repeatedly in one or more modular scripts defining a repeated flow or a frequently used script step such that upon re-automating the subject step in one place in the given modular script automatically updates the one or more modular scripts and automatically updates the given modular script, resulting in increased efficiency.