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Studio user guide

Low-Code Viewer

Low-Code Viewer, the Studio extension that renders coded C# workflows as a visual low-code canvas alongside the source code.

The Low-Code Viewer is a Studio extension that renders a coded workflow — a .cs file whose class derives from CodedWorkflow — as a visual, low-code workflow next to its source code, the way the classic RPA designer shows an automation.

It is aimed at developers who write coded workflows and want a clean, readable visual view of their automation without leaving the C# code.

Note:

The Low-Code Viewer is in Preview. It is distributed as a Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extension on the Open VSX marketplace and requires the latest Studio version. You can install it from the Extensions panel in Studio.

What the viewer does​

The viewer provides two synchronized views of a coded workflow, keeps them in sync with the source code, and sources its activity palette from your project.

Workflow view​

A Studio-style tree that covers the whole file. Every method gets a section with its variables and a row per statement, with nested containers for if, foreach, try, and similar constructs.

Graph view​

A flow chart of the workflow's entry method — the method marked [Workflow], or Execute. Conditions and switches become decision nodes that fan out per branch, loops get iterate and done edges, and calls to your own methods appear as single Invoke blocks. The graph mirrors the shape of your entry method.

Following the source both ways​

Moving the cursor in the editor selects the matching block, and selecting a block jumps to its line. Property edits made in the panel are written back to the C# with minimal edits, so comments and formatting are preserved.

The activity palette​

When the viewer runs inside Studio, the set of activities — along with their property editors, display names, and icons — comes live from the packages your project references. In plain VS Code, without Studio, service calls still render as cards, but with generic labels and without rich property metadata.

How the viewer reads your code​

The canvas is built statement by statement. Each statement either maps to a dedicated block or falls back to a raw Code block. Consecutive unrecognized statements are merged into a single code block card, so a run of unsupported code collapses into one opaque box.

The viewer never rewrites code you did not touch: anything it does not recognize is shown verbatim in a Code block card and round-trips unchanged. Nothing you write is lost, but the more of your code that falls into code blocks, the less the canvas shows.

Constructs rendered as blocks​

You writeYou get
system.GetAsset(...), excel.ReadRange(...), other service callsActivity card with icon, display name, editable properties, and typed output
Log(...), Delay(...), throw ...Built-in activity cards (Log Message, Delay, Throw)
var x = <expr>;, int x = 0;, x = <expr>;Assign card ("to variable" and "value")
count++;, count += 5;Increment or Decrement card
if / else if / elseBranch container; decision diamond with true and false edges in the graph
foreach, for, while, do ... whileLoop container; loop node with an iterate back-edge in the graph
try / catch / finallyTry container with an error path
switch statementSwitch container with one Case arm per branch; in the graph, a decision with one labeled edge per case
using (...) { }, lock (...) { }Scope frame
return <expr>;, throw <expr>;Return row or Throw card; in the graph, both terminate the path
MyHelper(...) (method in the same file)Invoke block; select it to open the helper
Helpers.Method(...) (class in another file)Invoke block with cross-file navigation
workflows.MyWorkflow(...)Invoke Workflow card with In and Out argument badges
#region Name ... #endregionNamed, collapsible group in both views

Constructs that fall back to a code block​

ConstructWhy it limits the canvas
Lambdas at statement level (rows.ForEach(r => ...)) and logic inside lambdasThe lambda body is invisible to the canvas
Local functions (void Helper() { ... } inside a method)The whole function body is swallowed into the code block
Declarations without an initializer (string name;)Renders as one code block row
Multi-variable declarations (int a = 1, b = 2;)Renders as one code block row
using var x = ...; (declaration form)Renders as one code block row, and calls on x lose activity recognition
arr[i] = value;, total *= 2;, msg += suffix;Renders as one code block row

To keep as much of your workflow on the canvas as possible, see Writing canvas-friendly coded workflows.

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