User Guide¶
This guide covers all major features of PADAI for daily use with Power Automate Desktop.
Chat Interface¶
The chat interface is your primary way to interact with PADAI. Type prompts in the input field at the bottom of the panel and press Enter to send.
Prompt Tips¶
- Be specific: include paths, filenames, and expected formats
- Refresh context first: click Refresh Context before asking about existing code
- Build incrementally: for complex flows, work step by step rather than one massive prompt
- Reference variables: mention specific variable names used in your flow
Voice Dictation¶
When the input field is empty, the Send button becomes a microphone icon. Click to start voice recording. Recording stops automatically after 4 seconds of silence or 60 seconds maximum. The transcribed text appears in the input field for review before sending.
File Attachments¶
Click the paperclip button to attach files (.robin, .json, .csv, .txt). The file content is included as additional context for the AI.
Conversation History¶
Click the History button to browse past conversations. You can reload any previous conversation to review or continue it. Click New Chat to start a fresh conversation (the previous one is auto-saved).
Conversations are stored locally in %LOCALAPPDATA%\PadaiPanel\.
Code Generation¶
Describe what you need in natural language and PADAI generates validated PAD (Robin) code through a strict DLL-based compilation pipeline.
Applying Generated Code¶
When code is generated, it appears in a chat bubble with:
- Apply -- inserts the code into the PAD Designer via UI Automation
- Copy -- copies the Robin code to your clipboard
Applying code replaces the content of the active subflow. Verify you are on the correct subflow before clicking Apply.
Code Patching¶
Patching modifies existing code without regenerating everything. Use it when:
- You have working code and want a targeted modification
- You want to fix a specific error without touching the rest
- You want to add error handling to existing steps
How to patch:
- Refresh Context so the AI sees your current code
- Describe the modification (e.g., "Add a try/catch around the file copy step")
- Review the generated patch
- Click Apply to inject the modified code
Quick Fix Buttons¶
- Fix Errors -- reads compile errors from PAD and generates targeted fixes
- Fix Warnings -- corrects warnings such as placeholders, invalid paths, and missing function ends
Flowchart Visualization¶
Generate interactive Mermaid diagrams from your flow code.
Example prompts:
- "Show me the flowchart of this flow"
- "Generate a diagram of this subflow"
Diagrams open in a dedicated window with zoom controls and SVG export.
Workbench Tools¶
Toggle the Workbench panel for access to 27+ specialized tools organized by category:
Core Tools¶
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Fix | Error detection with preview and apply/cancel |
| Optimize | Refactoring suggestions for simplification and performance |
| Flow Health | Quality score (0-100) with complexity metrics and recommendations |
| Replay | Execution timeline showing each step with status and error details |
| Run | Recent runs with status, duration, and metrics |
| Patch Review | Review patches before application: approve or reject |
Analysis Tools¶
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Variable Explorer | List and inspect all variables in the current flow |
| Performance | Duration metrics and bottleneck identification |
| Knowledge Base | Search known errors, applied fixes, and similar failures |
| Fleet Dashboard | Organization-wide flow monitoring (Team/Enterprise plans) |
Run Log Analysis¶
PADAI can parse and analyze execution logs from your PAD flows:
- Open the Workbench
- Select a recent run from the Run or Replay tool
- View the execution timeline with step-by-step status
- For failed steps, the AI proposes corrections and can generate patches
- Simulate patch application before committing
Templates¶
Save and reuse code patterns across projects:
- Create: after generating code, open the Template Manager and save it
- Use: browse templates and insert or adapt them
- Manage: create, edit, and delete templates
Templates are stored as JSON files in %LOCALAPPDATA%\PADAI\templates\.
Quality Analysis¶
Ask the AI to analyze your code quality:
- "Analyze the quality of this flow"
- "Give me a quality score for this code"
The analysis returns a score (0-100), metrics (cyclomatic complexity, nesting depth, maintainability), and actionable recommendations.
Error Handling¶
PADAI can automatically add error handling to your PAD code:
- "Add error handling to this flow"
- "Protect file actions with ON BLOCK ERROR blocks"
- "Which actions are not protected by error handling?"
Themes¶
PadaiPanel supports three theme modes in Settings:
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| System | Follows Windows theme automatically |
| Dark | Neutral grays, similar to the PAD Designer |
| Light | Light theme |
Changes apply instantly to all UI elements.
Context Reading¶
How PADAI Reads Your Flow¶
PadaiPanel reads the PAD Designer using Windows UI Automation:
- Subflows: the list of subflows in your flow
- Visible actions: action cards currently displayed in the designer
- Errors and warnings: from the PAD errors pane
- Robin code: extracted from the active subflow
Refreshing Context¶
Click Refresh Context to update all context. Click Read Code to extract only the Robin code from the active subflow.
Keyboard Shortcuts¶
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Send a message | Enter |
| New line in input | Shift + Enter |
| Refresh context | Toolbar button |
| Read PAD code | Toolbar button |
| Toggle Workbench | Toolbar button |
| New chat | Toolbar button |
| Open history | Toolbar button |