The Object Repository allows the reusing of UI elements inside and across automation projects. With Object Repository you can import UI libraries for your application and use the UI elements contained inside across your automation projects.
The key features of the Object Repository are:
- UI elements across the project are centralized in one place.
- view a list of all your UI activities inside your process by using the UI Activities tab inside the Object Repository panel.
- drag-and-drop elements from the Object Repository panel.
- objects imported from libraries are reusable in local projects or across projects.
Prerequisites
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The Object Repository works with UiPath.UIAutomation.Activities package versions 2020.10 and above. Note that the UIAutomationNext package has been deprecated as of 20.10. The activities from UIAutomationNext are now found in the UIAutomation package.
When the Object Repository enforced toggle is set to Yes, activities part of the UIAutomation pack need to reference elements from the Object Repository.
Key Concepts
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UI Elements
UI Elements contain full or partial element selectors, anchor selectors, screen and element image capture context, and other metadata that describes the element on the screen.
UI Libraries
A UI Library is an encapsulation of elements grouped by applications, application versions, and screens. They may contain several applications but can contain only one version of a certain application. This mechanism ensures that when you upgrade a dependency, you also upgrade the application version you were using inside your projects.
Reusability
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The Object Repository enables you to reuse UI elements across projects by installing UI libraries as a dependency into your projects when you want to reuse at a global level.
Import UI Libraries in Projects
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Create a task in StudioX. From the Manage Packages window, go to the feed where the UI Library you wish to install is published and install it to your current project, just as you would an activity package. The UI Library is added as a dependency to your project, and its descriptors are visible in the Object Repository panel, under UI Libraries. Please note that one UI Library can contain a single version of a UI Descriptor and a single version of an application.
Use UI elements
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Whenever you need to use a UI Element from the project's Descriptors panel or the UI Libraries section, simply drag and drop it into the designer. This triggers the command palette, indicating possible activities to use for this element. Select the activity best suited and this will add it to the designer:
Alternatively, you can drag and drop a UI element on top of an activity that supports Object Repository and the activity automatically picks up the descriptor.
Copy and Paste Objects
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You can copy the whole tree structure to and from the Object Repository, or in between StudioX instances, using the Copy Tree options available at right-click in the Object Repository panel.
In addition, the Copy option or the combination of keyboard shortcuts, Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V shortcuts allows you to copy individual elements from the repository, and paste them in the above-mentioned locations.
