Updating Test Object Properties

You can update an object in your object repository by selecting the corresponding object in your application and relearning its properties and property values from the application. When you update a test object description in this way, all currently defined properties and values is overwritten, including description properties and values, and ordinal identifier and Smart Identification information. Any object-specific comments that you may have entered are not removed.

This is useful if an object's properties have changed since you added it to the object repository, since QuickTest may not be able to recognize the object unless you update its description.

You can also use this option to update an object that you defined (using the Object > Define New Test Object option) before the application was completely developed, and as a result some of the object properties and values are missing in the test object description, or are no longer sufficient to identify the object. You can do this for objects in the local object repository using the Object Repository window, and for objects in the shared object repository using the Object Repository Manager.

To update test object properties from an object in your application:

1. In the object repository tree, select the test object whose description you want to update.
2. Choose Object > Update from Application or click the Update from Application button. QuickTest is minimized and the cursor changes to a pointing hand, so that you can point to and click on any object in the open application.
3. Find the object in your application whose properties you want to update in the object repository and click it. You must choose an object of the same object class as the test object you selected in the object repository tree.

Notes:

If the object you want to select is in a window that is partially hidden by another window, hold the pointing hand over the partially hidden window for a few seconds. The window comes into the foreground. You can now point and click on the object you want. You can configure the length of time required to bring a window into the foreground in the General tab of the Options dialog box. You can also hold the left Ctrl key to change the window focus. Additionally, if the window containing the object you want to select is minimized, you can display it by holding the left Ctrl key, right-clicking the application in the Windows task bar, and choosing Restore from the context menu.

If the object you want to select can only be displayed by performing an event (such as a right-click or a mouse-over to display a context menu), hold the left Ctrl key. The pointing hand temporarily turns into a standard arrow and you can perform the event. When the object on which you want to spy is displayed, release the left Ctrl key. The arrow becomes a pointing hand again.

If the location you click is associated with more than one object, the Select an Object dialog box opens. Select an object from the object tree and click OK.

The properties and property values for the selected object are updated in the object repository, according to the properties and values required to identify the object that were learned by QuickTest when you clicked the object in your application. Note that all properties and property values in the Test object details area are updated, together with the ordinal identifier and Smart Identification selections. Any object-specific comments that you may have entered are not removed.