How QTP recognizes the objects stored in object repository

QTP uses the Object Repository to identify objects in the AUT. How will it identify objects stored in the OR? Well, the same way we identify each other because we have their "description" stored in our brain. Even though this is a bad example, but for the sake of explanation, let's say OR is the brain of QTP.

When QTP encounters an objects, it searches for that object in its brain and if it has encountered that object before, it performs the necessary action. If it does not, it fails the test; the same way, if you haven’t seen a person ever before and they ask for you to lend them $100, you would go like “Do I know you?” and walk away.

The OR should contain all the objects that you need for your tests to run successfully. If you want to write a keyword-driven script in QTP to login a user in www.gmail.com, you will have to access the Browser, the respective page, the username field, the password field and the SignIn button. All these objects will be then stored in QTP’s OR. So after you are done recording, you will playback the script and have the user login. This is done because QTP has already stored object definitions for all the objects it has to interact with in its OR.

There are ways to bypass this, by using Descriptive Programming and not making use of QTP’s OR. So, it entirely depends on what you want to use and what you are the most comfortable with.