Object repository vs 'standard' Libraries

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Hello everyone,

What’s your approach when it comes to reusable components in Studio?

In the 2020.10 release, there was this great new feature Object Repository to create objects/UI libraries, which I don’t think it’s getting the deserved attention from the community.

From the other side, we have the typical approach of creating libraries using the Library template.

Lastly, we can just record/create activities directly in the process if most of the UI actions are not even reusable between processes. Then, we can have a library with the basic actions such as Login, Logout, etc…

I would like to hear your opinion and your ways of working with reusable components because, to be honest, I’m not sure what is the best approach.

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Hey @Gil_Silva

That was a great topic to discuss. Thanks for bringing it up.

As you are saying, there are various ways and each has its own use…

  1. Library : When you want to just build some logic which can be re-used

  2. UiObjRepo : When you want to reuse the same element selectors again either inside a single project or multiple projects

  3. Activity direct method : This is a common way which I’m not gonna get into now.

The above points may give some idea.

Let’s say you are building RPA for a well known tech giant which may have n number of processes to be automated

So now let’s assume, you have 5 processes to be automated for an insurance client,

  1. Policy renewal

  2. Claim request processing

  3. Applying for additional dependants

  4. Cancelling a claim or policy

  5. Policy cover enquiry

All these process will be using one single application which may be called as IMS (Insurance management system)

So the general flow may be like this for all the processes,

Login -> Process -> Logout

Login and logout will be for sure similar for all the processes as they use IMS.

Process will be having reusable ui elements from the IMS. The business steps performed may be different but still the fields used may be still same upto a major extent let’s say 70-80%

Now you will be having 5 automation projects and 1 Library with IMS Login, Logout & All the IMS Ui-Elements required will be captured and stored.

This library will be invoked in all the 5 projects where you will reuse login as well as the elements.

So whenever there is a change in the IMS UI it’s easy to maintain like you just go to library capture the UiElement again and then just update in all the 5 processes.

So efforts are drastically reduced to 1/5.

And it won’t stop here tomorrow if there is a new process from IMS development time will also be drastically reduced as you already captured the selectors and your duty will be to just build the flow.

So overall it’s a good approach to go with libraries provided you have a scope to reuse to things as mentioned above.

For all enterprise based landscape, we will be having above scenarios 90% of the time.

Hope this helps.

Thanks
Nithin

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@Nithinkrishna Thank you for your detailed information. Apart from the reduced effort to create the component, any other major advantage to use Object Repository over Standard Library? My understanding is that Object Repository is the enhanced version of Standard Library, but both exist in the new studio, and both can be used to do the same job. Happy to hear from you, and the rest of the team

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Hey @jamesjacobsydney

Yep, In the standard library you can build and re-use the logic.

Where as with Ui-Obj Repo you are also re-using the Ui-Elements.

Coming to the benefits part there are various merits in it,

  1. Maintainability

  2. Scalability

  3. Efforts Reduction

  4. Turn around time reduction

  5. Efficiency

The list goes on.

Thanks
#nK

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