....Preparing an object recognition hint....

You’re correct: the object is either there or not. But TestComplete is designed to be “helpful” — it tries extended search strategies and visual recognition when objects are missing, which introduces delays. These steps are focused on disabling or avoiding those fallback behaviors.

1. Set Operation‑Level Timeout
   Don’t change the global 10 s timeout. Instead, adjust the operation-specific timeout to something like 1s.
   👉 Set Auto‑Wait Timeout
2. Disable Self‑Healing (if it’s turned on)
   While self-healing won’t stop recognition hints, it can add extra fallback work.
   👉 Self‑Healing Tests
3. Use If…Then with WaitAliasChild() instead of IfObject
   IfObject may trigger deep fallback and hint generation. Using WaitAliasChild() (with a short timeout) is more direct and efficient.
   

   if (Aliases.MyForm.WaitAliasChild("ComboBox1", 1000).Exists) {
    Aliases.MyForm.ComboBox1.ClickItem("Option A"); 
   }
   

   This checks only the immediate alias-child, limiting unnecessary search.
4. Disable Extended Find / Auto‑search Features in Name Mapping
   Prevent TestComplete from automatically expanding its search beyond the mapped path.
   • Go to Tools > Options > Engines > Name Mapping.
   • In the Name Mapping Options, uncheck “Use extended find when possible”.
   • Optionally disable “Map object names automatically” or other auto‑search behaviors.
     👉 Name Mapping Options — “Use extended find when possible”
5. Use WaitAliasChild() for Object Detection
   Rather than relying on full deep path resolution, dynamically wait for a child object via WaitAliasChild(), with a short timeout, which avoids deep fallback lookups.

🔹 Create a Minimal Project for Testing (Diagnostic Step)

To isolate the problem, try creating a new lightweight TestComplete project with:

• Only essential NameMapping entries
• A single test case using WaitAliasChild() logic

This helps determine whether your current mapping or project structure is contributing to the slowdown.

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