Implementing the UI Automation Window Control Pattern

Note

This documentation is intended for .NET Framework developers who want to use the managed UI Automation classes defined in the System.Windows.Automation namespace. For the latest information about UI Automation, see Windows Automation API: UI Automation.

This topic introduces guidelines and conventions for implementing IWindowProvider, including information about WindowPattern properties, methods, and events. Links to additional references are listed at the end of the topic.

The WindowPattern control pattern is used to support controls that provide fundamental window-based functionality within a traditional graphical user interface (GUI). Examples of controls that must implement this control pattern include top-level application windows, multiple-document interface (MDI) child windows, resizable split pane controls, modal dialogs and balloon help windows.

This topic contains the following sections.

• Implementation Guidelines and Conventions
• Required Members for IWindowProvider
• Exceptions
• Related Topics

Implementation Guidelines and Conventions

When implementing the Window control pattern, note the following guidelines and conventions:

• To support the ability to modify both window size and screen position using UI Automation, a control must implement ITransformProvider in addition to IWindowProvider.

• Controls that contain title bars and title bar elements that enable the control to be moved, resized, maximized, minimized, or closed are typically required to implement IWindowProvider.

• Controls such as tooltip pop-ups and combo box or menu drop-downs do not typically implement IWindowProvider.

• Balloon help windows are differentiated from basic tooltip pop-ups by the provision of a window-like Close button.

• Full-screen mode is not supported by IWindowProvider as it is feature-specific to an application and is not typical window behavior.

Required Members for IWindowProvider

The following properties, methods, and events are required for the IWindowProvider interface.

Required member	Member type	Notes
InteractionState	Property	None
IsModal	Property	None
IsTopmost	Property	None
Maximizable	Property	None
Minimizable	Property	None
VisualState	Property	None
Close	Method	None
SetVisualState	Method	None
WaitForInputIdle	Method	None
WindowClosedEvent	Event	None
WindowOpenedEvent	Event	None
WindowInteractionState	Event	Is not guaranteed to be ReadyForUserInteraction

Exceptions

Providers must throw the following exceptions.

Exception type	Condition
InvalidOperationException	SetVisualState When a control does not support a requested behavior.
ArgumentOutOfRangeException	WaitForInputIdle When the parameter is not a valid number.

See Also

Tasks

Support Control Patterns in a UI Automation Provider

Use Caching in UI Automation

Concepts

UI Automation Control Patterns Overview

UI Automation Control Patterns for Clients

UI Automation Tree Overview