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UI Automation Support for the Group Control Type

This topic provides information about UI Automation support for the Group control type. In UI Automation, a control type is a set of conditions that a control must meet in order to use the ControlTypeProperty property. The conditions include specific guidelines for UI Automation tree structure, UI Automation property values, and control patterns.

The group control represents a node within a hierarchy. The Group control type creates a separation in the UI Automation tree so items that are grouped together have a logical division within the UI Automation tree.

The following sections define the required UI Automation tree structure, properties, control patterns, and events for the Group control type. The UI Automation requirements apply to all group controls, whether Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Win32, or Windows Forms.

This topic contains the following sections.

  • Required UI Automation Tree Structure
  • Required UI Automation Properties
  • Required UI Automation Control Patterns
  • Required UI Automation Events
  • Related Topics

Required UI Automation Tree Structure

The following table depicts the control view and the content view of the UI Automation tree that pertains to group controls and describes what can be contained in each view. For more information on the UI Automation tree, see UI Automation Tree Overview.

Control View Content View
  • Group

    • 0 or many controls

  • Group

    • 0 or many controls

Typically group controls will have the UI Automation Support for the List Item Control Type, UI Automation Support for the Tree Item Control Type, or UI Automation Support for the Data Item Control Type control types found underneath them in the subtree. Because 'Group' is a generic container, it is possible for any type of control to be under the Group control in the tree.

Required UI Automation Properties

The following table lists the UI Automation properties whose value or definition is especially relevant to group controls. For more information about UI Automation properties, see UI Automation Properties for Clients.


UI Automation Property Value Notes

AutomationIdProperty

See notes.

The value of this property needs to be unique across all controls in an application.

BoundingRectangleProperty

See notes.

The outermost rectangle that contains the whole control.

ClickablePointProperty

See notes.

Supported if there is a bounding rectangle. If not every point within the bounding rectangle is clickable, and you perform specialized hit testing, then override and provide a clickable point.

IsKeyboardFocusableProperty

See notes.

If the control can receive keyboard focus, it must support this property.

NameProperty

See notes.

The group control typically gets its name from the text that labels the control.

LabeledByProperty

See notes.

Group controls are typically self-labeling. In these cases return null here. If there is a static text label for the group then that must be returned as the value of the LabeledBy property.

ControlTypeProperty

Group

This value is the same for all UI frameworks.

LocalizedControlTypeProperty

"group"

Localized string corresponding to the Group control type.

IsContentElementProperty

True

The group control is always included in the content view of the UI Automation tree.

IsControlElementProperty

True

The calendar group is always included in the control view of the UI Automation tree.

Required UI Automation Control Patterns

The following table lists the UI Automation control patterns required to be supported for the Group control type. For more information about control patterns, see UI Automation Control Patterns Overview.

Control Pattern/Pattern Property Support/Value Notes

IExpandCollapseProvider

Depends

Group controls that can be used to show or hide information must support the Expand Collapse pattern.

Required UI Automation Events

The following table lists the UI Automation events required to be supported by all group controls. For more information about events, see UI Automation Events Overview.


UI Automation Event Support Notes

BoundingRectangleProperty property-changed event.

Required

None

IsOffscreenProperty property-changed event.

Required

None

IsEnabledProperty property-changed event.

Required

None

ExpandCollapseStateProperty property-changed event.

Depends

None

ToggleStateProperty property-changed event.

Depends

None

AutomationFocusChangedEvent

Required

None

StructureChangedEvent

Required

None

See Also

Reference

Group

Concepts

UI Automation Control Types Overview
UI Automation Overview