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Use Caching in UI Automation

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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 section shows how to implement caching of AutomationElement properties and control patterns.

Activate a Cache Request

  1. Create a CacheRequest.

  2. Specify properties and patterns to cache by using Add.

  3. Specify the scope of caching by setting the TreeScope property.

  4. Specify the view of the subtree by setting the TreeFilter property.

  5. Set the AutomationElementMode property to None if you wish to increase efficiency by not retrieving a full reference to objects. (This will make it impossible to retrieve current values from those objects.)

  6. Activate the request by using Activate within a using block (Using in Microsoft Visual Basic .NET).

After obtaining AutomationElement objects or subscribing to events, deactivate the request by using Pop (if Push was used) or by disposing the object created by Activate. (Use Activate in a using block (Using in Microsoft Visual Basic .NET).

Cache AutomationElement Properties

  1. While a CacheRequest is active, obtain AutomationElement objects by using FindFirst or FindAll; or obtain an AutomationElement as the source of an event that you registered for when the CacheRequest was active. (You can also create a cache by passing a CacheRequest to GetUpdatedCache or one of the TreeWalker methods.)

  2. Use GetCachedPropertyValue or retrieve a property from the Cached property of the AutomationElement.

Obtain Cached Patterns and Their Properties

  1. While a CacheRequest is active, obtain AutomationElement objects by using FindFirst or FindAll; or obtain an AutomationElement as the source of an event that you registered for when the CacheRequest was active. (You can also create a cache by passing a CacheRequest to GetUpdatedCache or one of the TreeWalker methods.)

  2. Use GetCachedPattern or TryGetCachedPattern to retrieve a cached pattern.

  3. Retrieve property values from the Cached property of the control pattern.

Example 1

The following code example shows various aspects of caching, using Activate to activate the CacheRequest.

/// <summary>
/// Caches and retrieves properties for a list item by using CacheRequest.Activate.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="elementList">Element from which to retrieve a child element.</param>
/// <remarks>
/// This code demonstrates various aspects of caching. It is not intended to be
/// an example of a useful method.
/// </remarks>
private void CachePropertiesByActivate(AutomationElement elementList)
{
    AutomationElement elementListItem;

    // Set up the request.
    CacheRequest cacheRequest = new CacheRequest();
    cacheRequest.Add(AutomationElement.NameProperty);
    cacheRequest.Add(AutomationElement.IsEnabledProperty);
    cacheRequest.Add(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern);
    cacheRequest.Add(SelectionItemPattern.SelectionContainerProperty);

    // Obtain an element and cache the requested items.
    using (cacheRequest.Activate())
    {
        Condition cond = new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.IsSelectionItemPatternAvailableProperty, true);
        elementListItem = elementList.FindFirst(TreeScope.Children, cond);
    }
    // The CacheRequest is now inactive.

    // Retrieve the cached property and pattern.
    SelectionItemPattern pattern;
    String itemName;
    try
    {
        itemName = elementListItem.Cached.Name;
        pattern = elementListItem.GetCachedPattern(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern) as SelectionItemPattern;
    }
    catch (InvalidOperationException)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Object was not in cache.");
        return;
    }
    // Alternatively, you can use TryGetCachedPattern to retrieve the cached pattern.
    object cachedPattern;
    if (true == elementListItem.TryGetCachedPattern(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern, out cachedPattern))
    {
        pattern = cachedPattern as SelectionItemPattern;
    }

    // Specified pattern properties are also in the cache.
    AutomationElement parentList = pattern.Cached.SelectionContainer;

    // The following line will raise an exception, because the HelpText property was not cached.
    /*** String itemHelp = elementListItem.Cached.HelpText; ***/

    // Similarly, pattern properties that were not specified in the CacheRequest cannot be
    // retrieved from the cache. This would raise an exception.
    /*** bool selected = pattern.Cached.IsSelected; ***/

    // This is still a valid call, even though the property is in the cache.
    // Of course, the cached value and the current value are not guaranteed to be the same.
    itemName = elementListItem.Current.Name;
}

''' <summary>
''' Caches and retrieves properties for a list item by using CacheRequest.Activate.
''' </summary>
''' <param name="elementList">Element from which to retrieve a child element.</param>
''' <remarks>
''' This code demonstrates various aspects of caching. It is not intended to be 
''' an example of a useful method.
''' </remarks>
Private Sub CachePropertiesByActivate(ByVal elementList As AutomationElement)

    ' Set up the request.
    Dim myCacheRequest As New CacheRequest()
    myCacheRequest.Add(AutomationElement.NameProperty)
    myCacheRequest.Add(AutomationElement.IsEnabledProperty)
    myCacheRequest.Add(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern)
    myCacheRequest.Add(SelectionItemPattern.SelectionContainerProperty)

    Dim elementListItem As AutomationElement

    ' Obtain an element and cache the requested items.
    Using myCacheRequest.Activate()
        Dim myCondition As New PropertyCondition( _
            AutomationElement.IsSelectionItemPatternAvailableProperty, True)
        elementListItem = elementList.FindFirst(TreeScope.Children, myCondition)
    End Using


    ' The CacheRequest is now inactive.
    ' Retrieve the cached property and pattern.
    Dim pattern As SelectionItemPattern
    Dim itemName As String
    Try
        itemName = elementListItem.Cached.Name
        pattern = DirectCast(elementListItem.GetCachedPattern(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern), _
            SelectionItemPattern)
    Catch ex As InvalidOperationException
        Console.WriteLine("Object was not in cache.")
        Return
    End Try
    ' Alternatively, you can use TryGetCachedPattern to retrieve the cached pattern.
    Dim cachedPattern As Object = Nothing
    If True = elementListItem.TryGetCachedPattern(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern, cachedPattern) Then
        pattern = DirectCast(cachedPattern, SelectionItemPattern)
    End If

    ' Specified pattern properties are also in the cache.
    Dim parentList As AutomationElement = pattern.Cached.SelectionContainer

    ' The following line will raise an exception, because the HelpText property was not cached.
    '** String itemHelp = elementListItem.Cached.HelpText; **

    ' Similarly, pattern properties that were not specified in the CacheRequest cannot be 
    ' retrieved from the cache. This would raise an exception.
    '** bool selected = pattern.Cached.IsSelected; **

    ' This is still a valid call, even though the property is in the cache.
    ' Of course, the cached value and the current value are not guaranteed to be the same.
    itemName = elementListItem.Current.Name
End Sub

Example 2

The following code example shows various aspects of caching, using Push to activate the CacheRequest. Except when you wish to nest cache requests, it is preferable to use Activate.

/// <summary>
/// Caches and retrieves properties for a list item by using CacheRequest.Push.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="autoElement">Element from which to retrieve a child element.</param>
/// <remarks>
/// This code demonstrates various aspects of caching. It is not intended to be
/// an example of a useful method.
/// </remarks>
private void CachePropertiesByPush(AutomationElement elementList)
{
    // Set up the request.
    CacheRequest cacheRequest = new CacheRequest();

    // Do not get a full reference to the cached objects, only to their cached properties and patterns.
    cacheRequest.AutomationElementMode = AutomationElementMode.None;

    // Cache all elements, regardless of whether they are control or content elements.
    cacheRequest.TreeFilter = Automation.RawViewCondition;

    // Property and pattern to cache.
    cacheRequest.Add(AutomationElement.NameProperty);
    cacheRequest.Add(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern);

    // Activate the request.
    cacheRequest.Push();

    // Obtain an element and cache the requested items.
    Condition cond = new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.IsSelectionItemPatternAvailableProperty, true);
    AutomationElement elementListItem = elementList.FindFirst(TreeScope.Children, cond);

    // At this point, you could call another method that creates a CacheRequest and calls Push/Pop.
    // While that method was retrieving automation elements, the CacheRequest set in this method
    // would not be active.

    // Deactivate the request.
    cacheRequest.Pop();

    // Retrieve the cached property and pattern.
    String itemName = elementListItem.Cached.Name;
    SelectionItemPattern pattern = elementListItem.GetCachedPattern(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern) as SelectionItemPattern;

    // The following is an alternative way of retrieving the Name property.
    itemName = elementListItem.GetCachedPropertyValue(AutomationElement.NameProperty) as String;

    // This is yet another way, which returns AutomationElement.NotSupported if the element does
    // not supply a value. If the second parameter is false, a default name is returned.
    object objName = elementListItem.GetCachedPropertyValue(AutomationElement.NameProperty, true);
    if (objName == AutomationElement.NotSupported)
    {
        itemName = "Unknown";
    }
    else
    {
        itemName = objName as String;
    }

    // The following call raises an exception, because only the cached properties are available,
    //  as specified by cacheRequest.AutomationElementMode. If AutomationElementMode had its
    //  default value (Full), this call would be valid.
    /*** bool enabled = elementListItem.Current.IsEnabled; ***/
}

''' <summary>
''' Caches and retrieves properties for a list item by using CacheRequest.Push.
''' </summary>
''' <param name="elementList">Element from which to retrieve a child element.</param>
''' <remarks>
''' This code demonstrates various aspects of caching. It is not intended to be 
''' an example of a useful method.
''' </remarks>
Private Sub CachePropertiesByPush(ByVal elementList As AutomationElement)
    ' Set up the request.
    Dim cacheRequest As New CacheRequest()

    ' Do not get a full reference to the cached objects, only to their cached properties and patterns.
    cacheRequest.AutomationElementMode = AutomationElementMode.None

    ' Cache all elements, regardless of whether they are control or content elements.
    cacheRequest.TreeFilter = Automation.RawViewCondition

    ' Property and pattern to cache.
    cacheRequest.Add(AutomationElement.NameProperty)
    cacheRequest.Add(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern)

    ' Activate the request.
    cacheRequest.Push()

    ' Obtain an element and cache the requested items.
    Dim myCondition As New PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.IsSelectionItemPatternAvailableProperty, _
        True)
    Dim elementListItem As AutomationElement = elementList.FindFirst(TreeScope.Children, myCondition)

    ' At this point, you could call another method that creates a CacheRequest and calls Push/Pop.
    ' While that method was retrieving automation elements, the CacheRequest set in this method 
    ' would not be active. 
    ' Deactivate the request.
    cacheRequest.Pop()

    ' Retrieve the cached property and pattern.
    Dim itemName As String = elementListItem.Cached.Name
    Dim pattern As SelectionItemPattern = _
        DirectCast(elementListItem.GetCachedPattern(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern), SelectionItemPattern)

    ' The following is an alternative way of retrieving the Name property.
    itemName = CStr(elementListItem.GetCachedPropertyValue(AutomationElement.NameProperty))

    ' This is yet another way, which returns AutomationElement.NotSupported if the element does
    ' not supply a value. If the second parameter is false, a default name is returned.
    Dim objName As Object = elementListItem.GetCachedPropertyValue(AutomationElement.NameProperty, True)
    If objName Is AutomationElement.NotSupported Then
        itemName = "Unknown"
    Else
        itemName = CStr(objName)
    End If
    ' The following call raises an exception, because only the cached properties are available, 
    '  as specified by cacheRequest.AutomationElementMode. If AutomationElementMode had its
    '  default value (Full), this call would be valid.
    '** bool enabled = elementListItem.Current.IsEnabled; **

End Sub

See also