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UI Automation Support for the TabItem Control Type

  • Article

This topic provides information about Microsoft UI Automation support for the TabItem control type.

A tab item control is used as the control within a tab control that selects a specific page to be shown in a window.

The following sections define the required UI Automation tree structure, properties, control patterns, and events for the TabItem control type. The UI Automation requirements apply to all tab item controls, whether Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Microsoft 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 tab item controls and describes what can be contained in each view. For more information about the UI Automation tree, see UI Automation Tree Overview.

Control View Content View
  • TabItem
    • Image (0 or 1)
    • Text
    • Pane
      • Various controls (0 or more)
  • TabItem
    • Pane
      • Various controls (0 or more)

Required UI Automation Properties

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

UI Automation Property Value Notes
UIA_AutomationIdPropertyId See notes. The value of this property needs to be unique across all controls in an application.
UIA_BoundingRectanglePropertyId See notes. The outermost rectangle that contains the whole control.
UIA_ClickablePointPropertyId See notes. The tab item control must have a clickable point that causes the item to become selected.
UIA_ControllerForPropertyId See notes. This property can be used as pointer to the associated tab pane. This is useful when it cannot host a pane as child of the tab item object.
UIA_ControlTypePropertyId TabItem This value is the same for all UI frameworks.
UIA_IsContentElementPropertyId TRUE The tab item control is always included in the content view of the UI Automation tree.
UIA_IsControlElementPropertyId TRUE The tab item control is always included in the control view of the UI Automation tree.
UIA_IsKeyboardFocusablePropertyId See notes. If the control can receive keyboard focus, it must support this property.
UIA_LabeledByPropertyId Null The tab item control does not have a static text label.
UIA_LocalizedControlTypePropertyId See notes. Localized string corresponding to the TabItem control type. The default value is "tab item" for en-US or English (United States).
UIA_NamePropertyId See notes. The tab item control self-labeled.

Required UI Automation Control Patterns

The following table lists the UI Automation control patterns required to be supported by all tab item controls. For more information on control patterns, see UI Automation Control Patterns Overview.

Control Pattern/Pattern Property Support/Value Notes
ISelectionItemProvider Yes The tab item control must support IUIAutomationSelectionItemPattern.
IInvokeProvider No The tab item control never supports IUIAutomationInvokePattern.

Required UI Automation Events

The following table lists the UI Automation events that tab item controls are required to support. For more information on events, see UI Automation Events Overview.

UI Automation Event Notes
UIA_AutomationFocusChangedEventId None
UIA_BoundingRectanglePropertyId property-changed event. None
UIA_IsEnabledPropertyId property-changed event. If the control supports the IsEnabled property, it must support this event.
UIA_IsOffscreenPropertyId property-changed event. If the control supports the IsOffscreen property, it must support this event.
UIA_SelectionItem_ElementRemovedFromSelectionEventId None
UIA_SelectionItem_ElementSelectedEventId None
UIA_StructureChangedEventId None