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UI Automation in UFT One
Relevant for: GUI tests and components
This topic describes UI Automation and UIA Pro in UFT One.
UI Automation
Microsoft UI Automation is a framework that enables you to access, identify, and manipulate UI elements of any application by providing programmatic access to these user interface elements.
The UI Automation API enables this access by using the IUIAutomationElement interface to make each element into a separate object. You can then view the properties and operations of each object in the application.
UFT One uses the different parts of the framework to create both test objects based on your application, and supported test object methods.
Use the following elements to understand the framework:
| Element tree | The hierarchy of elements in the application, which displays a logical division and hierarchy of all user interface elements in the application. |
| Control Type property | The appearance and functionality of the object. |
| Control Patterns |
These patterns also contain methods specific for the pattern. Control patterns are a way to categorize and expose a control's function independent of the control type or the appearance of the control. There is no one-to-one matching of the control type property to control patterns - each control type can support multiple types of patterns and each pattern can be used by multiple control types. |
For full details on the UI Automation framework, see the UI Automation section on MSDN.
Enable UI Automation support
Use the UFT One UI Automation support with any Windows-based application that has implemented UI Automation provider interfaces. The support is loaded as with an add-in, by selecting UI Automation in the Add-ins Manager when starting UFT One.
Note: When recording or spying, select UI Automation Mode in the record toolbar or the Object Spy dialog box.
When in use, UFT One UI Automation support overrides other technology support.
For details about technologies validated for UI Automation and UFT One, see the Support Matrix.
UIA Pro
UI Automation Pro (UIA Pro) is an enhanced version of the existing UI Automation Support. Like UI Automation Support, it enables users to test Windows-based applications that have implemented UI Automation provider interfaces.
In addition, it makes test creation and maintenance easier, improves test performance, and provides support for more objects, methods, and patterns.
For details, see Use UFT One UIA Pro (tech preview).
See also:
