Can't use UIAutomationClient from console project manually referencing UIAutomationClient.dll

[LyndonGingerich]

Context

I am tired of having to make four clicks to open a specific meeting in Microsoft Teams, so I decided to make a script to do it with a custom key combination. Phind gave me a starting script using System.Windows.Automation:

Phind's script

open System
open System.Windows.Automation

// Initialize the UI Automation framework
let automation = new UIAutomationClient.CUIAutomation()

// Define a function to find a window by its title
let findWindowByTitle title =
    automation.GetRootElement().FindFirst(TreeScope.Descendants, 
        Automation.ControlTypeProperty.PropertyCondition(ControlType.Window), 
        Automation.NameProperty.PropertyCondition(title))

// Define a function to click a button by its name
let clickButtonByName name =
    let button = automation.GetRootElement().FindFirst(TreeScope.Descendants, 
        Automation.ControlTypeProperty.PropertyCondition(ControlType.Button), 
        Automation.NameProperty.PropertyCondition(name))
    button.InvokePattern.Invoke()

// Define a function to move and maximize a window
let moveAndMaximizeWindow (window: AutomationElement) =
    let windowPattern = window.GetCurrentPattern(WindowPattern.Pattern) :?> WindowPattern
    windowPattern.SetWindowVisualState(WindowVisualState.Maximized)
    // Moving the window to a specific monitor would require calculating the screen position
    // This example does not cover moving the window

// Main script logic
let main argv =
    // Attempt to find the Microsoft Teams window
    let teamsWindow = findWindowByTitle "Microsoft Teams"
    if teamsWindow <> null then
        // Attempt to find and click the "Join Now" button
        clickButtonByName "Join Now"
        // Move and maximize the window (example)
        moveAndMaximizeWindow teamsWindow
    else
        printfn "Microsoft Teams window not found."

Current state

After a convoluted sequence of potential solutions tried, I arrived at a .NET project targeting net8.0-windows (in case these utilities are Windows-specific).

I have referenced the DLL directly from my .fsproj:

<ItemGroup>
    <Reference Include="UIAutomationClient">
        <HintPath>[dotnet path]\packs\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Ref\8.0.2\ref\net8.0\UIAutomationClient.dll</HintPath>
    </Reference>
</ItemGroup>

Now I can open System.Windows.Automation, which is more than I have been able to do using other means so far, but UIAutomationClient is still not defined, despite the DLL reference.

What am I missing?

dotnet/core#3283 suggests that I need to be writing a .NET desktop application, but I specifically wish to avoid clicks, not to open more GUI windows, so I would prefer to use a console application if at all possible.

[huoyaoyuan]

You can create a Console application with Windows Desktop SDK, like this:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0-windows</TargetFramework>
    <UseWPF>true</UseWPF>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Program.fs" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

Note the OutputType here. UseWPF will bring you the UIAutomation library correctly.

but UIAutomationClient is still not defined, despite the DLL reference.

CUIAutomation looks like the COM based UI automation, not the one in System.Windows.Automation.

[singhashish-wpf]

@LyndonGingerich Does the answer from @huoyaoyuan solve your issue?

[LyndonGingerich]

Thank you. I will back up and try using a different tutorial. UseWPF seems to be working.