From 4f694512a2aaba497ac4f13ff6dde8d53ebf2bbb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: =?UTF-8?q?Morten=20Aslo-=C3=98stergaard?= <morten@itinstituttet.dk>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2026 16:48:25 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] test(ui): make the FlaUI suite pass again, without the
 mouse or keyboard

All ten UI tests were failing. Not a product bug: the tests had drifted from
the app, and nothing runs them in CI.

- Dialogs are owned by the main window, so UI Automation lists them under it,
  not at the top level. FindDialog searches both.
- Border / StackPanel / Grid have no automation peer, so the AutomationIds on
  SidebarSessionList and TerminalGrid were never visible. Views/UiaElements adds
  peer-carrying subclasses; sidebar rows, dormant rows, terminal panes, the
  pane close button and the empty-state text get ids.
- Buttons are pressed through the Invoke pattern instead of mouse clicks, and
  sessions are closed with the pane's close button instead of a synthesized
  Ctrl+W: keystrokes fail with "Access is denied" on a locked desktop.
- EmptyState was matched by an exact name its two-line text never had.

10/10 pass, run on a locked screen. Unit tests 765/765.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01NsYm9iLc2aRnRDfV2uZRQX
---
 src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml          |   9 +-
 src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml.cs       |  11 +-
 src/CodeShellManager/Views/UiaElements.cs     |  37 ++++
 .../Helpers/AppActions.cs                     | 161 ++++++++++--------
 tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/LayoutTests.cs |   5 +-
 .../CodeShellManager.UITests/ProfilesTests.cs |  24 +--
 .../CodeShellManager.UITests/SessionTests.cs  |  22 +--
 .../CodeShellManager.UITests/SettingsTests.cs |  31 +---
 8 files changed, 160 insertions(+), 140 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 src/CodeShellManager/Views/UiaElements.cs

diff --git a/src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml b/src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml
index c517e0e..0fd7e04 100644
--- a/src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml
+++ b/src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <Window x:Class="CodeShellManager.MainWindow"
         xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
         xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
+        xmlns:views="clr-namespace:CodeShellManager.Views"
         Title="CodeShellManager" Height="800" Width="1280" MinWidth="800" MinHeight="500"
         Background="#1e1e2e" Foreground="#cdd6f4"
         FontFamily="Segoe UI"
@@ -374,20 +375,20 @@
                         </Grid>
                     </Border>
                     <ScrollViewer VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto">
-                        <StackPanel x:Name="SidebarSessionList" AutomationProperties.AutomationId="SidebarSessionList" Margin="6,6" Background="Transparent"/>
+                        <views:UiaStackPanel x:Name="SidebarSessionList" AutomationProperties.AutomationId="SidebarSessionList" Margin="6,6" Background="Transparent"/>
                     </ScrollViewer>
                 </DockPanel>
             </Grid>
         </Border>
 
         <!-- ── Terminal grid ────────────────────────────────────────────── -->
-        <Grid x:Name="TerminalGrid" AutomationProperties.AutomationId="TerminalGrid" Background="#1e1e2e">
-            <TextBlock x:Name="EmptyState"
+        <views:UiaGrid x:Name="TerminalGrid" AutomationProperties.AutomationId="TerminalGrid" Background="#1e1e2e">
+            <TextBlock x:Name="EmptyState" AutomationProperties.AutomationId="EmptyState"
                        Text="No sessions open.&#x0a;Press Ctrl+T or click ＋ New Session to get started."
                        HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"
                        Foreground="#45475a" FontSize="15" TextAlignment="Center"
                        LineHeight="24"/>
-        </Grid>
+        </views:UiaGrid>
     </DockPanel>
 
         <!-- ── Shutdown board ───────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index af9e80b..188b603 100644
--- a/src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/src/CodeShellManager/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -1765,7 +1765,8 @@ private Border BuildSidebarItem(SessionViewModel vm)
         // BorderBrush by default. UpdateSidebarActiveState toggles BorderBrush to the
         // session accent color when active, so layout doesn't shift as items become
         // active and the active session stays visually distinct from the multi-select tint.
-        var container = new Border
+        // UiaBorder (not Border) so UI Automation can see the row — see Views/UiaElements.
+        var container = new UiaBorder
         {
             Margin = new Thickness(0, 2, 0, 2),
             Background = Brushes.Transparent,
@@ -2182,6 +2183,7 @@ static void UpdateGitText(TextBlock tb, SessionViewModel svm)
             });
         };
 
+        System.Windows.Automation.AutomationProperties.SetAutomationId(container, "SidebarSessionRow");
         return container;
     }
 
@@ -4442,12 +4444,13 @@ private Border BuildTerminalWrapper(SessionViewModel vm, WebView2 webView)
 
         // Outer "active ring" — constant 2px frame; transparent unless this session is active
         // (constant thickness avoids layout shift when activating/deactivating)
-        var activeRing = new Border
+        var activeRing = new UiaBorder
         {
             BorderThickness = new Thickness(2),
             BorderBrush = Brushes.Transparent,
             Tag = accent
         };
+        System.Windows.Automation.AutomationProperties.SetAutomationId(activeRing, "TerminalPane");
 
         // Fires only for the thin ring/chrome AROUND the terminal — WebView2 is an
         // HwndHost, so a click on the terminal itself never reaches WPF as a routed
@@ -4665,6 +4668,7 @@ private Border BuildTerminalWrapper(SessionViewModel vm, WebView2 webView)
             Padding = new Thickness(4, 2, 4, 2),
             Margin = new Thickness(0)
         };
+        System.Windows.Automation.AutomationProperties.SetAutomationId(closeBtn, "TerminalCloseBtn");
         closeBtn.Click += (_, _) => vm.CloseCommand.Execute(null);
 
         DockPanel.SetDock(closeBtn, Dock.Right);
@@ -5584,7 +5588,7 @@ private Border BuildDormantSidebarItem(ShellSession session)
         string accentHex = GetAccentForSession(session);
         var accentColor = (Color)ColorConverter.ConvertFromString(accentHex);
 
-        var container = new Border
+        var container = new UiaBorder
         {
             Margin = new Thickness(0, 2, 0, 2),
             Background = Brushes.Transparent,
@@ -5714,6 +5718,7 @@ private Border BuildDormantSidebarItem(ShellSession session)
             await WakeSessionAsync(session);
         };
 
+        System.Windows.Automation.AutomationProperties.SetAutomationId(container, "SidebarDormantRow");
         return container;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/CodeShellManager/Views/UiaElements.cs b/src/CodeShellManager/Views/UiaElements.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee544b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/CodeShellManager/Views/UiaElements.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+using System.Windows.Automation.Peers;
+using System.Windows.Controls;
+
+namespace CodeShellManager.Views;
+
+// WPF layout elements (Border, StackPanel, Grid) have no automation peer, so UI Automation
+// never sees them however they are tagged: AutomationProperties.AutomationId on one is
+// silently ignored, and FlaUI's FindFirstDescendant can never find it. The sidebar rows,
+// the session list and the terminal panes are all built from these, which is why the FlaUI
+// tests waited out their timeouts on 'SidebarSessionList' and 'TerminalGrid'.
+//
+// These subclasses only add a peer (control type Group), so an AutomationId set on them
+// becomes visible. Layout and rendering are untouched, and they remain a Border / StackPanel
+// / Grid to every caller.
+
+internal sealed class UiaBorder : Border
+{
+    protected override AutomationPeer OnCreateAutomationPeer() => new UiaGroupPeer(this);
+}
+
+internal sealed class UiaStackPanel : StackPanel
+{
+    protected override AutomationPeer OnCreateAutomationPeer() => new UiaGroupPeer(this);
+}
+
+internal sealed class UiaGrid : Grid
+{
+    protected override AutomationPeer OnCreateAutomationPeer() => new UiaGroupPeer(this);
+}
+
+internal sealed class UiaGroupPeer(System.Windows.FrameworkElement owner)
+    : FrameworkElementAutomationPeer(owner)
+{
+    protected override AutomationControlType GetAutomationControlTypeCore() => AutomationControlType.Group;
+    protected override string GetClassNameCore() => Owner.GetType().Name;
+    protected override bool IsControlElementCore() => true;
+}
diff --git a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/Helpers/AppActions.cs b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/Helpers/AppActions.cs
index 89900ce..96e85a8 100644
--- a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/Helpers/AppActions.cs
+++ b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/Helpers/AppActions.cs
@@ -40,63 +40,112 @@ internal static AutomationElement Require(this AutomationElement parent, string
                $"UI element with AutomationId '{automationId}' was not found.");
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Opens the New Session dialog, fills folder and name, and clicks Start Session.
-    /// Waits for the dialog to close before returning.
+    /// Presses a button through UI Automation's Invoke pattern rather than a mouse click.
+    /// A real click moves the user's cursor and lands on whatever window happens to be on
+    /// top; Invoke goes straight to the button. WPF queues the click on the dispatcher, so
+    /// this returns even when the button opens a modal dialog.
     /// </summary>
-    public static void CreateSession(Application app, Window window, UIA3Automation automation,
-        string folder = @"C:\Windows", string name = "Test")
-    {
-        // Click New Session
-        WaitForElement(window, "NewSessionBtn").AsButton().Click();
+    public static void Press(AutomationElement button) => button.AsButton().Invoke();
 
-        // Wait for dialog window
-        var dialogResult = Retry.WhileNull(
-            () => app.GetAllTopLevelWindows(automation)
-                     .FirstOrDefault(w => w.Title == "New Session"),
-            DefaultTimeout);
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Finds an open dialog by title. The app's dialogs are OWNED by the main window, and
+    /// UI Automation lists an owned window under its owner rather than at the top level —
+    /// so <c>GetAllTopLevelWindows</c> alone never sees them, and every test that waited for
+    /// "New Session" or "Settings" that way timed out. Both places are searched.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static Window? FindDialog(Application app, Window main, UIA3Automation automation, string title)
+        => main.FindAllChildren(cf => cf.ByControlType(FlaUI.Core.Definitions.ControlType.Window))
+               .Select(e => e.AsWindow())
+               .FirstOrDefault(w => w.Title == title)
+           ?? app.GetAllTopLevelWindows(automation).FirstOrDefault(w => w.Title == title);
+
+    /// <summary>Waits for a dialog to open, or throws naming it.</summary>
+    public static Window WaitForDialog(Application app, Window main, UIA3Automation automation,
+        string title, TimeSpan? timeout = null)
+    {
+        var result = Retry.WhileNull(() => FindDialog(app, main, automation, title),
+            timeout ?? DefaultTimeout);
+        if (!result.Success || result.Result is null)
+            throw new TimeoutException($"{title} dialog did not open.");
+        return result.Result;
+    }
 
-        if (!dialogResult.Success)
-            throw new TimeoutException("New Session dialog did not open.");
+    /// <summary>Waits for a dialog to close.</summary>
+    public static void WaitForDialogClosed(Application app, Window main, UIA3Automation automation,
+        string title)
+        => Retry.WhileFalse(() => FindDialog(app, main, automation, title) is null, DefaultTimeout);
 
-        var dialog = dialogResult.Result!;
+    /// <summary>Opens the New Session dialog and returns it.</summary>
+    public static Window OpenNewSessionDialog(Application app, Window window, UIA3Automation automation)
+    {
+        Press(WaitForElement(window, "NewSessionBtn"));
+        return WaitForDialog(app, window, automation, "New Session");
+    }
 
-        // Fill folder
-        var folderBox = dialog.Require("NewSessionFolderBox").AsTextBox();
-        folderBox.Text = folder;
+    /// <summary>Opens the Settings window and returns it.</summary>
+    public static Window OpenSettings(Application app, Window window, UIA3Automation automation)
+    {
+        Press(WaitForElement(window, "SettingsBtn"));
+        return WaitForDialog(app, window, automation, "Settings");
+    }
 
-        // Fill name
-        var nameBox = dialog.Require("NewSessionNameBox").AsTextBox();
-        nameBox.Text = name;
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Opens the New Session dialog, fills folder and name, and clicks Start Session.
+    /// Waits for the dialog to close before returning.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static void CreateSession(Application app, Window window, UIA3Automation automation,
+        string folder = @"C:\Windows", string name = "Test")
+    {
+        var dialog = OpenNewSessionDialog(app, window, automation);
 
-        // Click Start Session
-        dialog.Require("NewSessionOkBtn").AsButton().Click();
+        dialog.Require("NewSessionFolderBox").AsTextBox().Text = folder;
+        dialog.Require("NewSessionNameBox").AsTextBox().Text = name;
 
-        // Wait for dialog to close
-        Retry.WhileFalse(
-            () => app.GetAllTopLevelWindows(automation)
-                     .All(w => w.Title != "New Session"),
-            DefaultTimeout);
+        Press(dialog.Require("NewSessionOkBtn"));
+        WaitForDialogClosed(app, window, automation, "New Session");
     }
 
-    /// <summary>Returns the number of direct children in the sidebar session list.</summary>
-    public static int GetSidebarSessionCount(Window window)
-    {
-        var list = WaitForElement(window, "SidebarSessionList");
-        return list.FindAllChildren().Length;
-    }
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The live sidebar rows, top to bottom, found by their AutomationId
+    /// (<c>SidebarSessionRow</c>) rather than as the list's children: the list also holds
+    /// group and worktree-cluster headers, and in inline-headers mode the rows sit inside
+    /// group sections.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static AutomationElement[] GetSidebarSessionRows(Window window)
+        => WaitForElement(window, "SidebarSessionList")
+           .FindAllDescendants(cf => cf.ByAutomationId("SidebarSessionRow"));
+
+    /// <summary>Number of live sessions in the sidebar.</summary>
+    public static int GetSidebarSessionCount(Window window) => GetSidebarSessionRows(window).Length;
 
-    /// <summary>Returns the number of visible children in the terminal grid.</summary>
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Number of terminal panes laid out in the grid. Only direct children are inspected —
+    /// a descendant search would walk into every WebView2's page tree.
+    /// </summary>
     public static int GetTerminalGridChildCount(Window window)
+        => WaitForElement(window, "TerminalGrid")
+           .FindAllChildren(cf => cf.ByAutomationId("TerminalPane"))
+           .Length;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Closes the first pane in the grid with its toolbar ✕ (<c>TerminalCloseBtn</c>).
+    /// Returns false when there is no pane left. Used instead of Ctrl+W: synthesized
+    /// keystrokes need an unlocked, focused desktop ("Access is denied" otherwise), while
+    /// Invoke reaches the button regardless.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static bool CloseFirstSession(Window window)
     {
-        var grid = WaitForElement(window, "TerminalGrid");
-        return grid.FindAllChildren(cf => cf.ByControlType(FlaUI.Core.Definitions.ControlType.Pane))
-                   .Length;
+        var pane = WaitForElement(window, "TerminalGrid")
+            .FindFirstChild(cf => cf.ByAutomationId("TerminalPane"));
+        if (pane is null) return false;
+        Press(pane.Require("TerminalCloseBtn"));
+        return true;
     }
 
     /// <summary>Clicks a layout button by its AutomationId (e.g. "Layout_Two").</summary>
     public static void SetLayout(Window window, string layoutAutomationId)
     {
-        WaitForElement(window, layoutAutomationId).AsButton().Click();
+        Press(WaitForElement(window, layoutAutomationId));
         System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(300); // let layout refresh
     }
 
@@ -108,35 +157,13 @@ public static void SetLayout(Window window, string layoutAutomationId)
     public static void CreateSshSession(Application app, Window window, UIA3Automation automation,
         string host = "user@test-host", string name = "SSH Test")
     {
-        WaitForElement(window, "NewSessionBtn").AsButton().Click();
-
-        var dialogResult = Retry.WhileNull(
-            () => app.GetAllTopLevelWindows(automation)
-                     .FirstOrDefault(w => w.Title == "New Session"),
-            DefaultTimeout);
-
-        if (!dialogResult.Success)
-            throw new TimeoutException("New Session dialog did not open.");
-
-        var dialog = dialogResult.Result!;
-
-        // Switch to Remote mode
-        dialog.Require("NewSessionRemoteRadio").AsRadioButton().Click();
-
-        // Fill SSH host
-        var hostBox = dialog.Require("NewSessionSshHostBox").AsTextBox();
-        hostBox.Text = host;
-
-        // Fill session name
-        var nameBox = dialog.Require("NewSessionNameBox").AsTextBox();
-        nameBox.Text = name;
+        var dialog = OpenNewSessionDialog(app, window, automation);
 
-        // Click Start Session
-        dialog.Require("NewSessionOkBtn").AsButton().Click();
+        dialog.Require("NewSessionRemoteRadio").AsRadioButton().IsChecked = true;
+        dialog.Require("NewSessionSshHostBox").AsTextBox().Text = host;
+        dialog.Require("NewSessionNameBox").AsTextBox().Text = name;
 
-        Retry.WhileFalse(
-            () => app.GetAllTopLevelWindows(automation)
-                     .All(w => w.Title != "New Session"),
-            DefaultTimeout);
+        Press(dialog.Require("NewSessionOkBtn"));
+        WaitForDialogClosed(app, window, automation, "New Session");
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/LayoutTests.cs b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/LayoutTests.cs
index f0dc2c3..08af7ab 100644
--- a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/LayoutTests.cs
+++ b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/LayoutTests.cs
@@ -62,11 +62,10 @@ public void TwoByTwo_OffscreenSession_BecomesVisibleOnSelect()
         Thread.Sleep(500);
 
         // Click the 5th sidebar item (index 4) — it's off-screen in the 2×2 grid
-        var sidebar = AppActions.WaitForElement(_f.MainWindow, "SidebarSessionList");
-        var items = sidebar.FindAllChildren();
+        var items = AppActions.GetSidebarSessionRows(_f.MainWindow);
         Assert.True(items.Length >= 5, $"Expected ≥5 sidebar items, got {items.Length}");
 
-        items[4].Click();
+        items[4].Click(); // a real click: rows react to the mouse and have no Invoke pattern
         Thread.Sleep(500);
 
         // After clicking, the viewport should scroll and the 5th pane should appear in the grid
diff --git a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/ProfilesTests.cs b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/ProfilesTests.cs
index 23f728e..efc368f 100644
--- a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/ProfilesTests.cs
+++ b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/ProfilesTests.cs
@@ -21,17 +21,7 @@ public void ProfileCombo_AbsentWhenSettingOff()
         // Default state: ImportWindowsTerminalProfiles = false.
         // Open the New Session dialog and confirm the Profile combobox is absent or hidden.
 
-        AppActions.WaitForElement(_f.MainWindow, "NewSessionBtn").AsButton().Click();
-
-        var dialogResult = Retry.WhileNull(
-            () => _f.App.GetAllTopLevelWindows(_f.Automation)
-                        .FirstOrDefault(w => w.Title == "New Session"),
-            TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
-
-        if (!dialogResult.Success)
-            throw new TimeoutException("New Session dialog did not open.");
-
-        var dialog = dialogResult.Result!;
+        var dialog = AppActions.OpenNewSessionDialog(_f.App, _f.MainWindow, _f.Automation);
 
         // The combobox should either not be in the tree or be off-screen (parent
         // StackPanel is Visibility="Collapsed" by default).
@@ -54,17 +44,7 @@ public void ImportWindowsTerminalProfilesCheckbox_IsPresentInSettings()
     {
         // Verify the new settings checkbox renders so users can opt in.
 
-        AppActions.WaitForElement(_f.MainWindow, "SettingsBtn").AsButton().Click();
-
-        var settingsResult = Retry.WhileNull(
-            () => _f.App.GetAllTopLevelWindows(_f.Automation)
-                        .FirstOrDefault(w => w.Title == "Settings"),
-            TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
-
-        if (!settingsResult.Success)
-            throw new TimeoutException("Settings window did not open.");
-
-        var settingsWindow = settingsResult.Result!;
+        var settingsWindow = AppActions.OpenSettings(_f.App, _f.MainWindow, _f.Automation);
 
         var checkbox = settingsWindow.FindFirstDescendant(
             cf => cf.ByAutomationId("ImportWindowsTerminalProfilesCheck"));
diff --git a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/SessionTests.cs b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/SessionTests.cs
index 01a4483..f9d4355 100644
--- a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/SessionTests.cs
+++ b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/SessionTests.cs
@@ -40,11 +40,7 @@ public void CloseSession_RemovedFromSidebar()
         int before = AppActions.GetSidebarSessionCount(_f.MainWindow);
         Assert.True(before > 0, "Expected at least one session before closing.");
 
-        // Use Ctrl+W keyboard shortcut to close active session
-        _f.MainWindow.Focus();
-        FlaUI.Core.Input.Keyboard.TypeSimultaneously(
-            FlaUI.Core.WindowsAPI.VirtualKeyShort.CONTROL,
-            FlaUI.Core.WindowsAPI.VirtualKeyShort.KEY_W);
+        Assert.True(AppActions.CloseFirstSession(_f.MainWindow), "No terminal pane to close.");
         Thread.Sleep(1000);
 
         int after = AppActions.GetSidebarSessionCount(_f.MainWindow);
@@ -56,19 +52,13 @@ public void EmptyState_ShownWhenNoSessions()
     {
         // Close all sessions until empty
         int count = AppActions.GetSidebarSessionCount(_f.MainWindow);
-        for (int i = 0; i < count + 2; i++) // extra iterations are safe
-        {
-            _f.MainWindow.Focus();
-            FlaUI.Core.Input.Keyboard.TypeSimultaneously(
-                FlaUI.Core.WindowsAPI.VirtualKeyShort.CONTROL,
-                FlaUI.Core.WindowsAPI.VirtualKeyShort.KEY_W);
+        for (int i = 0; i < count + 2 && AppActions.CloseFirstSession(_f.MainWindow); i++)
             Thread.Sleep(500);
-        }
 
-        // EmptyState TextBlock should be visible
-        var emptyState = _f.MainWindow.FindFirstDescendant(
-            cf => cf.ByName("No sessions open."));
-        Assert.NotNull(emptyState);
+        // The EmptyState TextBlock should be visible. Matched by AutomationId: its text is
+        // two lines, so the old exact-name match on "No sessions open." could never hit.
+        var emptyState = AppActions.WaitForElement(_f.MainWindow, "EmptyState");
+        Assert.False(emptyState.IsOffscreen, "Empty-state text should be visible with no sessions.");
     }
 
     [Fact]
diff --git a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/SettingsTests.cs b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/SettingsTests.cs
index ea20647..e1d2d4b 100644
--- a/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/SettingsTests.cs
+++ b/tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/SettingsTests.cs
@@ -19,44 +19,25 @@ public sealed class SettingsTests : IClassFixture<AppFixture>
     public void MaxResults_PersistsAfterSave()
     {
         // Open Settings
-        AppActions.WaitForElement(_f.MainWindow, "SettingsBtn").AsButton().Click();
-
-        var settingsResult = Retry.WhileNull(
-            () => _f.App.GetAllTopLevelWindows(_f.Automation)
-                        .FirstOrDefault(w => w.Title == "Settings"),
-            TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
-
-        if (!settingsResult.Success)
-            throw new TimeoutException("Settings window did not open.");
-
-        var settingsWindow = settingsResult.Result!;
+        var settingsWindow = AppActions.OpenSettings(_f.App, _f.MainWindow, _f.Automation);
 
         // Set Max Search Results to 42
         var maxResultsBox = settingsWindow.Require("MaxSearchResultsBox").AsTextBox();
         maxResultsBox.Text = "42";
 
         // Click Save
-        settingsWindow.Require("SettingsSaveBtn").AsButton().Click();
-        Thread.Sleep(500);
+        AppActions.Press(settingsWindow.Require("SettingsSaveBtn"));
+        AppActions.WaitForDialogClosed(_f.App, _f.MainWindow, _f.Automation, "Settings");
 
         // Reopen Settings and verify value persisted
-        AppActions.WaitForElement(_f.MainWindow, "SettingsBtn").AsButton().Click();
-
-        var settingsResult2 = Retry.WhileNull(
-            () => _f.App.GetAllTopLevelWindows(_f.Automation)
-                        .FirstOrDefault(w => w.Title == "Settings"),
-            TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
-
-        if (!settingsResult2.Success)
-            throw new TimeoutException("Settings window did not reopen.");
-
-        var settingsWindow2 = settingsResult2.Result!;
+        var settingsWindow2 = AppActions.OpenSettings(_f.App, _f.MainWindow, _f.Automation);
 
         var maxResultsBox2 = settingsWindow2.Require("MaxSearchResultsBox").AsTextBox();
 
         Assert.Equal("42", maxResultsBox2.Text);
 
         // Close settings
-        settingsWindow2.Require("SettingsSaveBtn").AsButton().Click();
+        AppActions.Press(settingsWindow2.Require("SettingsSaveBtn"));
+        AppActions.WaitForDialogClosed(_f.App, _f.MainWindow, _f.Automation, "Settings");
     }
 }

From dbf67f71d178c75735ef613fcdee92334a493db3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: =?UTF-8?q?Morten=20Aslo-=C3=98stergaard?= <morten@itinstituttet.dk>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2026 16:48:48 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] docs(claude): how to write UI tests that UI Automation
 can see

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01NsYm9iLc2aRnRDfV2uZRQX
---
 CLAUDE.md | 8 +++++++-
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index fa7b0be..935cbae 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -1014,7 +1014,13 @@ Persisted in `state.json`. Key settings:
 | `tests/CodeShellManager.Tests/` | Unit tests (xunit) | `dotnet test tests/CodeShellManager.Tests/` |
 | `tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/` | FlaUI UI tests | `dotnet test tests/CodeShellManager.UITests/` |
 
-Unit tests cover model logic (`ShellSession`, etc.) and run headless. UI tests require the app running on a live Windows desktop.
+Unit tests cover model logic (`ShellSession`, etc.) and run headless. UI tests launch the Debug build (`src/CodeShellManager/bin/Debug/…`, so build it first) with `CSM_STATE_PATH` pointed at a temp file.
+
+**Writing UI tests: three things that silently break them.** All ten were failing for these reasons before they were fixed; nothing runs them in CI, so they drift.
+
+- **Layout elements are invisible to UI Automation.** `Border`, `StackPanel` and `Grid` have no automation peer, so an `AutomationId` set on one is ignored and `FindFirstDescendant` never finds it. Anything a test must find uses `Views/UiaElements` (`UiaBorder` / `UiaStackPanel` / `UiaGrid`: the same element plus a Group peer). Current ids: `SidebarSessionList`, `SidebarSessionRow`, `SidebarDormantRow`, `TerminalGrid`, `TerminalPane`, `TerminalCloseBtn`, `EmptyState`.
+- **Dialogs are owned windows.** UI Automation lists them under the main window, not at the top level. Use `AppActions.FindDialog` / `WaitForDialog`, not `GetAllTopLevelWindows`.
+- **Press, don't click or type.** `AppActions.Press` uses the Invoke pattern. Mouse clicks move the user's real cursor, and synthesized keystrokes fail with "Access is denied" on a locked or remote-disconnected desktop; with Invoke the suite passes on a locked screen. Avoid descendant searches inside a terminal pane, which walk into the WebView2 page tree.
 
 `ShellSession.BuildSshArgs()` is `internal` — accessible from tests via `[assembly: InternalsVisibleTo("CodeShellManager.Tests")]` in `AssemblyInfo.cs`.