test(ui): make the FlaUI suite pass again, without the mouse or keyboard

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`.
 

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 ───────────────────────────────────────────────

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;
     }
 

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;
+}

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");
     }
 }

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