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Implementing the UI Automation Table Control Pattern

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This topic introduces guidelines and conventions for implementing ITableProvider, including information about properties and methods. Links to additional references are listed at the end of the topic.

The Table control pattern is used to support controls that act as containers for a collection of child elements. The children of this element must implement ITableItemProvider and be organized in a two-dimensional logical coordinate system that can be traversed by row and column. This control pattern is analogous to IGridProvider with the distinction that any control implementing ITableProvider must also expose a column and/or row header relationship for each child element. For examples of controls that implement this control pattern, see Control Pattern Mapping for UI Automation Clients.

This topic contains the following sections.

  • Implementation Guidelines and Conventions
  • Required Members for ITableProvider
  • Related Topics

Implementation Guidelines and Conventions

When implementing the Table control pattern, note the following guidelines and conventions:

  • Access to the content of individual cells is through a two-dimensional logical coordinate system or array provided by the required, concurrent implementation of IGridProvider.

  • A column or row header can be contained within a table object or be a separate header object that is associated with a table object.

  • Column and row headers may include both a primary header as well as any supporting headers.

    Note  This concept becomes evident in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet where a user has defined a "First name" column. This column now has two headers, including the "First name" header defined by the user, and the alphanumeric designation for that column assigned by the application.

  • See Implementing the UI Automation Grid Control Pattern for related grid functionality.

    The following image shows a table with complex column headers.

    Example of a table with complex column headers.

    The following image shows a table with an ambiguous RowOrColumnMajor property.

    Example of a table with an ambiguous RowOrColumnMajor property.

Required Members for ITableProvider

The following properties and methods are required for implementing the ITableProvider interface.

Required members Member type Notes
ITableProvider::RowOrColumnMajor Property None
ITableProvider::GetColumnHeaders Method None
ITableProvider::GetRowHeaders Method None

This control pattern has no associated events.