Improved WPF Plugin

The WPF plugin produces less complex element trees and more logical RanoreXPaths. These improvements make your tests more reliable and robust. Ranorex Studio activates the improved plugin by default for all new solutions, and the recommendation is to use the improved plugin for all new projects.

Note: Existing projects that use the WPF plugin from previous Ranorex versions continue to function. Ranorex automatically determines whether to use the legacy or improved plugin based on your project history and current settings.

Automatic plugin selection

Ranorex automatically selects the correct plugin mode based on the presence of WPF elements and your installation type.

	Existing solution		New solution
	with solution settings	without solution settings
Fresh installation
contains WPF elements	use solution settings, no changes	create solution settings, use legacy plug-in with default settings	n/a
doesn’t contain WPF elements	use solution settings and improved plug-in	use current local settings and improved plug-in	use improved plug-in
Upgrade
contains WPF elements	use solution settings, no changes	create solution settings, use the legacy plug-in with previous local settings	n/a
doesn’t contain WPF elements	use solution settings and improved plug-in	use current local settings and improved plug-in	use improved plug-in

Local settings: User settings and solution settings stored on the local machine.
Solution settings: Settings stored within the solution.
Legacy plugin: The WPF plugin from older versions of Ranorex.

Example: You perform a fresh installation and open an existing solution that contains WPF elements and solution settings. Ranorex uses the existing solution settings and makes no changes.

Fresh installation

When you create a new solution, Ranorex activates the improved plugin by default.

When you open an existing solution created in a previous version of Ranorex, the application first scans its repositories for WPF elements:

• WPF elements found
  
  • Solution settings present: No changes are made; existing solution settings apply.
  • No solution settings: Ranorex automatically generates solution settings. The legacy WPF plugin from older versions is activated with default settings.
• No WPF elements found
  
  • Solution settings present: The improved WPF plugin is activated; all other existing solution settings apply.
  • No solution settings: The improved WPF plugin is activated, and the current local settings are used.

Upgrade from an existing installation

When upgrading, Ranorex uses two separate local settings files to determine the correct WPF settings:

• The old local settings file from the previous installation (for example, RanorexConfig[previous].xml).
• A new local settings file created after the upgrade, which is a copy of the old file but configured to use the improved WPF plugin by default.

New solutions use the new local settings file and activate the improved WPF plugin by default. The application scans existing solutions for WPF elements:

• WPF elements found
  • Solution settings present: No changes are made; existing settings apply.
  • No solution settings: Ranorex automatically generates solution settings. The legacy WPF plugin is activated, using settings from the old local settings file.
• No WPF elements found
  • Solution settings present: The improved WPF plugin is activated; all other existing solution settings apply.
  • No solution settings: The improved WPF plugin is activated, and current local settings are used.

Standalone tools configuration

In standalone tools like Ranorex Spy or Ranorex Recorder, the improved WPF plugin is active by default. If your solution does not use the improved WPF plugin, you must manually activate the correct WPF plugin in each standalone tool.

Important: Do not mix repository items created in different WPF plugin operation modes, as this can cause conflicts.

To activate the correct WPF plugin, do the following:

1. Open your solution in Ranorex Studio and click Settings.
2. Navigate to the Plugins tab and select Solution Settings.
3. Scroll to the WPF section and note the value for WPF Legacy/UIA Interaction.
4. Open the standalone tool (for example, Ranorex Spy) and click Settings.
5. Select Solution Settings at the top, and then scroll down to the WPF section.
6. Match the WPF Legacy/UIA Interaction value to the one found in your solution.
7. Click OK.

Manually select the WPF plugin

You can override the automatic selection at any time as follows:

1. With a solution open, click Settings in the toolbar.
2. Go to the Plugins tab, select Solution Settings, and scroll to the WPF section.
3. Choose the desired option for WPF Legacy/UIA Interaction from the drop-down menu.
4. The other WPF settings adjust automatically. For more information on WPF settings, see Plugin Specific SettingsPlugin Specific Settings.
5. Click OK to save your changes.