How to improve performance of TestApi's Keyboard.Type method?

Question

I'm using Keyboard.Type method from the TestApi project in order to enter a string into a text box.

    /// <summary>
    /// Types the specified text.
    /// </summary>
    /// <remarks>
    /// Note that a combination of a combination of Key.Shift or Key.Capital and a Unicode point above 0xFE
    /// is not considered valid and will not result in the Unicode point being types without 
    /// applying of the modifier key.
    /// </remarks>
    /// <param name="text">The text to type.</param>
    public static void Type(string text)
    {
        foreach (char c in text)
        {
            // If code point is bigger than 8 bits, we are going for Unicode approach by setting wVk to 0.
            if (c > 0xFE)
            {
                SendKeyboardKey(c, true, false, true);
                SendKeyboardKey(c, false, false, true);
            }
            else
            {
                // We get the vKey value for the character via a Win32 API. We then use bit masks to pull the
                // upper and lower bytes to get the shift state and key information. We then use WPF KeyInterop
                // to go from the vKey key info into a System.Windows.Input.Key data structure. This work is
                // necessary because Key doesn't distinguish between upper and lower case, so we have to wrap
                // the key type inside a shift press/release if necessary.
                int vKeyValue = NativeMethods.VkKeyScan(c);
                bool keyIsShifted = (vKeyValue & NativeMethods.VKeyShiftMask) == NativeMethods.VKeyShiftMask;
                Key key = (Key)(vKeyValue & NativeMethods.VKeyCharMask);

                if (keyIsShifted)
                {
                    Type(key, new Key[] { Key.Shift });
                }
                else
                {
                    Type(key);
                }
            }
        }
    }

    private static void SendKeyboardKey(ushort key, bool isKeyDown, bool isExtended, bool isUnicode)
    {
        var input = new NativeMethods.INPUT();
        input.Type = NativeMethods.INPUT_KEYBOARD;
        if (!isKeyDown)
        {
            input.Data.Keyboard.dwFlags |= NativeMethods.KEYEVENTF_KEYUP;
        }

        if (isUnicode)
        {
            input.Data.Keyboard.dwFlags |= NativeMethods.KEYEVENTF_UNICODE;
            input.Data.Keyboard.wScan = key;
            input.Data.Keyboard.wVk = 0;
        }
        else
        {
            input.Data.Keyboard.wScan = 0;
            input.Data.Keyboard.wVk = key;
        }

        if (isExtended)
        {
            input.Data.Keyboard.dwFlags |= NativeMethods.KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY;
        }

        input.Data.Keyboard.time = 0;
        input.Data.Keyboard.dwExtraInfo = IntPtr.Zero;

        NativeMethods.SendInput(1, new NativeMethods.INPUT[] { input }, Marshal.SizeOf(input));
        Thread.Sleep(100);
    }

It works, but it enters the text rather slow. I want to improve the speed. Ideally, it should set the text instantanteously (think of pasting the text into the text field).

Is there an easy way to implement it (setting the text of a text field to some string all at once) in C#?

Answer 1

Found the answer:

    private void setText(AutomationElement aEditableTextField, string aText)
    {
        ValuePattern pattern = aEditableTextField.GetCurrentPattern(ValuePattern.Pattern) as ValuePattern;

        if (pattern != null)
        {
            pattern.SetValue(aText);
        }
    }