macOS accessibility API on WebKit applications with AXTextMarker

Question

I need to access data from webkit applications such as Safari, Mail and maybe others. I can see in the Accessibility Inspector there is :AXTextMarker

Answer 1

Tips and tricks:

Ask focussedElement for its supported attributes. Use the functions:

AXError AXUIElementCopyAttributeNames(AXUIElementRef element, CFArrayRef  _Nullable *names);

Returns a list of all the attributes supported by the specified accessibility object.

and

AXError AXUIElementCopyParameterizedAttributeNames(AXUIElementRef element, CFArrayRef  _Nullable *names);

Returns a list of all the parameterized attributes supported by the specified accessibility object.

Most undocumented attributes are self explanatory.

For example get the selected text as attributed string:

CFTypeRef markerRange = NULL;
AXError error = AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(focussedElement, (CFStringRef)@"AXSelectedTextMarkerRange", &markerRange);
CFTypeRef result = NULL;
error = AXUIElementCopyParameterizedAttributeValue(focussedElement, (CFStringRef)@"AXAttributedStringForTextMarkerRange", markerRange, &result);