Python UI Automation text fetching from a Windows contro sample

textfetch.py

import uiautomation as auto

# move mouse cursor over a text box with some text in it first
c = auto.ControlFromCursor()

v = c.GetValuePattern()
print(v.Value) # should print the contents of the text box

# now select some text in that same control
t = c.GetTextPattern()
sel = t.GetSelection()[0] # get the first selected range (I think the returned list is to support separate selection ranges)
sel.GetText() # should print out the selected text

# NB: not everything in TextRange is implemented correctly
# in particular, operations like ExpandToEnclosingUnit() don't have the right
# signature when you compare the python-uiautomation source with the docs for
# the native com API that Microsoft publishes
# 
# also, there does not seem to be a way to get the position of the caret (which
# is what TextPattern#GetSelection does) in terms of "how many characters into
# the ValuePattern#Value" is it. Haven't found a workaround for that yet sadly.

Yep, the gist as written is what worked for accessing the edit control in Gitter - but it will depend on the app in question. A more robust version would find the control currently focused and look at that.