NVDA can't read Data Validation drop down in Excel 365

[Qchristensen]

Steps to reproduce:

1. Have NVDA and Excel running :)
2. In a blank cell, press alt, a, v, enter to open data validation
3. Tab to "Allow" and select "List".
4. Tab to "Source" and type:
   1, 2, 3
5. Press enter to save the data validation.
6. Navigate away from and back to the cell with data validation
7. Press alt+down arrow to open the drop down list (which should contain the options 1, 2, and 3).
8. down arrow through the list.

Actual behavior:

At Step 6, NVDA reports the "Submenu"
At Step 7, the menu opens but nothing is reported
At step 8, NVDA only reports "Submenu A1" (Where "A1" is the coordinates of the cell you are using)

Expected behavior:

NVDA should report the current list item while moving through the list.

NVDA logs, crash dumps and other attachments:

Logs with and without UIA enabled for Excel (the only difference is that with UIA enabled, NOTHING is reported when down arrow is pressed in the list. Without UIA enabled, NVDA reports the submenu again, but not the list item.

DataValidationWithoutUIA.txt
DataValidationWithUIA.txt

System configuration

NVDA installed/portable/running from source:

NVDA version:

alpha-28643,03033ba6 installed

Also tried the current alpha-28675,384a7428 and NVDA 2023.1 with same results.

Windows version:

Windows 11 (64-bit) Version: 22H2, Build: 22621.1992

Name and version of other software in use when reproducing the issue:

Office 365 (64-bit) Version: 16.0.16529.20118

Other information about your system:

Other questions

Does the issue still occur after restarting your computer?

Have you tried any other versions of NVDA? If so, please report their behaviors.

As above

If NVDA add-ons are disabled, is your problem still occurring?

Yes

Does the issue still occur after you run the COM Registration Fixing Tool in NVDA's tools menu?

[Qchristensen]

The only workaround I can find is that you CAN select items in the data validation list, you just don't get any feedback until you do:

1. Press alt+down arrow to open the list.
2. The first time you open this, the first item will be selected. After that, press down arrow once to move to the next item.
3. Press ENTER to select the item and close the drop down.
4. NVDA will then read the item which is selected. If this is not the desired item, repeat from step one above.

(Also reported to Microsoft today 14/07/2023)

[michaelDCurran]

Note that the data validation list (which does not work) is different to the auto complete combo box (E.g. choosing a value from above cells) which does still work.

Technical:
For the data validation list:
Via both UIA and MSAA, Excel fires focus and selection events on list items within a standard SysListview32 control.
NVDA ignores UIA and falls back to MSAA, as the window in question reports that it is non-native UIA (I.e. IsServersideProvider returns 0).
However, although Excel fires MSAA events for focus and selection, it does not allow fetching of valid MsAA object for them. I.e. AccessibleObjectFromEvent returns E_UNEXPECTED when giving it the event parameters for those events.
To solve this, either:

• Excel needs to mark this window as being native UIA, or
• Excel needs to stop refusing to create MSAA objects for this window, or
• NVDA needs to explicitly treat this window as supporting UIA.

[zstanecic]

Hi, I am for crowdin, but how we will proceed with current documentation then? It is not an easy solution when it goes to switch. It cannot happen overnight. From: Michael Curran ***@***.***> Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2023 11:44 PM To: nvaccess/nvda ***@***.***> Cc: Subscribed ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [nvaccess/nvda] NVDA can't read Data Validation drop down in Excel 365 (Issue #15138) Note that the data validation list (which does not work) is different to the auto complete combo box (E.g. choosing a value from above cells) which does still work. Technical: For the data validation list: Via both UIA and MSAA, Excel fires focus and selection events on list items within a standard SysListview32 control. NVDA ignores UIA and falls back to MSAA, as the window in question reports that it is non-native UIA (I.e. IsServersideProvider returns 0). However, although Excel fires MSAA events for focus and selection, it does not allow fetching of valid MsAA object for them. I.e. AccessibleObjectFromEvent returns E_UNEXPECTED when giving it the event parameters for those events. To solve this, either: * Excel needs to mark this window as being native UIA, or * Excel needs to stop refusing to create MSAA objects for this window, or * NVDA needs to explicitly treat this window as supporting UIA. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#15138 (comment)> , or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ACVCDE44RRPIXN5Z63AJ6Y3XRGRBDANCNFSM6AAAAAA2JY4STQ> . You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. <https://github.com/notifications/beacon/ACVCDE7GSQWHRPQDZTKGF63XRGRBDA5CNFSM6AAAAAA2JY4STSWGG33NNVSW45C7OR4XAZNMJFZXG5LFINXW23LFNZ2KUY3PNVWWK3TUL5UWJTTCA5EUC.gif> Message ID: ***@***.*** ***@***.***> >

[seanbudd]

@zstanecic - you have replied to the wrong issue

[gauravahir28]

Is there a possibility of resolving this issue in NVDA 2023.2? I'm aware of many NVDA users who are experiencing this issue. The dropdowns seem to function correctly with Narrator. This problem is making it difficult to transition between Narrator and NVDA due to this issue.

[Adriani90]

This issue must have appeared in a recent build of MS Office 365. Not sure if it has an impact on this, but does it occur also when selective registering for UIA events is disabled in NVDA's advanced settings?

[gauravahir28]

I was unable to locate the "Disabled" option within the "selective registering for UIA events" settings. Despite trying all the available options [ "Global," "Selective," and "Automatic" ] the problem persists.

[cary-rowen]

@Adriani90 wrote:

This issue must have appeared in a recent build of MS Office 365. Not sure if it has an impact on this, but does it occur also when selective registering for UIA events is disabled in NVDA's advanced settings?

Yes!

[gauravahir28]

Is there any possibility of getting this fixed in 2024.1? Just for the dropdowns, switching between Narrator and NVDA is impacting productivity a lot!
CC @michaelDCurran, @seanbudd