Trying to get the selected text in the frontmost App using AXUIElement

GetFrontAppSelectedText.swift

func getAXSelectedText() -> String? {
    requestAccessibilityPermissions()
    
    if let text = searchInFocusedTextField() {
        return text
    }
    return nil
}

func searchInFocusedTextField() -> String? {
    guard let appElement = getFrontMostAppElement() else { return nil }
    
    var focusedElement: CFTypeRef?
    let focusedElementResult = AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(appElement, kAXFocusedUIElementAttribute as CFString, &focusedElement)
    
    guard focusedElementResult == .success, let element = focusedElement else {
        print("searchForFocusedTextField: Failed to get the focused element - \(focusedElementResult.rawValue) looking for \(kAXFocusedUIElementAttribute)")
        return nil
    }
    if let text = getTextFromTextElement(element as! AXUIElement) {
        return text
    }
    return searchRecursivelyForTextElementWithSelectedText(element as! AXUIElement)
}

func searchRecursivelyForTextElementWithSelectedText(_ element: AXUIElement) -> String? {
    var childrenRef: CFTypeRef?
    if AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(element, kAXChildrenAttribute /*kAXVisibleChildrenAttribute*/ as CFString, &childrenRef) == .success,
       let children = childrenRef as? [AXUIElement] {
        // The kAXVisibleChildrenAttribute doesn't work when some element is partially visible?
        // kAXVisibleChildrenAttribute doesn't return an element that may be partially visible, it seems
        print("***count of children: \(children.count)")
        var childLimit = 100        // how many is too many?
        for child in children {
            if let text = getTextFromTextElement(child) {
                return text
            }
            print("prepare for recursion")
            // The focus element may just be a container for the selected text we
            // are looking for. Recurse into the child's children
            if let text = searchRecursivelyForTextElementWithSelectedText(child) {
                return text
            }
            childLimit -= 1
            if (childLimit <= 0) {
                print("too many children")
                break
            }
        }
    } else {
        print("no children")
    }
    return nil
}

func getTextFromTextElement(_ element: AXUIElement) -> String? {
    var role: CFTypeRef?
    if AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(element, kAXRoleAttribute as CFString, &role) == .success,
       let roleString = role as? String {
        print("possible find type - roleString: \(roleString)")
        
        if roleString.contains("Text") || roleString == "AXWebArea" {
            print("Found a possible element with text!")
            
            if let selectedText = getSelectedTextOfElement(element) {
                print("Selected text: \(selectedText) in \(roleString)")
                print("Found a text field with selected text!")
                
                return selectedText
            }
        }
    }
    
    return nil
}

func getSelectedTextOfElement(_ element: AXUIElement) -> String? {
    var selectedText: CFTypeRef?
    if AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(element, kAXSelectedTextAttribute as CFString, &selectedText) == .success,
       let selectedTextString = selectedText as? String, !selectedTextString.isEmpty {
        print("Element has selected text: \(selectedTextString)")
        return selectedTextString
    } else {
        var selectionRange: CFTypeRef?
        let selectionRangeResult = AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(element, "AXIntersectionWithSelectionRange" as CFString, &selectionRange)
        
        if selectionRangeResult == .success, let axValue = selectionRange {
            var range = CFRange()
            if AXValueGetValue(axValue as! AXValue, AXValueType.cfRange, &range) {
                print("selection  range: \(range.length) range.location: \(range.location)")
                
                var text: CFTypeRef?
                AXUIElementCopyAttributeValue(element, kAXValueAttribute as CFString, &text)
                if range.length >= 10,
                   let textString = text as? String, textString.count > 0 {
                    print("Static text: \(textString)")
                    print("***Found a static text field with selected text!")
                    return textString
                }
            } else {
                print("Failed to convert AXValue to CFRange.")
            }
        } else {
            print("Element does not have selected text.")
        }
    }
    return nil
}