@@ -182,6 +182,25 @@ def __auto_array(self, elements: list[Element]):
         if len(elements) == 0:
             return []
 
+        return self._typed_array(elements)
+
+    def _typed_array(self, elements: list[Element]) -> "ElementArray":
+        """Build a collection using the most specific compatible array type.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        elements : list[Element]
+            Selected references, in their desired order.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        ElementArray
+            Specialized array when possible, otherwise a generic array.
+            An empty selection returns an empty generic array.
+        """
+        if not elements:
+            return self.__create_array("", Element, elements)
+
         import inspect
 
         def mro_as_list(cls: type) -> list[type]:
@@ -210,6 +229,22 @@ def mro_as_list(cls: type) -> list[type]:
 
         return self.__create_array("", chosen, elements)
 
+    def _select_names(self, pattern: str) -> "ElementArray":
+        """Select names without interpreting field selectors.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        pattern : str
+            A fnmatch pattern applied to each element name.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        ElementArray
+            Typed selection in the original order, including an empty array
+            when no names match.
+        """
+        return self._typed_array([element for element in self if fnmatch.fnmatch(element.get_name(), pattern)])
+
     def __is_bool_mask(self, other: object) -> bool:
         """Return True if 'other' looks like a boolean mask (list or numpy array)."""
         # --- numpy boolean array ---
 
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import fnmatch
 import re
 from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, overload
 
 from ...arrays.element_array import ElementArray
 from ...bpm.bpm import BPM
@@ -419,6 +419,95 @@ def _get(self, what, name, array) -> Element:
         return array[name]
 
     # Generic elements
+    def get(self) -> ElementArray:
+        """Return all registered elements in insertion order.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        ElementArray
+            New unnamed container sharing the registered element references.
+
+        Notes
+        -----
+        Registration order is not necessarily longitudinal lattice order.
+        Changing the returned container does not change the holder registry.
+        Each call reflects the current registry.
+
+        Examples
+        --------
+        >>> elements = sr.live.get()
+        >>> names = elements.names()
+        """
+        return ElementArray("", list(self._ALL.values()))
+
+    @overload
+    def __getitem__(self, key: int) -> Element: ...
+
+    @overload
+    def __getitem__(self, key: slice) -> ElementArray: ...
+
+    @overload
+    def __getitem__(self, key: str) -> Element | ElementArray | None: ...
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key: int | slice | str) -> Element | ElementArray | None:
+        """Retrieve an element or select a collection.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        key : int, slice or str
+            Index in registration order, slice, exact name, or name pattern.
+            Strings containing ``*``, ``?`` or ``[`` use fnmatch matching.
+            Other strings are exact registry keys. Colons are literal.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        Element or ElementArray or None
+            An index returns an element. An exact name returns its element
+            or None. Patterns and slices return the most specific compatible
+            array, or an empty ElementArray when nothing matches.
+            The full slice ``[:]`` returns a generic ElementArray, like get().
+
+        Raises
+        ------
+        IndexError
+            If the index is out of bounds.
+        TypeError
+            If the key is neither an integer, a slice, nor a string.
+        ValueError
+            If a slice has a zero step.
+
+        Notes
+        -----
+        Indices follow insertion order, not necessarily lattice order.
+        Collections share element references but do not modify the registry.
+        Field filters and regular expressions are not interpreted here.
+
+        Examples
+        --------
+        >>> bpm = sr.live["BPM01"]
+        >>> missing = sr.live["UNKNOWN"]  # None
+        >>> bpms = sr.live["BPM*"]
+        >>> bpms = sr.live["BPM0[123]"]  # BPM01, BPM02 or BPM03
+        >>> bpms = sr.live["BPM0[1-3]"]  # Same selection using a range
+        >>> quads = sr.live["Q[FD]*"]  # Names starting with QF or QD
+        >>> bpms = sr.live["BPM0[!3]"]  # One character after BPM0, except 3
+        >>> first = sr.live[0]
+        >>> subset = sr.live[1:10]
+        >>> all_elements = sr.live[:]
+        """
+        if isinstance(key, str):
+            if any(marker in key for marker in "*?["):
+                return self.get()._select_names(key)
+            return self._ALL.get(key)
+        if isinstance(key, int):
+            return list(self._ALL.values())[key]
+        if isinstance(key, slice):
+            elements = self.get()
+            if key == slice(None):
+                return elements
+            return elements._typed_array(list(elements)[key])
+        raise TypeError("ElementHolder keys must be integers, slices or strings")
+
     def fill_element_array(self, arrayName: str, elementNames: list[str]):
         """
         Create and register a generic element array.
 
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+import pytest
+
+from pyaml.arrays.bpm_array import BPMArray
+from pyaml.arrays.element_array import ElementArray
+from pyaml.arrays.magnet_array import MagnetArray
+from pyaml.bpm.bpm import BPM
+from pyaml.common.exception import PyAMLException
+from pyaml.lattice.simulator import Simulator
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def holder(accelerator_from_fragments, sr_configuration_fragments):
+    sr = accelerator_from_fragments(*sr_configuration_fragments)
+    sr.design.get_lattice().disable_6d()
+    return sr.design
+
+
+def test_exact_name_returns_the_element_or_none(holder):
+    assert holder["BPM_C04-01"] is holder.bpm.get("BPM_C04-01")
+    assert holder["UNKNOWN"] is None
+
+
+def test_get_and_full_slice_keep_registration_order(holder):
+    names = [element.get_name() for element in holder.get_all_elements()]
+
+    assert type(holder.get()) is ElementArray
+    assert type(holder[:]) is ElementArray
+    assert holder.get().names() == names
+    assert holder[:].names() == names
+    assert names != sorted(names)
+
+
+def test_collections_are_independent_but_share_elements(holder):
+    collection = holder.get()
+    first = holder[0]
+    original_names = collection.names()
+
+    assert collection[0] is first
+    collection.clear()
+    assert holder[0] is first
+    assert holder.get().names() == original_names
+
+
+def test_new_calls_reflect_registry_additions(holder):
+    previous = holder.get()
+    holder.fill_device([BPM("EXTRA_BPM", lattice_names="list(BPM_C04-01)")])
+
+    assert "EXTRA_BPM" not in previous.names()
+    assert holder.get().names() == previous.names() + ["EXTRA_BPM"]
+    assert holder["EXTRA_BPM"] is holder.bpm.get("EXTRA_BPM")
+
+
+def test_patterns_always_return_arrays(holder):
+    assert isinstance(holder["BPM*"], BPMArray)
+    assert holder["BPM*"].names() == ["BPM_C04-01", "BPM_C04-02"]
+    assert isinstance(holder["BPM_C04-0[1]"], BPMArray)
+    assert holder["BPM_C04-0[1]"].names() == ["BPM_C04-01"]
+    assert holder["BPM_C04-0?"].names() == ["BPM_C04-01", "BPM_C04-02"]
+    assert type(holder["MISSING*"]) is ElementArray
+    assert holder["MISSING*"].names() == []
+
+
+def test_character_classes_in_name_patterns(holder):
+    assert holder["BPM_C04-0[12]"].names() == ["BPM_C04-01", "BPM_C04-02"]
+    assert holder["BPM_C04-0[1-2]"].names() == ["BPM_C04-01", "BPM_C04-02"]
+    assert holder["SH1A-C01-[HV]*"].names() == ["SH1A-C01-H", "SH1A-C01-V"]
+    assert holder["BPM_C04-0[!2]"].names() == ["BPM_C04-01"]
+
+
+def test_colons_are_part_of_names(holder):
+    holder.fill_device([BPM("CELL04:BPM01", lattice_names="list(BPM_C04-01)")])
+
+    assert holder["CELL04:BPM01"] is holder.bpm.get("CELL04:BPM01")
+    assert holder["CELL04:BPM*"].names() == ["CELL04:BPM01"]
+    assert holder["model_name:*"].names() == []
+
+
+def test_magnet_subclasses_share_a_typed_array_in_either_order(holder):
+    horizontal = holder.magnet.get("SH1A-C01-H")
+    vertical = holder.magnet.get("SH1A-C01-V")
+    start = holder.get_all_elements().index(horizontal)
+
+    assert type(horizontal) is not type(vertical)
+    assert isinstance(holder["SH1A-C01-[HV]"], MagnetArray)
+    assert isinstance(holder[start : start + 2], MagnetArray)
+    assert isinstance(holder[start + 1 : start - 1 : -1], MagnetArray)
+    assert holder[start + 1 : start - 1 : -1].names() == ["SH1A-C01-V", "SH1A-C01-H"]
+
+
+def test_mixed_selection_returns_a_generic_array(holder):
+    selected = holder["*-C01*"]
+
+    assert type(selected) is ElementArray
+    assert "QF1A-C01" in selected.names()
+    assert "SH1A-C01" in selected.names()
+
+
+def test_indices_and_slices_follow_insertion_order(holder):
+    registered = holder.get_all_elements()
+
+    assert holder[0] is registered[0]
+    assert holder[-1] is registered[-1]
+    assert list(holder[1:3]) == registered[1:3]
+    assert list(holder[::2]) == registered[::2]
+    assert isinstance(holder[-2:], BPMArray)
+    assert holder[-2:].names() == ["BPM_C04-01", "BPM_C04-02"]
+    assert type(holder[len(registered) :]) is ElementArray
+
+
+def test_empty_holder_returns_empty_collections(ebs_lattice_file):
+    holder = Simulator(name="empty", lattice=str(ebs_lattice_file))
+
+    assert type(holder.get()) is ElementArray
+    assert holder[:].names() == []
+    assert holder["BPM*"].names() == []
+    assert holder["BPM_C04-01"] is None
+
+
+def test_invalid_indices_and_keys_raise_clear_errors(holder):
+    size = len(holder.get_all_elements())
+
+    with pytest.raises(IndexError):
+        holder[size]
+    with pytest.raises(IndexError):
+        holder[-size - 1]
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        holder[1.5]
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        holder[::0]
+
+
+def test_selection_intersects_with_a_configured_family(holder):
+    selected = holder["SH1A-C0?-H"] & holder.get_elements("ElArray")
+
+    assert isinstance(selected, MagnetArray)
+    assert selected.names() == ["SH1A-C02-H"]
+    assert holder.get_element("SH1A-C02-H") is holder["SH1A-C02-H"]
+    assert holder.get_all_elements() == list(holder.get())
+    with pytest.raises(PyAMLException):
+        holder.get_element("UNKNOWN")
+
+
+def test_existing_array_field_filters_still_work(holder):
+    selected = holder["SH1A-C0?-H"]["model_name:SH1A-C01"]
+
+    assert selected.names() == ["SH1A-C01-H"]
+
+
+def test_existing_empty_intersection_stays_a_list(holder):
+    assert type(holder["SH1A-C0?-H"] & holder["SH1A-C0?-V"]) is list
@@ -11,3 +11,8 @@ def test_load_conf_with_code():
     bpms = sr.live.bpms.get("BPM")
     assert bpms is not None
     assert len(bpms) == 320
+
+    assert sr.live[bpms[0].get_name()] is bpms[0]
+    assert sr.live["BPM*"].names() == bpms.names()
+    assert sr.live[:].names() == [element.get_name() for element in sr.live.get_all_elements()]
+    assert sr.design["BPM*"].names() == sr.design.bpms.get("BPM").names()