Automation Spy

Automation Spy is a small, yet reliable utility which can easily analyze the applications or windows opened on your desktop. The application is designed to inspect user interface elements from your desktop, then create queries regarding their automation properties and defining patterns.

Automation Spy is simple to use and can automatically detect the currently running applications, from your desktop. The software can detect visibly running programs and displays them as a list, which can easily be extended. Simply click on the triangle indicator next to each entry, in order to extend the list of elements for each application or window.

Moreover, the software displays the name of the item and whether they are applications or opened windows. You may easily inspect their automation properties or pattern information by selecting the program/window from the list or any of the subsequent elements. For example, in case of a browser page, the software can display the function buttons in the title bar and the menu item.

Automation Spy can display the automation attributes for each of the elements you select from the list. You can view information such as interface details, localizations, name, accelerator key, class name, runtime ID, framework, the process in which it is integrated or the supported patterns.

The patterns tab allows you to find whether or not the window can be maximized, if it is modal or top most. Moreover, it can indicate the current window state and interaction form. The ‘TransformPattern’ category can indicate whether or not the selected element can be moved, resized or rotated in its current form.

Automation Spy is a lightweight, yet reliable application which allows you to view a complete list of programs running on the desktop. In other words, it cannot read processes that run in the background. The software is friendly and features a split interface, which allows you to view the program list and the attributes sheet in parallel.