xlflow inspect-gui

Scan source for automation-hostile GUI boundaries without opening Excel.

Usage

xlflow inspect-gui

Options and Arguments

Option / argument	Description	Default
--json	Return detected boundaries and source locations.	false

Examples

xlflow inspect-gui
xlflow inspect-gui --json

Notes

TIP

Run inspect-gui before headless automation to find likely MsgBox, InputBox, dialog, or UserForm boundaries.

WARNING

This is static analysis. It is intentionally conservative and does not prove a macro is fully headless-safe.

JSON Output Example

Successful --json output uses the xlflow envelope plus command-specific fields.

{
  "status": "ok",
  "command": "inspect-gui",
  "boundaries": [{ "file": "src/modules/Main.bas", "line": 12, "kind": "MsgBox" }]
}

Related

• lint
• analyze
• run

When to use this command

Use xlflow inspect gui when the task matches the command description above. For a goal-oriented workflow, start with the How-to guides and return here for exact options.

Prerequisites

Check the project configuration and run xlflow doctor --json before workbook-backed operations. Source-only commands can run without Excel; commands that read or mutate a workbook require Windows Excel and VBIDE access.

What this command reads and changes

The command reads the inputs and configuration described in its syntax and examples. Treat source files, the saved workbook, and a live session as separate states; add --session when the live workbook is authoritative. Any mutation is reversible only when a backup or explicit session save boundary exists.

Effect on source-of-truth state

Use xlflow status --json before and after the command. A source edit normally requires push; a workbook edit normally requires pull; a dirty live session requires save --session or an intentional discard.

Common workflows

Combine this command with the relevant source/workbook/session workflow, and use --json in scripts and agent loops.

Common failures

Read the structured error.code, exit code, and recovery metadata instead of scraping terminal text. The symptom-oriented troubleshooting guide maps installation, execution, session, VS Code, and WSL failures to recovery steps.