Using AppleScript to modify settings/system preferences

Question

I am trying to make an AppleScript that toggles automatic rearranging of spaces. I am able to get the AppleScript to open system preferences and go into mission control settings, however i am not sure how to check the box which i want to change.

tell application "System Preferences"
    activate
end tell

tell application "System Events"
    tell process "System Preferences"
        click menu item "Mission Control" of menu "View" of menu bar 1
    delay 2
    tell window "Mission Control"
            //additional code goes here
    end tell
    end tell
end tell

Is there a way to see what the components of the window are so i know if i need to go into a table, or something else, before i am able to access the check boxes that toggle the settings

Answer 1

This should to what you want.

In this example Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use is the checkbox you want to check.

tell application "System Preferences"
    activate
    delay 2
    set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.expose"
    delay 2
    tell application "System Events"
        click checkbox "Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use" of group 2 of window "Mission Control" of application process "System Preferences"
    end tell
    quit
end tell

And this if you wanna check it only if it's not checked:

tell application "System Preferences"
    activate
    delay 2
    set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.expose"
    delay 2
    tell application "System Events"
        tell checkbox "Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use" of group 2 of window "Mission Control" of application process "System Preferences"
            if (get its value) = 0 then click it
        end tell
    end tell
    quit
end tell

And if you wanna list all the UIElements in the window:

set myArray to {}
tell application "System Preferences"
    activate
    delay 2
    set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.expose"
    delay 2
    tell application "System Events"
        tell window "Mission Control" of application process "System Preferences"
            repeat with uiElem in entire contents as list
                set myArray to myArray & ((class of uiElem as string) & " : " & name of uiElem as string)
            end repeat
        end tell
    end tell
end tell