It’s important to clarify how TestComplete handles Delphi applications, because the main menu not appearing in Object Spy is expected for Delphi’s non-visual TMainMenu component. Delphi menu bars typically aren’t visible as separate GUI controls in the tree view even when the app is recognized.
However, the core issue here is version support:
Official TestComplete documentation lists the Delphi versions it supports, and that list includes up through Delphi 10.4 (and earlier Delphi compiler versions) but does not list Delphi 12. That means native VCL/Open Application support may not be available for Delphi 12 applications. (SmartBear Support)
Because of this:
- If the application is recognized with native Delphi support (e.g., you see VCLObject() and native properties in Object Spy or Object Browser), you can access the form’s MainMenu property in code and iterate or click items via the Menu.Click() or Menu.Select() methods.
- If the app is not recognized with native Delphi support (likely with Delphi 12), then internal VCL properties like MainMenu won’t be exposed. In that scenario you can try to use the window/menus API — for example accessing the MainMenu object from the window and using its Click() method with a full path string for the menu item (e.g., "File|Open").
Because you indicates the menu isn’t visible in Object Spy, that alone does not mean TestComplete fails to recognize the app; Delphi menus simply don’t show as separate visual objects in the hierarchy. The key question is whether native Delphi/VCL object access is available at all. If it isn’t, try the menu simulation methods.
If this resolves your scenario, marking it as the solution helps future readers find it quickly.