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This sounds like it provides a way for Excel to hand a bunch of data to Python code for processing and get back results, and vice versa. That's probably extrem

by tzs 3y ago

This sounds like it provides a way for Excel to hand a bunch of data to Python code for processing and get back results, and vice versa. That's probably extremely valuable to many people, but it does not seem to be what I hope for whenever I see something about bringing Python to Excel. What I hope for is something that is like VBA but without the VB. I.e., a Python (or JavaScript) interpreter/JIT/compiler built into Excel exposing all the internal Excel objects and methods that VBA has access to. By "Python" I just mean the language and whatever subset of the standard library makes sense in Excel.

FredPret 3y ago
That would be very cool. Python with Excel as the GUI.
jodrellblank 3y ago
Install PyWin32 module and `import win32com.client` and you can access "all the internal Excel objects and methods that VBA has access to". C:\>python Python 3.10.1 (tags/v3.10.1:2cd268a, Dec 6 2021, 19:10:37) [MSC v.1929 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> from win32com.client import Dispatch >>> xl = Dispatch("Excel.Application") >>> xl.Visible = True >>> wb = xl.WorkBooks.Add() >>> sh = wb.WorkSheets[0] >>> sh.Range("A1").Value = "Hello World" >>>
- fzumstein 3y ago
  The same with xlwings (works on macOS, too): >>> import xlwings as xw >>> wb = xw.Book() >>> sh = wb.sheets[0] >>> sh["A1"].value = "Hello World"
  - jodrellblank 3y ago
    win32com.client uses Windows' COM machinery, which supports event-driven feedback from Excel to the script. Switching to PowerShell because I'm not familiar with that in Python and from a quick Google, Python needs some more complex multithreadding handling: $xl = new-object -ComObject excel.application $xl.Visible = $true $wb = $xl.WorkBooks.Add() $sh = $wb.Worksheets[1] Register-ObjectEvent -InputObject $xl -EventName SheetChange -Action { Write-Host "Hi" } Now when you change a cell in the spreadsheet GUI and press enter, the PowerShell "write-host" runs and prints the message. Another comment mentioned "using Excel as a GUI for Python" and the COM interfaces have the machinery to do that. It looks like xlWings has something like this, but may need an add-in installed in Excel to trigger Python code from Excel? https://docs.xlwings.org/en/latest/quickstart.html https://docs.xlwings.org/en/latest/quickstart.html and https://docs.xlwings.org/en/latest/addin.html#xlwings-addin https://docs.xlwings.org/en/latest/addin.html#xlwings-addin

by tzs 3y ago

FredPret 3y ago

That would be very cool. Python with Excel as the GUI.

jodrellblank 3y ago

Install PyWin32 module and `import win32com.client` and you can access "all the internal Excel objects and methods that VBA has access to". C:\>python Python 3.10.1 (tags/v3.10.1:2cd268a, Dec 6 2021, 19:10:37) [MSC v.1929 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> from win32com.client import Dispatch >>> xl = Dispatch("Excel.Application") >>> xl.Visible = True >>> wb = xl.WorkBooks.Add() >>> sh = wb.WorkSheets[0] >>> sh.Range("A1").Value = "Hello World" >>>

fzumstein 3y ago
The same with xlwings (works on macOS, too): >>> import xlwings as xw >>> wb = xw.Book() >>> sh = wb.sheets[0] >>> sh["A1"].value = "Hello World"
- jodrellblank 3y ago
  win32com.client uses Windows' COM machinery, which supports event-driven feedback from Excel to the script. Switching to PowerShell because I'm not familiar with that in Python and from a quick Google, Python needs some more complex multithreadding handling: $xl = new-object -ComObject excel.application $xl.Visible = $true $wb = $xl.WorkBooks.Add() $sh = $wb.Worksheets[1] Register-ObjectEvent -InputObject $xl -EventName SheetChange -Action { Write-Host "Hi" } Now when you change a cell in the spreadsheet GUI and press enter, the PowerShell "write-host" runs and prints the message. Another comment mentioned "using Excel as a GUI for Python" and the COM interfaces have the machinery to do that. It looks like xlWings has something like this, but may need an add-in installed in Excel to trigger Python code from Excel? https://docs.xlwings.org/en/latest/quickstart.html https://docs.xlwings.org/en/latest/quickstart.html and https://docs.xlwings.org/en/latest/addin.html#xlwings-addin https://docs.xlwings.org/en/latest/addin.html#xlwings-addin