Connecting PyCharm Python Project with LibreOffice Calc using UNO

Question

How do I connect a Python project with LibreOffice Calc?

Answer

To connect your Python project in PyCharm with LibreOffice Calc, you can leverage the UNO (Universal Network Objects) API provided by LibreOffice. Below are the steps to set up the connection and perform calculations in Python, with results sent back to the LibreOffice Calc sheet.

Step 1: Install LibreOffice UNO bindings

Run the following commands to install the UNO bindings:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-uno

Verify the installation:

python3 -c "import uno; print(uno.__file__)"

Step 2: Create a PyCharm virtual environment with access to system packages

Since LibreOffice UNO is installed as a system package, your virtual environment must have access to these packages. Follow these steps:

1. From your project directory, replace the default virtual environment created by PyCharm with one that can access system packages:

rm -rf .venv

python3 -m venv .venv --system-site-packages

source .venv/bin/activate

2. Verify UNO availability:

python -c "import uno; print(uno.__file__)"

Step 3: Start LibreOffice with UNO enabled

Launch LibreOffice with UNO support by executing the command below:

soffice \
  --accept='socket,host=127.0.0.1,port=2002;urp;StarOffice.ComponentContext' \
  --norestore --nofirststartwizard

Step 4: Test the connection

Create a file named test.py in your project directory with the following content:

import uno

local_ctx = uno.getComponentContext()

resolver = local_ctx.ServiceManager.createInstanceWithContext(
    "com.sun.star.bridge.UnoUrlResolver",
    local_ctx
)

ctx = resolver.resolve(
    "uno:socket,host=127.0.0.1,port=2002;urp;StarOffice.ComponentContext"
)

print("Connected to LibreOffice!")

Run the script to verify the connection. You should see the message "Connected to LibreOffice!".

This setup enables you to interact with LibreOffice Calc programmatically from your Python project in PyCharm. You can extend this approach to perform calculations in Python and send the results back to the Calc spreadsheet.