ScriptForge.Basic service

The ScriptForge.Basic service proposes a collection of Collabora Office Basic methods to be executed in a Python context. Basic service methods reproduce the exact syntax and behaviour of Basic builtin functions.

Typical example:

   bas.MsgBox('Display this text in a message box from a Python script')
  

ScriptForge.Basic service is limited to Python scripts.

Service invocation

Before using the Basic service, import the CreateScriptService() method from the scriptforge module:

    from scriptforge import CreateScriptService
    bas = CreateScriptService("Basic")
  

Properties

CDate

Converts a numeric expression or a string to a datetime.datetime Python native object.

This method exposes the Basic builtin function CDate to Python scripts.

svc.CDate(expression: any): obj

expression: a numeric expression or a string representing a date.

    d = bas.CDate(1000.25)
    bas.MsgBox(str(d)) # 1902-09-26 06:00:00
    bas.MsgBox(d.year) # 1902
  

CDateFromUnoDateTime

Converts a UNO date/time representation to a datetime.datetime Python native object.

svc.CDateFromUnoDateTime(unodate: uno): obj

unodate: A UNO date/time object of one of the following types: com.sun.star.util.DateTime, com.sun.star.util.Date or com.sun.star.util.Time

The following example creates a com.sun.star.util.DateTime object and converts it to a datetime.datetime Python object.

    uno_date = bas.CreateUnoStruct('com.sun.star.util.DateTime')
    uno_date.Year = 1983
    uno_date.Month = 2
    uno_date.Day = 23
    new_date = bas.CDateFromUnoDateTime(uno_date)
    bas.MsgBox(str(new_date)) # 1983-02-23 00:00:00
  

CDateToUnoDateTime

Converts a date representation into a com.sun.star.util.DateTime object.

svc.CDateToUnoDateTime(date: obj): uno

date: A Python date/time object of one of the following types: datetime.datetime, datetime.date, datetime.time, float (time.time) or time.struct_time.

    from datetime import datetime
    current_datetime = datetime.now()
    uno_date = bas.CDateToUnoDateTime(current_datetime)
    bas.MsgBox(str(uno_date.Year) + "-" + str(uno_date.Month) + "-" + str(uno_date.Day))
  

ConvertFromUrl

Returns a system path file name for the given file: URL.

svc.ConvertFromUrl(url: str): str

url: An absolute file: URL.

A system path file name.

    filename = bas.ConvertFromUrl( "file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/LibreOffice/News.txt")
    bas.MsgBox(filename)
  

ConvertToUrl

Returns a file: URL for the given system path.

svc.ConvertToUrl(systempath: str): str

systempath: A system file name as a string.

A file: URL as a string.

    url = bas.ConvertToUrl( 'C:\Program Files(x86)\LibreOffice\News.txt')
    bas.MsgBox(url)
  

CreateUnoService

Instantiates a UNO service with the ProcessServiceManager.

svc.CreateUnoService(servicename: str): uno

servicename: A fully qualified service name such as com.sun.star.ui.dialogs.FilePicker or com.sun.star.sheet.FunctionAccess.

    dsk = bas.CreateUnoService('com.sun.star.frame.Desktop')
  

CreateUnoStruct

Returns an instance of a UNO structure of the specified type.

svc.CreateUnoStruct(unostructure: str): uno

unostructure: A fully qualified structure name such as com.sun.star.beans.Property or com.sun.star.util.DateTime.

    date_struct = bas.CreateUnoStruct('com.sun.star.util.DateTime')
  

DateAdd

Adds a date or time interval to a given date/time a number of times and returns the resulting date.

svc.DateAdd(interval: str, number: num, date: datetime): datetime

interval: A string expression from the following table, specifying the date or time interval.

number: A numerical expression specifying how often the interval value will be added when positive or subtracted when negative.

date: A given datetime.datetime value, the interval value will be added number times to this datetime.datetime value.

A datetime.datetime value.

    dt = datetime.datetime(2004, 1, 31)
    dt = bas.DateAdd("m", 1, dt)
    print(dt)
  

DateDiff

Returns the number of date or time intervals between two given date/time values.

svc.DateDiff(interval: str, date1: datetime, date2: datetime, firstdayofweek = 1, firstweekofyear = 1): int

interval: A string expression specifying the date interval, as detailed in above DateAdd method.

date1, date2: The two datetime.datetime values to be compared.

A number.

    date1 = datetime.datetime(2005,1, 1)
    date2 = datetime.datetime(2005,12,31)
    diffDays = bas.DateDiff('d', date1, date2)
    print(diffDays)
  

DatePart

The DatePart function returns a specified part of a date.

svc.DatePart(interval: str, date: datetime, firstdayofweek = 1, firstweekofyear = 1): int

interval: A string expression specifying the date interval, as detailed in above DateAdd method.

date: The date/time from which the result is calculated.

firstdayofweek, firstweekofyear: optional parameters that respectively specify the starting day of a week and the starting week of a year, as detailed in above DateDiff method.

The extracted part for the given date/time.

    print(bas.DatePart("ww", datetime.datetime(2005,12,31)
    print(bas.DatePart('q', datetime.datetime(1999,12,30)
  

DateValue

Computes a date value from a date string.

svc.DateValue(date: str): datetime

date: A string that contains the date that will be converted to a Date object.

The string passed to DateValue must be expressed in one of the date formats defined by your locale setting (see - Language Settings - Languages) or using the ISO date format "yyyy-mm-dd" (year, month and day separated by hyphens).

The computed date.

    dt = bas.DateValue("23-02-2011")
    print(dt)
  

Format

Converts a number to a string, and then formats it according to the format that you specify.

svc.Format(expression: any, format = ''): str

Formatting Codes

Predefined Formats

    txt = bas.Format(6328.2, '##.##0.00')
    print(txt)
  

GetDefaultContext

Returns the default context of the process service factory, if existent, else returns a null reference.

GetDefaultContext is an alternative to the getComponentContext() method available from XSCRIPTCONTEXT global variable or from uno.py module.

svc.GetDefaultContext(): uno

The default component context is used, when instantiating services via XMultiServiceFactory. See the Professional UNO chapter in the Developer's Guide on api.libreoffice.org for more information.

    ctx = bas.GetDefaultContext()
  

GetGuiType

Returns a numerical value that specifies the graphical user interface. This function is only provided for backward compatibility with previous versions.

Refer to system() method from platform Python module to identify the operating system.

svc.GetGuiType(): int

    n = bas.GetGuiType()
  

GetPathSeparator

Returns the operating system-dependent directory separator used to specify file paths.

Use os.pathsep from os Python module to identify the path separator.

svc.GetPathSeparator(): str

    sep = bas.GetPathSeparator()
  

GetSystemTicks

Returns the number of system ticks provided by the operating system. You can use this function to optimize certain processes. Use this method to estimate time in milliseconds:

svc.GetSystemTicks(): int

    ticks_ini = bas.GetSystemTicks()
    time.sleep(1)
    ticks_end = bas.GetSystemTicks()
    bas.MsgBox("{} - {} = {}".format(ticks_end, ticks_ini,ticks_end - ticks_ini))
  

GlobalScope.BasicLibraries

Returns the UNO object containing all shared Basic libraries and modules.

This method is the Python equivalent to GlobalScope.BasicLibraries in Basic scripts.

svc.GlobalScope.BasicLibraries(): uno

com.sun.star.script.XLibraryContainer

The following example loads the Gimmicks Basic library if it has not been loaded yet.

    libs = bas.GlobalScope.BasicLibraries()
    if not libs.isLibraryLoaded("Gimmicks"):
        libs.loadLibrary("Gimmicks")
  

GlobalScope.DialogLibraries

Returns the UNO object containing all shared dialog libraries.

This method is the Python equivalent to GlobalScope.DialogLibraries in Basic scripts.

svc.GlobalScope.DialogLibraries(): uno

com.sun.star.comp.sfx2.DialogLibraryContainer

The following example shows a message box with the names of all available dialog libraries.

    dlg_libs = bas.GlobalScope.DialogLibraries()
    lib_names = dlg_libs.getElementNames()
    bas.MsgBox("\n".join(lib_names))
  

InputBox

svc.InputBox(prompt: str, [title: str], [default: str], [xpostwips: int, ypostwips: int]): str

String

    txt = s.InputBox('Please enter a phrase:', "Dear user")
    s.MsgBox(txt, s.MB_ICONINFORMATION, "Confirmation of phrase")
  

For in-depth information please refer to Input/Output to Screen with Python on the Wiki.

MsgBox

Displays a dialog box containing a message and returns an optional value.
MB_xx constants help specify the dialog type, the number and type of buttons to display, plus the icon type. By adding their respective values they form bit patterns, that define the MsgBox dialog appearance.

bas.MsgBox(prompt: str, [buttons: int], [title: str])[: int]

An optional integer as detailed in above IDxx properties.

    txt = s.InputBox('Please enter a phrase:', "Dear user")
    s.MsgBox(txt, s.MB_ICONINFORMATION, "Confirmation of phrase")
  

For in-depth information please refer to Input/Output to Screen with Python on the Wiki.

Now

Returns the current system date and time as a datetime.datetime Python native object.

svc.Now(): datetime

    bas.MsgBox(bas.Now(), bas.MB_OK, "Now")
  

RGB

Returns an integer color value consisting of red, green, and blue components.

svc.RGB(red:int, green: int, blue: int): int

red: Any integer expression that represents the red component (0-255) of the composite color.

green: Any integer expression that represents the green component (0-255) of the composite color.

blue: Any integer expression that represents the blue component (0-255) of the composite color.

The resulting Long value is calculated with the following formula:
Result = red×65536 + green×256 + blue.

Under VBA compatibility mode (Option VBASupport 1), the Long value is calculated as
Result = red + green×256 + blue×65536
See RGB Function [VBA]

The color picker dialog helps computing red, green and blue components of a composite color. Changing the color of text and selecting Custom color displays the color picker dialog.

Integer

    YELLOW = bas.RGB(255,255,0)
  

ThisComponent

If the current component refers to a Collabora Office document, this method returns the UNO object representing the document.

The method will return None when the current component does not correspond to a document.

svc.ThisComponent(): uno

    comp = bas.ThisComponent
    bas.MsgBox("\n".join(comp.getSupportedServiceNames()))
  

ThisDatabaseDocument

If the script is being executed from a Base document or any of its subcomponents this method returns the main component of the Base instance.

This method returns None otherwise.

svc.ThisDatabaseDocument(): uno

    db_doc = bas.ThisDatabaseDocument
    table_names = db_doc.DataSource.getTables().getElementNames()
    bas.MsgBox("\n".join(table_names))
  

Visit the OfficeDatabaseDocument API page to learn more about Base's main component structure.

Xray

Inspect Uno objects or variables.

svc.Xray(obj: any)

obj: A variable or UNO object.

    bas.Xray(bas.StarDesktop)
  

All ScriptForge Basic routines or identifiers that are prefixed with an underscore character "_" are reserved for internal use. They are not meant be used in Basic macros or Python scripts.