How to use Application.AddIns in the xlwings API way

The Application.AddIns property in Excel’s object model provides access to the collection of add-ins currently available or installed. In xlwings, this functionality is exposed through the api property, which grants direct access to the underlying Excel COM objects. This allows Python scripts to programmatically inspect, manage, and interact with Excel add-ins, which are supplemental programs that extend Excel’s capabilities. Using xlwings, you can retrieve information about these add-ins, such as their names, installation status, and file paths, enabling automation tasks like checking for required add-ins before executing dependent macros or functions.

Syntax in xlwings:
The property is accessed via the Application object. In xlwings, the Application is typically represented by the app object when you instantiate a connection to Excel. The syntax is:

addins_collection = app.api.AddIns

This returns an AddIns collection object. From this collection, you can access individual AddIn objects by index or name. Key properties and methods of the AddIn object include:

• Name: Returns the name of the add-in as a string.
• FullName: Returns the full file path of the add-in.
• Installed: A boolean property that gets or sets whether the add-in is installed (i.e., loaded in Excel). Setting this to True loads the add-in; setting it to False unloads it.
• Title: Often returns the same as Name, but can be the display title.

To retrieve a specific add-in, you can use:

specific_addin = app.api.AddIns("Add-In Name")

or by index (1-based):

first_addin = app.api.AddIns(1)

Example Usage:
Below is a practical xlwings code example that demonstrates how to work with the AddIns collection. This script lists all available add-ins, checks if a specific add-in is installed, and toggles its installation status.

import xlwings as xw

# Connect to the active Excel instance
app = xw.apps.active

# Access the AddIns collection
addins = app.api.AddIns

# List all add-ins with their details
print("Available Add-Ins:")
for i in range(1, addins.Count + 1):
    addin = addins(i)
    print(f"Name: {addin.Name}, Path: {addin.FullName}, Installed: {addin.Installed}")

    # Check and manage a specific add-in, e.g., "Analysis ToolPak"
    target_addin_name = "Analysis ToolPak"
try:
    target_addin = app.api.AddIns(target_addin_name)
    print(f"\nFound '{target_addin_name}'. Currently installed: {target_addin.Installed}")

    # Toggle the installation status
    target_addin.Installed = not target_addin.Installed
    print(f"Toggled installation. Now installed: {target_addin.Installed}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Add-in '{target_addin_name}' not found or error: {e}")

# Note: Changes to Installed property take effect immediately in Excel.