How to use Application.DisplayFormulaBar in the xlwings API way

The DisplayFormulaBar member of the Application object in Excel is a property that controls the visibility of the formula bar in the Excel application window. This feature is particularly useful when automating tasks where screen real estate needs to be managed or when creating a cleaner interface for end-users by hiding the formula bar to reduce clutter. In xlwings, this property can be accessed and modified through the api property, which provides direct access to the underlying Excel object model, allowing for precise control over the Excel application’s behavior.

Functionality
The primary function of the DisplayFormulaBar property is to toggle the display of the formula bar on or off. When set to True, the formula bar is visible; when set to False, it is hidden. This can enhance the user experience in automated reports or dashboards by minimizing distractions, or it can be used to prevent users from manually editing formulas in protected sheets, although it is not a security feature. It’s important to note that this setting applies to the entire Excel application instance, affecting all open workbooks.

Syntax
In xlwings, the syntax to access and set the DisplayFormulaBar property is straightforward, utilizing the api attribute to call the native Excel VBA object model. The property is a boolean.

• Get the current state:

formula_bar_visible = xw.apps[0].api.DisplayFormulaBar

This returns True if the formula bar is displayed, False otherwise.

• Set the state:

xw.apps[0].api.DisplayFormulaBar = False # Hides the formula bar

or

xw.apps[0].api.DisplayFormulaBar = True # Shows the formula bar

Here, xw.apps[0] refers to the first Excel application instance controlled by xlwings. If multiple instances are open, you may need to adjust the index or use xw.apps.active to target the active application.

Parameters
The DisplayFormulaBar property does not accept method parameters as it is a property, not a method. It is a read/write boolean property. The value must be a Python boolean (True or False) or an integer that evaluates to a boolean (0 for False, non-zero for True).

Code Examples
Here are practical examples of using the DisplayFormulaBar property with xlwings:

1. Hiding the formula bar upon opening a workbook:

import xlwings as xw

# Start Excel and open a workbook
app = xw.App(visible=True)
workbook = app.books.open('example.xlsx')

# Hide the formula bar
app.api.DisplayFormulaBar = False

# Perform other operations...
workbook.save()
app.quit()

2. Toggling the formula bar visibility based on a condition:

import xlwings as xw

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

# Check current state and toggle
if app.api.DisplayFormulaBar:
    print("Formula bar is visible. Hiding it.")
    app.api.DisplayFormulaBar = False
else:
    print("Formula bar is hidden. Showing it.")
    app.api.DisplayFormulaBar = True

3. Ensuring the formula bar is visible before closing:

import xlwings as xw

# Assume an existing automation script
app = xw.apps[0]

# ... automation tasks ...

# Restore formula bar visibility for the user
app.api.DisplayFormulaBar = True

# Save and close
app.books[0].save()
app.quit()