How to use Application.Height in the xlwings API way

The Height property of the Application object in Excel refers to the height, in points, of the main application window. This property is part of the window management capabilities, allowing developers to programmatically control the size and position of the Excel window. In xlwings, this property is accessible through the api property, which provides direct access to the underlying Excel object model. By manipulating the Height property, you can adjust the window’s vertical dimension to fit specific user interface requirements or to optimize the display for different screen resolutions.

Syntax in xlwings:
app.api.Height
Here, app represents the xlwings App object, which corresponds to the Excel application instance. The Height property is a read/write property of type Single (a floating-point number). When setting the height, the value is specified in points, where one point equals 1/72 of an inch. The minimum and maximum allowable values depend on the screen resolution and system settings, but typically, the height can range from a small window size to the full screen height. To retrieve the current height, you can read this property; to change it, assign a new numeric value.

Example Usage:
Below are practical xlwings API code examples that demonstrate how to get and set the Height property of the Excel application window.

1. Getting the Current Height:
   This example retrieves the current height of the Excel window and prints it to the console. It is useful for logging or conditional resizing based on the existing window size.

import xlwings as xw
app = xw.apps.active # Get the active Excel application
current_height = app.api.Height # Read the Height property
print(f"The current Excel window height is {current_height} points.")

2. Setting a Specific Height:
   Here, the height of the Excel window is set to 600 points. This can be used to standardize the window size across different user sessions or to create a tailored viewing area.

import xlwings as xw
app = xw.apps.active
app.api.Height = 600 # Set the Height property to 600 points
print("Excel window height has been set to 600 points.")

3. Dynamic Resizing Based on Screen Resolution:
   This advanced example calculates a percentage of the screen’s working area height (using the pyautogui library for screen info) and sets the Excel window accordingly. It ensures the window adapts to different monitor setups.

import xlwings as xw
import pyautogui
app = xw.apps.active
screen_width, screen_height = pyautogui.size() # Get screen dimensions
new_height = screen_height * 0.75 # Set to 75% of screen height
app.api.Height = new_height
print(f"Excel window height adjusted to {new_height:.0f} points (75% of screen height).")

4. Restoring Window to a Default Size:
   In this scenario, the height is reset to a default value (e.g., 500 points) as part of a cleanup or initialization routine, ensuring consistency in the user interface.

import xlwings as xw
app = xw.apps.active
default_height = 500
app.api.Height = default_height
print(f"Excel window height restored to {default_height} points.")