How to use Application.FormulaBarHeight in the xlwings API way

The Application.FormulaBarHeight member in Excel’s object model is a property that allows developers to get or set the height of the formula bar in the Excel application window. This can be particularly useful for customizing the user interface to improve readability or accommodate specific workflow needs, such as when working with long formulas that require more vertical space. In xlwings, this property is accessed through the Application object, enabling Python scripts to programmatically adjust the formula bar’s appearance.

Syntax in xlwings:
In xlwings, the Application object is typically accessed via the app property of a workbook or by directly instantiating an application instance. The FormulaBarHeight property is used as follows:

• To get the current height: app.api.FormulaBarHeight
• To set a new height: app.api.FormulaBarHeight = value
  Here, app represents the xlwings App instance connected to Excel, and api provides direct access to the underlying Excel object model. The value parameter is an integer that specifies the height in points (a unit of measurement in Excel, where 1 point is approximately 1/72 inch). The height can range from a minimum value (typically 1 row) up to a maximum that depends on the Excel version and window size, but it is generally limited to avoid obscuring the worksheet area. If an invalid value is set, Excel may automatically adjust it to the nearest valid height.

Example Usage:
Below are xlwings code snippets demonstrating how to use the FormulaBarHeight property in practice. These examples assume you have an existing Excel instance or workbook opened via xlwings.

1. Retrieving the Current Formula Bar Height:
   This example connects to an active Excel instance and prints the current height of the formula bar.

import xlwings as xw
# Connect to the active Excel application
app = xw.apps.active
# Get the current formula bar height
current_height = app.api.FormulaBarHeight
print(f"Current formula bar height: {current_height} points")

2. Setting a New Formula Bar Height:
   This example opens a specific workbook and increases the formula bar height to 50 points for better visibility of lengthy formulas.

import xlwings as xw
# Start or connect to Excel and open a workbook
app = xw.App(visible=True)
workbook = app.books.open('example.xlsx')
# Set the formula bar height to 50 points
app.api.FormulaBarHeight = 50
# Save and close the workbook
workbook.save()
workbook.close()
app.quit()

3. Dynamic Adjustment Based on Content:
   In this scenario, the script checks if the active cell contains a formula with more than 100 characters and adjusts the formula bar height accordingly to prevent clipping.

import xlwings as xw
app = xw.apps.active
sheet = app.books.active.sheets.active
# Check the active cell for a long formula
active_cell = sheet.range('A1')
if active_cell.formula and len(active_cell.formula) > 100:
    app.api.FormulaBarHeight = 60 # Increase height for long formulas
else:
    app.api.FormulaBarHeight = 20 # Reset to a default height