How to use Application.ShowMenuFloaties in the xlwings API way

The ShowMenuFloaties member of the Application object in Excel controls whether context-sensitive tooltips (also known as “ScreenTips” or “floaties”) are displayed for menus and commands in the Excel user interface. This property is part of the Excel object model and can be accessed via the xlwings library in Python to programmatically manage the visibility of these UI hints, which can enhance user experience or reduce on-screen clutter during automated processes.

Functionality:
ShowMenuFloaties is a Boolean property that determines if Excel shows descriptive tooltips when the user hovers over menu items, ribbon buttons, or other command elements. When set to True, these floaties are visible; when False, they are hidden. This can be useful in automation scripts where you want to standardize the UI state or minimize distractions during macro execution.

Syntax in xlwings:
In xlwings, you access this property through the app object, which represents the Excel Application. The syntax is straightforward as it involves getting or setting a property value. There are no parameters for this property, as it is a simple Boolean toggle.

• To get the current state:

current_state = app.api.ShowMenuFloaties

This returns True if menu floaties are shown, False otherwise.

• To set the state:

app.api.ShowMenuFloaties = False # Hides menu floaties

or

app.api.ShowMenuFloaties = True # Shows menu floaties

Code Examples:
Here are practical xlwings API examples demonstrating how to use ShowMenuFloaties:

1. Hiding Menu Floaties During an Automation Task:
   This example temporarily disables menu floaties to clean up the UI while performing data operations, then restores the original setting.

import xlwings as xw

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

# Store the original state
original_state = app.api.ShowMenuFloaties

# Hide menu floaties
app.api.ShowMenuFloaties = False

# Perform some Excel tasks (e.g., data processing)
wb = app.books.active
sheet = wb.sheets[0]
sheet.range('A1').value = 'Processing data...'
# ... additional automation code ...

# Restore the original state
app.api.ShowMenuFloaties = original_state

2. Checking and Toggling the Menu Floaties Setting:
   This example checks the current visibility and toggles it based on a condition.

import xlwings as xw

app = xw.apps.active

# Check if menu floaties are currently shown
if app.api.ShowMenuFloaties:
    print("Menu floaties are visible. Hiding them now.")
    app.api.ShowMenuFloaties = False
else:
    print("Menu floaties are hidden. Showing them now.")
    app.api.ShowMenuFloaties = True

3. Ensuring a Clean UI for a Report Generation Macro:
   In this scenario, menu floaties are turned off during report generation to prevent visual interference, and the setting is reverted afterward.

import xlwings as xw

def generate_report():
app = xw.apps.active
# Disable menu floaties
app.api.ShowMenuFloaties = False

# Generate report logic
wb = app.books.active
# ... code to format and populate the report ...

# Re-enable menu floaties
app.api.ShowMenuFloaties = True
print("Report generated with menu floaties managed.")

# Run the function
generate_report()