How to use Application.Version in the xlwings API way

The Application object’s Version member in Excel’s object model is a read-only property that returns the version number of the Excel application instance as a string. When automating Excel with xlwings, this property is invaluable for implementing version-specific logic, ensuring compatibility, or logging the environment in which a script runs. Since xlwings acts as a bridge between Python and Excel’s COM (Component Object Model) or AppleScript (on macOS) interfaces, it provides direct access to this property through its API.

Functionality
The primary function of the Version property is to retrieve the exact version number of Microsoft Excel. This information typically follows a format like “16.0” for Excel 2016 or 365, or “15.0” for Excel 2013, allowing scripts to adapt their behavior based on the host application’s capabilities. It is particularly useful for debugging, conditional feature usage (e.g., leveraging functions introduced in newer versions), or generating reports that include the software environment details.

Syntax in xlwings
In xlwings, you access the Application object via the app property of a Book (workbook) object or directly through an App instance. The Version property is then called as an attribute. The syntax is straightforward, as it does not accept any parameters.

# When you have an existing workbook object (book)
version_from_book = book.app.version

# When you have an App instance (app)
version_from_app = app.version

Both approaches return a string representing the Excel version. The property is accessed directly without parentheses, as it is not a method.

Code Examples
Below are practical examples demonstrating how to use the Version property in xlwings scripts.

Example 1: Retrieving and Printing the Excel Version
This basic example opens Excel (if not already running), creates a new workbook, and prints the version to the console. It ensures the Excel application is properly instantiated.

import xlwings as xw

# Start Excel and create a new workbook
app = xw.App(visible=False) # Set visible=True to see the Excel window
wb = app.books.add()

# Get the Excel version
excel_version = app.version
print(f"Excel version: {excel_version}")

# Save, close, and quit (cleanup)
wb.save('example_version.xlsx')
wb.close()
app.quit()

Example 2: Conditional Logic Based on Version
This example shows how to implement version-specific behavior. It checks if the Excel version is 16.0 or higher (typically Excel 2016/365) to decide whether to use a newer function or a fallback method. This is crucial for maintaining compatibility across different user installations.

import xlwings as xw
import re

app = xw.App(visible=False)
wb = app.books.add()

version_str = app.version
# Extract the major version number (e.g., 16 from "16.0")
major_version = int(re.search(r'^(\d+)', version_str).group(1))

if major_version >= 16:
    print("Using features available in Excel 2016 and later.")
    # Here you could call newer Excel functions via xlwings, e.g., XLOOKUP if supported
else:
    print("Using legacy compatibility mode for older Excel versions.")
    # Implement alternative logic for older versions

app.quit()

Example 3: Logging Environment Information for a Report
In this scenario, the script logs the Excel version along with other system details into a worksheet. This is useful for audit trails or technical documentation generated by the script itself.

import xlwings as xw
from datetime import datetime

app = xw.App(visible=False)
wb = app.books.add()
sheet = wb.sheets[0]

# Write environment info to cell A1
info_text = f"Report generated on: {datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')}\n"
info_text += f"Excel version: {app.version}\n"
info_text += f"xlwings version: {xw.__version__}"

sheet.range('A1').value = info_text
sheet.range('A1').rows.autofit() # Adjust row height for readability

wb.save('environment_report.xlsx')
app.quit()