How can I Bold only part of a string in an Excel cell with Python?

Question

I'm using win32com to fill out an Excel spreadsheet with some analytic information. I have a cell that I want to be in this form:

This is the problem description: this is the command you run to fix it

I can't seem to figure out how to get the text into the cell with Python with mixed formatting.

import win32com.client as win32
excel = win32.gencache.EnsureDispatch('Excel.Application')
wb = excel.Workbooks.Add()
ws = wb.Worksheets("Sheet1")
excel.Visible=True
sel = excel.Selection
sel.Value = "this is the command you run to fix it"
sel.Font.Bold = True
ws.Cells(1,1).Value = 'This is the problem description' + sel.Value  #makes the whole cell bold
ws.Cells(1,1).Value = "{} {}".format("this is the problem desc",sel) #makes the whole cell bold

The selection object has a Characters attribute, but I can't find any documentation on what it does.

I... didn't even know Excel was *capable* of mixed formatting like this... — Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams, Oct 21 '14 at 14:37
Part of the office 2010 suite: Version 14.0.6123.5001 (32-bit) — Derek Chadwell, Oct 21 '14 at 14:52
I don't know about Python, but in Excel you would differentially format the characters. The characters property has a start and length argument; and an absolute requirement is that the contents of the cell be Text; and not the result of a formula. Something like Range("A1").Characters(2,5).Font.Bold = true would Bold characters 2-6 in cell A1. — Ron Rosenfeld, Oct 21 '14 at 14:53
@IgnacioVazquez-Abrams Has been a feature at least since 2007, if not before. — Ron Rosenfeld, Oct 21 '14 at 14:53
@RonRosenfeld: Well then that shows you just how long it's been since I've used Excel. — Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams, Oct 21 '14 at 14:54

score 7 · Accepted Answer · edited Nov 24 '21 at 05:17

Per @ron-rosenfield, the VBA code to pull this off looks like:

Range("A1").Characters(2,5).Font.Bold = true

And similarly, there is a Characters object attribute of the excel WorkSheet's Range

>>> ws.Range("A1").Characters
<win32com.gen_py.Microsoft Excel 14.0 Object Library.Characters 967192>

HOWEVER, the method you need to access a range with that object is GetCharacters(start, length) (index starts at 1 as per usual with the excel com methods)

ws.Range("A1").GetCharacters(2,4).Font.Bold = True

You can use this command to update the boldness of characters in a cell after the fact.

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 24 '14 at 14:18

3

Although you are looking for a win32com solution in the body of your question I'll point out for anyone who gets here via the title that this is also possible in Python with XlsxWriter.

Example:

enter image description here

answered Oct 24 '14 at 14:18

jmcnamara

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How can I Bold only part of a string in an Excel cell with Python?

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