Dedicated CoolProp extension .oxt for LibreOffice on Windows ? For Excel already installed

jrd10 · July 15, 2022, 3:23pm

Hey, thank you for LibreOffice and your help.

A colleague uses the Coolprop extension (Thermodynamics) in Excel on Windows. It is the Windows version which as been downloaded.

I am convincing to use it in LibreOffice on the same PC (same Windows)
(I didn’t understand how to install this LO extension and how to activate it from the CoolProp site, sorry.).
(I have already installed CoopProp on LibreOffice, but on Ubuntu.)

Can we use the same “.oxt” package (Extension for Excel)? Or do we have to download a specific package for LibreOffice on Windows ?
https://sourceforge.net/projects/coolprop/files/latest/download

If yes, we do the same process: Options > CoolProp > Installation > “Install Coolprop” button.
For Python, do we need to activate it ???
If no, which one to use?

And final point, do we have to use the same test file called ‘TestLibreOffice.ods’ for both systems: Linux and Windows

Thank you in advance for your time and feedback

Zizi64 · July 15, 2022, 4:17pm

We are using the CoolProp.dll (6.2.1 version), and some StarBasic wrapper for calling the high level functions of the CoolProp. You need to put the downloaded Coolprop.dll into dedicated directory (like the c:\CoolProp), then you need to put some 6-7 similar wrapper functions into a Module in My macros Standard library:

Private Declare Function PropsSI_private_x86 Lib "C:\CoolProp\CoolProp621_x86.dll" Alias "_PropsSI@32" (ByVal OutputStr As String, ByVal Name1 As String, ByVal Value1 As Double, ByVal Name2 As String, ByVal Value2 As Double, ByVal Ref As String) As Double

There are more wrapper functions for the Humid Air, etc…
We are using the 32 bit dll for our 64 bit LibreOffice.

jrd10 · July 15, 2022, 4:26pm

Thank you for your feedback.

If I have well understood your answer (thank you for that)
I want just to use CoolProp in Calc cells.

We don’t need to write macros. To much complicated for us :).

My question is, “What is the process to install the CoolProp extension in LO Calc, on Windows” :).

Thank you for your time :).

Zizi64 · July 15, 2022, 4:34pm

Yes, you can do it through the Wrapper functions. For example the normal density of the Oxygen you need to call from a Cell:

=PROPSSI("D";"T";273.15;"P";1.01325*100000;"Oxygen")

Of course you can use Cell references instead of the constant values.

Zizi64 · July 15, 2022, 4:41pm

From the CoolProp package:

"Installation

Download the CoolProp.oxt Extension for LibreOffice (don’t rename the file) and the example spreadsheet file TestLibreOffice.ods "

Unfortunately there is not any prebuilt .oxt file in the package. You must use your own Basic wrapper functions, or you must create an .oxt extension for this task.

Zizi64 · July 15, 2022, 5:33pm

github.com

CoolProp/CoolProp/blob/master/wrappers/Excel/XLAM_module.bas

Attribute VB_Name = "Module1"
'Information on calling DLL from Excel:
'http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/bb687915.aspx
'
'Information on compiling DLL:
'http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/bb687850.aspx

'Information on 32-bit/64-bit compatibility (64-bit only has one harmonized calling convention)
'http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff700513%28v=office.11%29.aspx
Option Explicit
#If Mac Then
' Even though the functions are exported with a leading underscore, Excel 2011 for Mac doesn't want the leading underscore as part of name
Private Declare Function PropsSI_private Lib "libCoolProp.dylib" Alias "PropsSI" (ByVal Output As String, ByVal Name1 As String, ByVal Value1 As Double, ByVal Name2 As String, ByVal Value2 As Double, ByVal Ref As String) As Double
Private Declare Function PhaseSI_private Lib "libCoolProp.dylib" Alias "PhaseSI" (ByVal Name1 As String, ByVal Value1 As Double, ByVal Name2 As String, ByVal Value2 As Double, ByVal Ref As String, ByVal Output As String, ByVal n As Integer) As Long
Private Declare Function Props1SI_private Lib "libCoolProp.dylib" Alias "Props1SI" (ByVal Output As String, ByVal Ref As String) As Double
Private Declare Function get_global_param_string_private Lib "libCoolProp.dylib" Alias "get_global_param_string" (ByVal param As String, ByVal Output As String, ByVal n As Integer) As Long
Private Declare Function get_fluid_param_string_private Lib "libCoolProp.dylib" Alias "get_fluid_param_string" (ByVal fluid As String, ByVal param As String, ByVal Output As String, ByVal n As Integer) As Long
Private Declare Function HAPropsSI_private Lib "libCoolProp.dylib" Alias "HAPropsSI" (ByVal Output As String, ByVal Input1Name As String, ByVal Value1 As Double, ByVal Input2Name As String, ByVal Value2 As Double, ByVal Input3name As String, ByVal Value3 As Double) As Double
'DEPRECATED
Private Declare Function Props_private Lib "libCoolProp.dylib" Alias "PropsS" (ByVal Output As String, ByVal Name1 As Long, ByVal Value1 As Double, ByVal Name2 As Long, ByVal Value2 As Double, ByVal Ref As String) As Double

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We have adopted the Windows related parts of the VBA code to the StarBasic.