Script to automate translating cells in a spreadsheet

[wildwestrom]

This isn’t a question, so much as it’s a solution that I believe will help others.
I crafted it partly by using chatgpt and scouring documentation on how to write scripts with python.
This is the result. I hope it helps somebody out there.

import uno

# Get the uno component context from the PyUno runtime
localContext = uno.getComponentContext()

# Get the uno service manager from the context
smgr = localContext.ServiceManager

# Get the desktop object
desktop = smgr.createInstanceWithContext("com.sun.star.frame.Desktop", localContext)



from subprocess import run, PIPE

# Translates a string from German to English using the CLI tool `crow`.
def translateText(de_string):
    if not isinstance(de_string, str):
        de_string = str(de_string)
    crow_args = ["crow", "-s", "de", "-t", "en", "--brief", "-i"]
    proc = run(crow_args, stdout=PIPE, input=de_string, encoding="utf-8")
    return proc.stdout.rstrip('\n')

# Advances the position of the cursor by one cell down.
def moveDownOne(model, sheet, cell):
    # Get the position of the current cell
    current_col = cell.CellAddress.Column
    current_row = cell.CellAddress.Row

    next_col = chr(ord('@') + (current_col + 1))
    next_row = current_row + 2

    # Get the range of cells in the sheet
    cell_range = sheet.getCellRangeByName(f'{next_col}{next_row}')

    # Get the cell in the next row
    next_cell = cell_range.getCellByPosition(0, 0)

    # Set the current selection to the next cell
    model.getCurrentController().select(next_cell)

# Translates the text of a cell from German to English then moves down by one cell.
def translateCell():
    model = desktop.getCurrentComponent()

    # Get the sheet from the model
    sheet = model.Sheets.getByIndex(0)
    selection = model.getCurrentSelection()
    cell = selection.getCellByPosition(0, 0)

    de_string = cell.getString()

    if de_string != "":
        en_string = translateText(de_string)
        cell.setString(en_string)

    moveDownOne(model, sheet, cell)

If I recall correctly, this script only works if you start libreoffice like this:
soffice --calc --accept="uno:socket,host=localhost,port=2002;urp;StarOffice.ServiceManager"

You also must have the command line utility crow installed in order to translate text.

Let me know if you encounter any problems.

[karolus]

@wildwestrom

If I recall correctly, this script only works if you start libreoffice like this:
soffice --calc --accept="uno:socket,host=localhost,port=2002;urp;StarOffice.ServiceManager"

No thats False!
the function translateCell() may work if:

• …there is »crow« installed on your os
• …you run the function from a calc-Document via GUI (→Tools→Makros→Makros execute…)

[wildwestrom]

You’re right, crow is required in order to run this. I updated the original post to reflect this.
Also yes, I must have added this as a macro (I also managed to bind it to a key-combination).

[karolus]

and here are the essentials from these code snippets thrown together by “chatgpt”:

from subprocess import run, PIPE

# Translates a string from German to English
# using the CLI tool `crow`.

def translateText(de_string):    
    crow_args = ["crow", "-s", "de", "-t", "en", "--brief", "-i"]
    proc = run(crow_args,
               stdout=PIPE,
               input=de_string,
               encoding="utf-8")
    return proc.stdout.rstrip('\n')

def translateCell():
    doc = XSCRIPTCONTEXT.getDocument()
    selection = doc.getCurrentSelection()
    de_string = selection.String

    if de_string:
        en_string = translateText(de_string)
        selection.setString(en_string)