python3 and libre office calc - setting column width - python-3.x

Question

I am using pyoo to generate reports as open document spreadsheets. pyoo can do everything I require bar setting column widths. Some I want to set as a constant, others as optimal width. From the pyoo website (https://github.com/seznam/pyoo): "If some important feature missing then the UNO API is always available."
A few hours of Googling got me to the class com.sun.star.table.TableColumn which from this page appears to have the properties ("Width" and "OptimalWidth") that I require, but -
>>> x = uno.getClass('com.sun.star.table.TableColumn')
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/uno.py", line 114, in getClass
return pyuno.getClass(typeName)
uno.RuntimeException: pyuno.getClass: uno exception com.sun.star.table.TableColumn is unknown
I have no idea whatsoever how to get this to work. The documentation for UNO is overwelming to say the least...
Any clues would be enormously appreciated.

Answer 1

Example Python-UNO code:
def resize_spreadsheet_columns():
oSheet = XSCRIPTCONTEXT.getDocument().getSheets().getByIndex(0)
oColumns = oSheet.getColumns()
oColumn = oColumns.getByName("B")
oColumn.IsVisible = False
oColumn = oColumns.getByName("C")
oColumn.Width = 7000
oColumn = oColumns.getByName("D")
oColumn.OptimalWidth = True
Documentation:
https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/BASIC_Guide/Rows_and_Columns
https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/DevGuide/Spreadsheets/Columns_and_Rows
EDIT:
From the comment, it sounds like you need to work through an introductory tutorial on Python-UNO. Try http://christopher5106.github.io/office/2015/12/06/openoffice-libreoffice-automate-your-office-tasks-with-python-macros.html.

Answer 2

Thank you Jim K, you pointed me in the right direction, I got it working. My python script generates a ten sheet spreadsheet, and manually adjusting the column widths was becoming a pain. I post below my final code if anyone wants to comment or needs a solution to this. It looks like a pigs breakfast to me combining raw UNO calls and pyoo, but it works I guess.
#! /usr/bin/python3.6
import os, pyoo, time, uno
s = '-'
while s != 'Y':
s = input("Have you remembered to start Calc? ").upper()
os.system("soffice --accept=\"socket,host=localhost,port=2002;urp;\" --norestore --nologo --nodefault")
time.sleep(2)
desktop = pyoo.Desktop('localhost', 2002)
doc = desktop.create_spreadsheet()
class ofic:
sheet_idx = 0
row_num = 0
sheet = None
o = ofic()
uno_localContext = uno.getComponentContext()
uno_resolver = uno_localContext.ServiceManager.createInstanceWithContext("com.sun.star.bridge.UnoUrlResolver", uno_localContext )
uno_ctx = uno_resolver.resolve( "uno:socket,host=localhost,port=2002;urp;StarOffice.ComponentContext" )
uno_smgr = uno_ctx.ServiceManager
uno_desktop = uno_smgr.createInstanceWithContext( "com.sun.star.frame.Desktop", uno_ctx)
uno_model = uno_desktop.getCurrentComponent()
uno_controller = uno_model.getCurrentController()
uno_sheet_count = 0
for i in range(5):
doc.sheets.create("Page {}".format(i+1), index=o.sheet_idx)
o.sheet = doc.sheets[o.sheet_idx]
o.sheet[0, 0].value = "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"
o.sheet[1, 1].value = o.sheet_idx
uno_controller.setActiveSheet(uno_model.Sheets.getByIndex(uno_sheet_count))
uno_sheet_count += 1
uno_active_sheet = uno_model.CurrentController.ActiveSheet
uno_columns = uno_active_sheet.getColumns()
uno_column = uno_columns.getByName("A")
uno_column.OptimalWidth = True
uno_column = uno_columns.getByName("B")
uno_column.Width = 1350
o.sheet_idx += 1
doc.save("whatever.ods")
doc.close()