How can I run Python commands from within Excel VBA?

Question

I'm struggling to access Python from Excel VBA (which I'm familiar with). There was a very useful answer here (reproduced below). I followed the steps very carefully - the same error occurs whether I'm using Python 3.3 or Python 2.7.

When I use the Command Button to execute the VBA code, it fails at this statement: PyScript.Language = "python" with error message "Run time error 380: A script engine for the specified language cannot be created"

Any ideas please?

The answer from stackoverflow that I'm trying to use follows.

Follow these steps carefully

Go to Activestate and get [ActivePython 2.5.7][1] MSI installer.
I had DLL hell problems with 2.6.x
Install in your Windows machine
once install is complete open Command Prompt and go to

C:\Python25\lib\site-packages\win32comext\axscript\client
execute \> python pyscript.py you should see message Registered: Python
Go to ms office excel and open worksheet
Go to Tools > Macros > Visual Basic Editor
Add a reference to the Microsoft Script control ![alt text][2]
Add a new User Form. In the UserForm add a CommandButton

Switch to the code editor and Insert the following code

Dim WithEvents PyScript As MSScriptControl.ScriptControl

Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
   If PyScript Is Nothing Then
       Set PyScript = New MSScriptControl.ScriptControl
       PyScript.Language = "python"
       PyScript.AddObject "Sheet", Workbooks(1).Sheets(1)
       PyScript.AllowUI = True
   End If
   PyScript.ExecuteStatement "Sheet.cells(1,1).value='Hello'"
End Sub

Execute. Enjoy and expand as necessary

I get the same error, with Python 3.3, I've also verified installation/registration. The thin documentation from MS suggests that ScriptControl only supports VBScript or JScript msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa227400(v=vs.60).aspx, I think you will need to use another method than this. Not sure how it garnered so many upvotes on the other question, but it does not seem to work. — David Zemens
– David Zemens, Commented Oct 6, 2013 at 1:40
I don't know enough about python to make this an answer so its a comment. newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/python-for-vba-users-1 — Dick Kusleika
– Dick Kusleika, Commented Oct 6, 2013 at 2:30

Doug Jenkins · Accepted Answer · 2014-05-10 00:16:11Z

3

I'm running 32 bit Excel 2010 and Anaconda Python 2.7. I followed the procedure exactly as stated, except to keep things simple I didn't create the user form or button, and removed the "WithEvents" from the dim statement, and made the sub Public (see below). Running the macro from the worksheet with Alt-F8, it works with no problem.

I have also tested it in Excel 2013, and had no problem.

Public Sub TestPyScript()
Dim PyScript As MSScriptControl.ScriptControl
   If PyScript Is Nothing Then
       Set PyScript = New MSScriptControl.ScriptControl
       PyScript.Language = "python"
       PyScript.AddObject "Sheet", Workbooks(1).Sheets(1)
       PyScript.AllowUI = True
   End If
   PyScript.ExecuteStatement "Sheet.cells(1,1).value='Hello'"
End Sub

answered May 10, 2014 at 0:16

Doug Jenkins

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1 Comment

S Meaden Over a year ago

I have learnt that ActivePython costs money for production. So you might instead want to use a "gateway class". So called gateway because it opens the rich world of the Python ecosystem to the Excel VBA Developer exceldevelopmentplatform.blogspot.com/2018/06/…

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