The Python interpreter is embedded into LibreOffice, meaning that the specific version can change if LibreOffice changes. In the latest version of LibreOffice at the time of writing this book (6.0.5), the version included was Python 3.5.1.

The UNO interface is very complete and allows you to access a lot of advanced elements. Unfortunately, the documentation is not great, and achieving it can be complicated and time consuming. The documentation is defined in Java or C++, and there are examples in LibreOffice BASIC or other languages, but few for Python. The full documentation can be found at: https://api.libreoffice.org/, and the reference is here:

https://api.libreoffice.org/docs/idl/ref/index.html.

LibreOffice is a fork of a previous project called OpenOffice. UNO was already available, meaning that some references will be found when searching the internet that refer to OpenOffice.

Remember that LibreOffice is capable of reading and writing Excel files. Some features may not be 100% compatible; for example, there may be formatting issues.

Debugging can also be tricky on occasion. Remember to ensure that a file is fully closed before reopening it with new code.

UNO is also capable of working with other parts of the LibreOffice suite, such as for creating documents.