Working with multiple excel workbooks in python

Question

Using win32com, I have two workbooks open.

1. How do you know which one is active?
2. How do you change which one is active?
3. How can you close one and not the other? (not Application.Quit())

Answer 1

What is your larger goal here? Automate already open excel windows or simply write XLS files? If it's the latter you should use consider using xlwt.

How do you know which one is active?

xl = win32com.client.Dispatch("Excel.Application")
wbOne = xl.Workbooks.Add()
wbTwo = xl.Workbooks.Add()
xl.ActiveWorkbook == wbOne
 False
xl.ActiveWorkbook == wbTwo 
 True

How do you change which one is active?

wbOne.Activate()
xl.ActiveWorkbook == wbOne
 True

How can you close one and not the other? (not Application.Quit())

wbOne.Close()
wbTwo.Close()