Can I trigger Paratext to change BCV context via a link in a spreadsheet?

Question

I am working with Claude Cowork trying to build a figure-insertion workflow for Paratext using Python scripts and Excel spreadsheets that have information about the images I may want to use. The spreadsheets include scripture references. I would love to be able to click on a scripture reference in the spreadsheet and have Paratext turn to that verse. I know Paratext can communicate BCV focus with various other software tools, but is there any way to trigger it from Excel?
All wild ideas welcome.
John Nystrom

Answer 1

The normal BCV synchronization happens by setting values in the Windows Registry (HKCU\Software\SantaFe\Focus\ScriptureReference) and then sending a custom Windows message that was registered via a call to RegisterWindowMessage in the application with the parameter "SantaFeFocus". I don't think that's possible via an Excel script / macro.

Something that might work, but would be complicated to set up, is to create a custom URL protocol and create a small application that can forward the URL parameter to the Registry location mentioned above and then fire the Windows message mentioned above. Then you can create a link in Excel that uses that custom protocol - which, when clicked, would run that small application.

Something else that might work, but would also be complicated to set up, would be to create a PT9 plugin that can handle some kind of signal from Excel, but I'm not sure if that's possible as I'm not real familiar with Excel scripts / macros.

I think those qualify as wild ideas. 

Comments

Claude says: 

This is actually very doable. The developer laid out exactly what's needed — we just need to build the three pieces:

1. A small Python script that receives a paratext://LUK 19.4 URL, writes the reference to the registry, and broadcasts the Windows message
2. A one-time setup script that registers the paratext:// protocol in Windows so clicking such a link invokes our script
3. Updates to the spreadsheet scripts to write paratext:// hyperlinks onto verse reference cells

Want me to build all three? The main unknown is the exact reference format Paratext expects in the registry value — we may need one test click to confirm whether it wants LUK 19.4 or LUK 19:4. Everything else is straightforward.

---

Paratext linksACT 2.1/

that turn Paratext to a specific BCV focus are now working in my spreadsheet. Claude could not make it work via the registry, so it wrote a Python script to make it work by another method. It brings Paratext to the foreground, then types Ctrl-B and enters the BCV info. Paratext_bcv_handler.py. It's in this folder with the other files for this project. These files may not be kept up to date in this folher as I refine this process. 

Answer 2

Scrolling with Paratext requires 2 things:

1. Putting the destination reference in a registry setting
2. Sending a custom Windows Message

I'm not sure how to do either of these from Excel, but maybe a VB script could do it. I can provide more details if you find you can do these steps.