section.orientation = WD_ORIENT.LANDSCAPE don't work

[waterdr0p]

https://python-docx.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user/sections.html
Describe: There is no change for my docx document by input following code. (No Error raised)
env: win10, office2016, python3.5.1

Page dimensions and orientation

section.orientation, section.page_width, section.page_height
(PORTRAIT (0), 7772400, 10058400) # (Inches(8.5), Inches(11))
new_width, new_height = section.page_height, section.page_width
section.orientation = WD_ORIENT.LANDSCAPE
section.page_width = new_width
section.page_height = new_height
section.orientation, section.page_width, section.page_height
(LANDSCAPE (1), 10058400, 7772400)

[scanny]

How many sections does your document have and how do you get the section?

[waterdr0p]

4 sections, following is my code

from docx import Document
from docx.enum.section import WD_ORIENT
from docx.enum.section import WD_SECTION
from docx.shared import Inches

# Accessing sections
document = Document()
document.add_paragraph('section one ')
sections = document.sections  # Sections object
print('len(sections) = {}'.format(len(sections)))  # 1
section = sections[0]  # Section object
for section in sections:
    print(section.start_type)  # NEW_PAGE (2)

# Adding a new section
new_section = document.add_section(WD_SECTION.ODD_PAGE)
print(new_section.start_type)  # ODD_PAGE (4)
document.add_paragraph('section two odd page')

# Section properties
# The Section object has eleven properties that allow page layout settings
# to be discovered and specified
## Section start type, describes the type of break that precedes the section
section3 = document.add_section()
section3.start_type = WD_SECTION.ODD_PAGE
document.add_paragraph('section start type even page')

## Page dimensions and orientation (there still some bug)
section4 = document.add_section(WD_SECTION.ODD_PAGE)
print(
    'sec3: orient = {}, page_width = {}, page_height = {}'.format(
        section4.orientation, 
        section4.page_width, 
        section4.page_height
    )
)
section4.orientation = WD_ORIENT.LANDSCAPE
print('len(sections) = {}'.format(len(sections)))  # 4 
section4.page_width = 6566865
section4.page_height = 809000
document.add_paragraph('LANDSCAPE')

# Page margins(there still some bug)
section5 = document.add_section()
section5.left_margin = Inches(10)
section5.right_margin = Inches(10)

[programmingwithalex]

This issue still exists.

[scanny]

@damianialex Please describe the issue you're seeing. There's no actual description of an issue so far.

[programmingwithalex]

The solution is you have to set the width and height after setting the orientation to landscape. So just grab the current width and height of the document, and then set them after changing the orientation.

sections = doc.sections
for section in sections:
	# change orientation to landscape
	section.orientation = WD_ORIENT.LANDSCAPE

	new_width, new_height = section.page_height, section.page_width
	section.page_width = new_width
	section.page_height = new_height

[buhtz]

#Close

[huynhbaopham]

#Open

From @programmingwithalex solution. Can someone explain to me these please?

1. I want to point out that the code works even without this line section.orientation = WD_ORIENT.LANDSCAPE
2. So, what is the purpose of the enum WD_ORIENT?
3. And, what is the purpose of setting section.orientation to WD_ORIENT.LANDSCAPE? When using it alone doesn't change the page orientation! Is section.orientation read-only?
4. It seems that they are useless in this case. Can some one give me an example when they are a necessary please?

TYIA!

sections = doc.sections
for section in sections:
     # change orientation to landscape
     section.orientation = WD_ORIENT.LANDSCAPE
     new_width, new_height = section.page_height, section.page_width
     section.page_width = new_width
     section.page_height = new_height

[programmingwithalex]

@huynhbaopham I would double-check that your default orientation in Microsoft documents isn't already set to landscape mode. You can also verify the alternative works by setting section.orientation = WD_ORIENT.PORTRAIT in the same spot.

[panos1998]

still, does not work properly, python 3.11., openoffice. The page orientation changes, but heading still portrait