How do I write a python macro in libreoffice writer to send a receive data

Question

I am working in libreoffice writer and need to send a request to another program that I know to be listening on a TCP port, which will return data that needs to be inserted into the current Writer document. The macro needs to allow the data to be inserted as normal open text or into a cell within a table in which the cursor is presently positioned. The UNO documentation is spectacularly unclear and difficult to navigate.

Answer 1

def fs2ClientdataDoc(*args):
#get the doc from the scripting context which is made available to all scripts
    desktop = XSCRIPTCONTEXT.getDesktop()                                      
    model = desktop.getCurrentComponent()
#get the XText interface
    try:
        text = model.Text
    except AttributeError:
        raise Exception("This script is for Writer Documents only")

#create an XTextRange at the end of the document
    tRange = text.End
    cursor = Desktop.getCurrentComponent().getCurrentController().getViewCursor()
# your cannot insert simple text and text into a table with the same method
# so we have to know if we are in a table or not.
# oTable and oCurCell will be null if we are not in a table
    oTable = cursor.TextTable
    oCurCell = cursor.Cell
#and get the string from Footswitch2 via a TCP port
    import os, socket, time
    from configobj import ConfigObj
    configuration_dir = os.environ["HOME"]
    config_filename = configuration_dir + "/fs2.cfg"
    if os.access(config_filename, os.R_OK):
        pass
    else:
        return None
    cfg = ConfigObj(config_filename)
#define values to use from the configuration file
    tcp_port = int(cfg["control"]["TCP_PORT"])
    sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
    sock.settimeout(0.5)
    try:
        sock.connect(("localhost", tcp_port))
    except:
        return None
    sock.settimeout(5)
    try:
        sock.send(bytes('client\n', 'UTF-8'))
    except:
        return None
    try:
        time.sleep(1.0)
        s_list = sock.recv(4096).decode('UTF-8')
        s_list = s_list.split("\n")
    except:
        return None
    lines_in_response = len(s_list)
    if lines_in_response is None:
        return None
    for x in range(0,lines_in_response):
        insert_text = s_list[x]+"\n"
        if oCurCell == None: # Are we inserting into a table or not?
            text.insertString(cursor, insert_text, 0)
        else:
            insert_table = s_list[x].split("\n")
            parts = len(insert_table)
            for y in range(0,parts):
                it = insert_table[y]
                cell = oTable.getCellByName(oCurCell.CellName)
                cellCursor = cell.createTextCursor() # use this cursor if you want the text inserted at the beginning of the cell
                cell.insertString(cellCursor, it, False)
        #        cell.insertString(cursor, insert_text, False) # use the standard cursor to insert at the current position
                cursor.goDown(1,False)
                cursor = desktop.getCurrentComponent().getCurrentController().getViewCursor()
                oTable = cursor.TextTable
                oCurCell = cursor.Cell
    sock.close()
    return None