How can I fully select a collection using python with blue highlight?

Question

I have found this thread and several other threads but nothing with any legit answers. We can somewhat select a collection using for example this script that "selects" the one at index 2:

collections = bpy.context.view_layer.layer_collection.children
bpy.context.view_layer.active_layer_collection = collections[2]

But that doesn't fully select the collection as can be seen below. It is not blue in highlight. This can be proven when you press F2 in the Outliner, it will attempt to rename the one in blue highlight instead of the supposedly newly "selected" collection.

When I click a collection I see the command bpy.ops.outliner.item_activate(deselect_all=True) but adding this to the script doesn't help. How do you fully select a collection with python or is this even possible? The solution for this question will help solve this thread.

Answer 1

Each outliner area has individual selection (blue highlight).

But only one active collection as seen below (gray highlight on icon).

If you press F2 in any one area, it renames the active selection in the area where your mouse is on. But if you create an object, it will always be created under the active collection.

The bpy.ops.outliner.item_activate(extend=False, extend_range=False, deselect_all=False) operator internally uses mouse position to select and activate items.

Also there is no active_item like attribute associated with the OUTLINER space you can use.

So you can't use python to manipulate active selection in the OUTLINER.

However you can use bpy.data.collections to modify collection properties.

Please do tell what you cannot achieve without that selection.

If you want to rename a collection using python use any one of these:

bpy.data.collections[0].name = "new_name"
bpy.data.collections['current_name'].name = "new_name"

Answer 2

ok so basically the answer to my question is that it is impossible to change the active selection via python.

-> Technically this is possible.

-> Your question was "How can I fully select a collection using python with blue highlight?"

-> Your question does not mention a specific api to be required as part of the solution to the problem you stated in your question.

So an Answer is:

import pyautogui
import time
import pydirectinput
 
##assumes that u work in 1080p and with the standard window-arrangement in blender 3.6
x, y = 1655, 105
pyautogui.moveTo(x, y)
pyautogui.click(button='left')
# Wait for a moment
time.sleep(0.5)
# Simulate a scroll down
pyautogui.scroll(-5000)
time.sleep(0.5)
pyautogui.moveTo(x, 340)
time.sleep(0.5)
pydirectinput.keyDown('shift')
pyautogui.click(button='left')
pydirectinput.keyUp('shift')
```