Working with Excel Files in Python
This site contains pointers to the best information available about working with Excel files in the Python programming language.
Reading and Writing Excel Files
There are python packages available to work with Excel files that will run on any Python platform and that do not require either Windows or Excel to be used. They are fast, reliable and open source:
openpyxl
The recommended package for reading and writing Excel 2010 files (ie: .xlsx)
Download | Documentation | Bitbucket
xlsxwriter
An alternative package for writing data, formatting information and, in particular, charts in the Excel 2010 format (ie: .xlsx)
Download | Documentation | GitHub
pyxlsb
This package allows you to read Excel files in the xlsb format.
pylightxl
This package allows you to read xlsx and xlsm files and write xlsx files.
Download | Documentation | GitHub
xlrd
This package is for reading data and formatting information from older Excel files (ie: .xls)
Download | Documentation | GitHub
xlwt
This package is for writing data and formatting information to older Excel files (ie: .xls)
Download | Documentation | Examples | GitHub
xlutils
This package collects utilities that require both xlrd and xlwt, including the ability to copy and modify or filter existing excel files.
NB: In general, these use cases are now covered by openpyxl!
Download | Documentation | GitHub
Writing Excel Add-Ins
The following products can be used to write Excel add-ins in Python. Unlike the reader and writer packages, they require an installation of Microsoft Excel.
PyXLL
PyXLL is a commercial product that enables writing Excel add-ins in Python with no VBA. Python functions can be exposed as worksheet functions (UDFs), macros, menus and ribbon tool bars.
Homepage | Features | Documentation | Download
xlwings
xlwings is an open-source library to automate Excel with Python instead of VBA and works on Windows and macOS: you can call Python from Excel and vice versa and write UDFs in Python (Windows only). xlwings PRO is a commercial add-on with additional functionality.
Homepage | Documentation | GitHub | Download
The Mailing List / Discussion Group
There is a Google Group dedicated to working with Excel files in Python, including the libraries listed above along with manipulating the Excel application via COM.
Commercial Development
The following companies can provide commercial software development and consultancy and are specialists in working with Excel files in Python:
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| Clark Consulting & Research |