Best Open-Source Python Libraries for Excel

PyExcelerate

PyExcelerate is a Python library for writing Excel-compatible XLSX spreadsheet files, with an emphasis on speed.

Installation

PyExcelerate is supported on Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5.

pip install pyexcelerate

Usage

Writing bulk data

from pyexcelerate import Workbook

data = [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9]] # data is a 2D array

wb = Workbook()
wb.new_sheet("sheet name", data=data)
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Writing bulk data to a range

PyExcelerate also permits you to write data to ranges directly, which is faster than writing cell-by-cell.

from pyexcelerate import Workbook

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("test")
ws.range("B2", "C3").value = [[1, 2], [3, 4]]
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Writing cell data

from datetime import datetime
from pyexcelerate import Workbook

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws.set_cell_value(1, 1, 15) # a number
ws.set_cell_value(1, 2, 20)
ws.set_cell_value(1, 3, "=SUM(A1,B1)") # a formula
ws.set_cell_value(1, 4, datetime.now()) # a date
wb.save("output.xlsx")

or (slower):

from datetime import datetime
from pyexcelerate import Workbook

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws[1][1].value = 15 # a number
ws[1][2].value = 20
ws[1][3].value = "=SUM(A1,B1)" # a formula
ws[1][4].value = datetime.now() # a date
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Selecting cells by name

from pyexcelerate import Workbook

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws.cell("A1").value = 12
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Merging cells

from pyexcelerate import Workbook

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws[1][1].value = 15
ws.range("A1", "B1").merge()
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Styling cells

Styling cells causes non-negligible overhead. It will increase your execution time (up to 10x longer if done improperly!). Only style cells if absolutely necessary.

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Color, Style, Font, Fill, Format
from datetime import datetime

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws.set_cell_value(1, 1, 1)
ws.set_cell_style(1, 1, Style(font=Font(bold=True)))
ws.set_cell_style(1, 1, Style(font=Font(italic=True)))
ws.set_cell_style(1, 1, Style(font=Font(underline=True)))
ws.set_cell_style(1, 1, Style(font=Font(strikethrough=True)))
ws.set_cell_style(1, 1, Style(fill=Fill(background=Color(255,0,0,0))))
ws.set_cell_value(1, 2, datetime.now())
ws.set_cell_style(1, 1, Style(format=Format('mm/dd/yy')))
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Note that in this example, subsequent calls to set_cell_style() override the previous styles and they are not merged in. To have a combined style, create a single Style object with multiple properties, for example

ws.set_cell_style(1, 1, Style(font=Font(bold=True), format=Format('mm/dd/yy')))

or (slower):

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Color
from datetime import datetime

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws.set_cell_value(1, 1, 1)
ws.get_cell_style(1, 1).font.bold = True
ws.get_cell_style(1, 1).font.italic = True
ws.get_cell_style(1, 1).font.underline = True
ws.get_cell_style(1, 1).font.strikethrough = True
ws.get_cell_style(1, 1).fill.background = Color(0, 255, 0, 0)
ws.set_cell_value(1, 2, datetime.now())
ws.get_cell_style(1, 1).format.format = 'mm/dd/yy'
wb.save("output.xlsx")

or (again slower):

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Color
from datetime import datetime

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws[1][1].value = 1
ws[1][1].style.font.bold = True
ws[1][1].style.font.italic = True
ws[1][1].style.font.underline = True
ws[1][1].style.font.strikethrough = True
ws[1][1].style.fill.background = Color(0, 255, 0, 0)
ws[1][2].value = datetime.now()
ws[1][2].style.format.format = 'mm/dd/yy'
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Note that .style.format.format‘s repetition is due to planned support for conditional formatting and other related features. The formatting syntax may be improved in the future.

Styling ranges

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Color
from datetime import datetime

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("test")
ws.range("A1","C3").value = 1
ws.range("A1","C1").style.font.bold = True
ws.range("A2","C3").style.font.italic = True
ws.range("A3","C3").style.fill.background = Color(255, 0, 0, 0)
ws.range("C1","C3").style.font.strikethrough = True

Styling rows

A simpler (and faster) way to style an entire row.

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Color, Style, Fill
from datetime import datetime

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws.set_row_style(1, Style(fill=Fill(background=Color(255,0,0,0))))
wb.save("output.xlsx")

or (slower):

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Color
from datetime import datetime

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws.get_row_style(1).fill.background = Color(255, 0, 0)
wb.save("output.xlsx")

or (again slower):

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Color
from datetime import datetime

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws[1].style.fill.background = Color(255, 0, 0)
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Styling columns

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Color, Style, Fill
from datetime import datetime

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws.set_col_style(1, Style(fill=Fill(background=Color(255,0,0,0))))
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Available style attributes

Consistent with the implementation patterns above, the following style parameters are available:

ws[1][1].style.font.bold = True
ws[1][1].style.font.italic = True
ws[1][1].style.font.underline = True
ws[1][1].style.font.strikethrough = True
ws[1][1].style.font.color = Color(255, 0, 255)
ws[1][1].style.fill.background = Color(0, 255, 0)
ws[1][1].style.alignment.vertical = 'top'
ws[1][1].style.alignment.horizontal = 'right'
ws[1][1].style.alignment.rotation = 90
ws[1][1].style.alignment.wrap_text = True
ws[1][1].style.borders.top.color = Color(255, 0, 0)
ws[1][1].style.borders.right.style = '-.'

Each attribute also has constructors for implementing via set_cell_style().

The following border styles are available: .-, ..-, --, .., =, ., medium -., medium -.., medium --, /-., _

Setting row heights and column widths

Row heights and column widths are set using the size attribute in Style. Appropriate values are: * -1 for auto-fit * 0 for hidden * Any other value for the appropriate size.

For example, to hide column B:

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Color, Style, Fill
from datetime import datetime

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws.set_col_style(2, Style(size=0))
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Linked styles

PyExcelerate supports using style objects instead manually setting each attribute as well. This permits you to modify the style at a later time.

from pyexcelerate import Workbook, Font

wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.new_sheet("sheet name")
ws[1][1].value = 1
font = Font(bold=True, italic=True, underline=True, strikethrough=True)
ws[1][1].style.font = font
wb.save("output.xlsx")

Packaging with PyInstaller

PyInstaller is the only packager officially supported by PyExcelerate. Copy hook-pyexcelerate.Writer.py to your PyInstaller hooks directory.

STATS ON GITHUB

  • 496
  • 57
  • 24
  • License: Simplified BSD License
  • Author: Kevin Wang and Kevin Zhang
  • Last update: N/A

TRENDS