Comprehensive Guide to Python Excel Libraries: xlrd, xlwt, xlutils, xlwings, openpyxl, XlsxWriter, win32com, and pandas

This guide covers the full spectrum of Python tools for Excel manipulation, starting with installation instructions for each library.

xlrd, xlwt, xlutils

Examples show how to read, write, and modify Excel files, set cell formats, merge cells, and copy workbooks.

import xlrd, xlwt, xlutils
wb = xlrd.open_workbook('example.xls')
# ...

xlwings

Demonstrates automating Excel via the xlwings API, including opening workbooks, reading/writing cells, creating charts, and managing workbooks.

import xlwings as xw
app = xw.App(visible=True)
wb = app.books.open('example.xlsx')

openpyxl

Shows creating new workbooks, adding sheets, writing data, styling cells, and generating 2D/3D charts.

from openpyxl import Workbook
wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.active
ws['A1'] = 'Hello'

XlsxWriter

Illustrates writing text, numbers, formulas, images, and creating line, column, and pie charts with custom formatting.

import xlsxwriter
workbook = xlsxwriter.Workbook('chart.xlsx')
worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet()
worksheet.write('A1', 'Data')

win32com

Uses the win32com client to automate Excel on Windows, read/write cells, and save copies of workbooks.

import win32com.client as win32
app = win32.Dispatch('Excel.Application')
wb = app.Workbooks.Open('file.xlsx')

pandas

Leverages pandas for high‑level Excel I/O, adding rows/columns, and exporting to new files.

import pandas as pd
df = pd.read_excel('data.xlsx')
df['new'] = None
df.to_excel('new.xlsx', index=False)

Each section includes practical code snippets and explanations, making the article a valuable resource for developers needing to automate Excel tasks in Python.