How to Read Excel Files in Python with IronXL

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This guide provides Python developers with step-by-step instructions on utilizing the IronXL library to read and edit Microsoft Excel documents.

IronXL is a comprehensive Excel file processing library that supports multiple programming languages, including .NET and Python. This tutorial focuses specifically on using IronXL in Python scripts to read and edit Microsoft Excel documents.

For a separate tutorial on how to read and edit Microsoft Excel documents in .NET applications, please refer to the following here.

Reading and creating Excel files in Python is easy using the IronXL for Python software library.


Overview

How to Read Excel File in Python

  1. Download the Python Library to read Excel files
  2. Load and read an Excel file (workbook)
  3. Create an Excel workbook in CSV or XLSX
  4. Edit cell values in a range of cells
  5. Validate spreadsheet data
  6. Export data using Entity Framework

Tutorial

Step 1: Add IronXL as a Dependency in Your Python Project

To integrate the IronXL library into your Python project, you must install it as a dependency using the widely used Python package manager, pip. Open the terminal and execute the following command:

pip install IronXL

This will install the specified version of IronXL in your project, making it accessible for import.

请注意IronXL for Python relies on the IronXL for .NET library. Therefore, it is necessary to have the .NET 6.0 SDK installed on your machine in order to use IronXL for Python.


Step 2: Load an Excel Workbook

The WorkBook class represents an Excel workbook. To open an Excel file, we use the WorkBook.Load method, specifying the path of the Excel file.

:path=/static-assets/excel-python/content-code-examples/tutorials/how-to-read-excel-file-csharp-1.py
# Load existing spreadsheet
workbook = WorkBook.Load("Spreadsheets\\GDP.xlsx")
PYTHON

Each WorkBook can have multiple WorkSheet objects. Each one represents a single Excel worksheet in the Excel document. Use the WorkBook.get_worksheet method to retrieve a reference to a specific Excel worksheet.

:path=/static-assets/excel-python/content-code-examples/tutorials/how-to-read-excel-file-csharp-2.py
# Assuming workBook is an existing instance of WorkBook
workSheet = workBook.GetWorkSheet("GDPByCountry")
PYTHON

Creating new Excel Documents

To create a new Excel document, construct a new WorkBook object with a valid file type.

:path=/static-assets/excel-python/content-code-examples/tutorials/how-to-read-excel-file-csharp-3.py
# Create a new WorkBook with the specified Excel file format
workBook = WorkBook(ExcelFileFormat.XLSX)
PYTHON

Note: Use ExcelFileFormat.XLS to support legacy versions of Microsoft Excel (95 and earlier).

Add a Worksheet to an Excel Document

As explained previously, an IronXL for Python WorkBook contains a collection of one or more WorkSheets.

This is how one workbook with two worksheets looks in Excel.

This is how one workbook with two worksheets looks in Excel.

To create a new worksheet, call workbook.create_worksheet with the name of the worksheet.

:path=/static-assets/excel-python/content-code-examples/tutorials/how-to-read-excel-file-csharp-4.py
workSheet = workBook.CreateWorkSheet("GDPByCountry")
PYTHON

Access Cell Values

Read and Edit a Single Cell

Access to the values of individual spreadsheet cells is carried out by retrieving the desired cell from its WorkSheet as shown below:

:path=/static-assets/excel-python/content-code-examples/tutorials/how-to-read-excel-file-csharp-5.py
# Load existing spreadsheet
workbook = WorkBook.Load("test.xlsx")
worksheet = workbook.DefaultWorkSheet

# Access cell B1 in the worksheet
cell = worksheet["B1"]
PYTHON

IronXL for Python's Cell class represents an individual cell in an Excel spreadsheet. It contains properties and methods that enable users to access and modify the cell's value directly.

With a reference to a Cell object, we can read and write data to and from a spreadsheet cell.

Read and Write a Range of Cell Values

The Range class represents a two-dimensional collection of Cell objects. This collection refers to a literal range of Excel cells. Obtain ranges by using the string indexer on a WorkSheet object.

:path=/static-assets/excel-python/content-code-examples/tutorials/how-to-read-excel-file-csharp-6.py
# Access cell B1 in the worksheet
cell = workSheet["B1"]

# Read the value of the cell as a string
value = cell.StringValue
print(value)

# Write a new value to the cell
cell.Value = "10.3289"
print(cell.StringValue)
PYTHON

Add Formula to a Spreadsheet

Set the formula of Cells with the formula property.

:path=/static-assets/excel-python/content-code-examples/tutorials/how-to-read-excel-file-csharp-7.py
# Access range D2:D101 in the worksheet
range_ = workSheet["D2:D101"]
PYTHON

The code below iterates through each cell and sets a percentage total in column C.

:path=/static-assets/excel-python/content-code-examples/tutorials/how-to-read-excel-file-csharp-8.py
# Iterate through all rows with a value
for y in range(2, i):
    # Get the C cell
    cell = workSheet[f"C{y}"]
    # Set the formula for the Percentage of Total column
    cell.Formula = f"=B{y}/B{i}"
PYTHON

Summary

IronXL.Excel is a standalone Python library for reading a wide variety of spreadsheet formats. It does not require Microsoft Excel to be installed and is not dependent on Interop.

常见问题解答

我如何在 Python 中读取 Excel 文件?

您可以使用 IronXL 在 Python 中读取 Excel 文件,通过使用 WorkBook.Load 方法加载工作簿。只需提供 Excel 文件的路径,例如 workbook = ironxl.WorkBook.load('path/to/workbook.xlsx')

我可以在没有安装 Excel 的情况下编辑 Python 中的 Excel 文件吗?

可以,使用 IronXL,您可以在没有安装 Microsoft Excel 的情况下编辑 Python 中的 Excel 文件。您可以通过库直接修改单元格值、添加工作表和应用公式。

如何安装 IronXL 的 Python 库?

要安装 IronXL for Python,请使用 pip 包管理器,在终端中运行命令 pip install ironxl

在 Python 中使用 IronXL 处理 Excel 文件有哪些优势?

IronXL 允许您在不需要 Microsoft Excel 的情况下处理 Excel 文件。它提供阅读、编辑、新建工作簿和应用公式等功能,是电子表格处理的强大解决方案。

如何使用 IronXL 访问和修改 Excel 表中的特定单元格?

要使用 IronXL 访问 Excel 表中的特定单元格,您可以使用单元格索引,例如 cell = worksheet['A1']。您可以使用 cell.value 读取值,并通过分配新值来修改它,例如 cell.value = 'New Value'

使用 IronXL 可以处理单元格范围吗?

可以,IronXL 允许您使用 Range 类处理单元格范围。您可以使用字符串索引器访问一系列单元格,例如 range_of_cells = worksheet['B2:E5'],并对其进行操作。

如何在 Python 中使用 IronXL 向 Excel 单元格添加公式?

要使用 IronXL 向 Excel 单元格添加公式,可以在单元格上使用 formula 属性设置公式。例如,cell.formula = '=A1+B1' 将 A1 和 B1 单元格的值相加。

IronXL 需要 Microsoft Office Interop 吗?

不,IronXL 不需要 Microsoft Office Interop。它可以独立于 Microsoft Excel 运行,允许您在没有其他依赖的情况下处理 Excel 文件。

Curtis Chau
技术作家

Curtis Chau 拥有卡尔顿大学的计算机科学学士学位,专注于前端开发,精通 Node.js、TypeScript、JavaScript 和 React。他热衷于打造直观且美观的用户界面,喜欢使用现代框架并创建结构良好、视觉吸引力强的手册。

除了开发之外,Curtis 对物联网 (IoT) 有浓厚的兴趣,探索将硬件和软件集成的新方法。在空闲时间,他喜欢玩游戏和构建 Discord 机器人,将他对技术的热爱与创造力相结合。

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版本: 2025.9 刚刚发布