Spire.XLS for Python

Common errors

• ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'spire'

  cause The `spire-xls` package is not installed in the active Python environment or the environment is not correctly activated.
  fix Install the package using `pip install spire-xls` in your project's virtual environment or global environment.

• System.ArgumentException: The free version of Spire.XLS for Python has a limitation of 500 rows and 5 worksheets for opening and writing.

  cause You are attempting to process an Excel file that exceeds the row or worksheet limits imposed by the free evaluation version of Spire.XLS for Python.
  fix Either reduce the size/complexity of the Excel files you are processing to fit within the 500-row/5-worksheet limit, or acquire and activate a commercial license from e-iceblue.

• AttributeError: 'Worksheet' object has no attribute 'Range'

  cause You are attempting to call `Range` as a method (e.g., `sheet.Range("A1")`) when it is an indexer property.
  fix Access cells using bracket notation for the `Range` property, e.g., `sheet.Range["A1"].Value = "data"`.

• System.ArgumentException: SaveFormat.Xls does not match the file extension .xlsx.

  cause There is a mismatch between the `SaveFormat` enumeration value provided to `SaveToFile` and the file extension specified in the output file path.
  fix Ensure the `SaveFormat` enum matches the file extension. Use `SaveFormat.Xlsx` for `.xlsx` files and `SaveFormat.Xls` for `.xls` files.

Warnings

• breaking The free evaluation version of Spire.XLS for Python has significant limitations. It restricts operations to a maximum of 500 rows and 5 worksheets per Excel file (for both loading and saving). Exceeding these limits will raise an exception.
  Fix: Ensure your Excel processing stays within the free evaluation limits (500 rows, 5 worksheets) or purchase a commercial license for full functionality.
• gotcha Processing very large Excel files (e.g., hundreds of thousands of rows or complex formatting) can lead to high memory consumption, as the library often loads the entire document into memory.
  Fix: For extremely large files, consider optimizing your logic to process data in chunks if applicable, or ensure your execution environment has sufficient RAM.
• gotcha While `sheet.Range["A1"]` uses Excel's 1-based A1 notation, direct access to collection elements like `sheet.Worksheets`, `sheet.Rows`, and `sheet.Columns` uses 0-based indexing common in Python.
  Fix: Be mindful of the indexing scheme (0-based vs. 1-based) depending on whether you're using `Range["A1"]` strings or direct collection access.

Install

• pip install spire-xls Install Spire.XLS

Imports

• Workbook

  from spire.xls import Workbook

• FileFormat

  from spire.xls import FileFormat

  Used for specifying file types during operations.
• SaveFormat

  from spire.xls import SaveFormat

  Used for specifying output file formats when saving.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to create a new Excel workbook, write data to cells using A1 notation, auto-fit columns, and save the workbook as an XLSX file. The `Dispose()` method is called to release resources.

from spire.xls import Workbook, SaveFormat

# Create a new workbook
workbook = Workbook()
# Access the first worksheet (0-indexed)
sheet = workbook.Worksheets[0]

# Write data to cells using A1 notation
sheet.Range["A1"].Value = "Hello, Spire.XLS!"
sheet.Range["B1"].Value2 = 12345

# Auto-fit columns
sheet.AllocatedRange.AutoFitColumns()

# Define the output file path
output_file = "output_spire_xls_quickstart.xlsx"

# Save the workbook in XLSX format
workbook.SaveToFile(output_file, SaveFormat.Xlsx)
workbook.Dispose()

print(f"Excel file saved to {output_file}")