xlrd

xlrd is a Python library for reading data and formatting information from older Microsoft Excel `.xls` spreadsheet files (Excel 97-2003 format). As of version 2.0.0, it explicitly ceased support for `.xlsx` files due to security concerns and unreliability. The current version is 2.0.2, and it follows an infrequent, needs-based release cadence, primarily for maintenance of `.xls` support.