Develop Reference

Excel COM Python

I am calling the Excel COM APIs (Excel_APIs.py) from an external Python file(Automate.py) to read the excel rows in a while loop every time.
It gets disturbed when executung the line below. (unable to share the error as python runs in a different app)
ls_MV_path.append(excelApl.Worksheets("FRM_ENBS").Range(str_concact).Value)
wondering whether object excelApl initializing properly for every loop.
Excel_APIs.py
import win32com.client as win32
excel = win32.gencache.EnsureDispatch('Excel.Application')
excel.Visible= True
excelApl= excel.Application.Workbooks.Open ("C:\F_Models\ADesk\Third_party_IF\Model_Variable_Path.xlsx")
def Rdxcel_MVP(Item_MainRow_idx):
ls_MV_path =[]
xcell_idx = ['A','B','C']
str_concact = str(xcell_idx[0]) + str(Item_MainRow_idx);
ls_MV_path.append(excelApl.Worksheets("FRM_ENBS").Range(str_concact).Value)
str_concact = str(xcell_idx[1]) + str(Item_MainRow_idx);
ls_MV_path.append(excelApl.Worksheets("FRM_ENBS").Range(str_concact).Value)
str_concact = str(xcell_idx[2]) + str(Item_MainRow_idx);
ls_MV_path.append(excelApl.Worksheets("FRM_ENBS").Range(str_concact).Value)
print ls_MV_path
return ls_MV_path
tried creating a init function but still get the same problem

Add notes using openpyxl

everyone. I'm looking for a way to make notes in excel worksheet, using python. Found a way to add comments, but I need notes like on screenshot. Is there an easy way to add them using openpyxl or any other lib? screenshot of a note

Updating this because this post is the top google result
The openpyxl docs incorrectly refer to notes as comments. Just follow the instructions in the docs on how to add comments: https://openpyxl.readthedocs.io/en/latest/comments.html. There is one issue with their example code though in the docs, so use the below code instead:
from openpyxl import Workbook
from openpyxl.comments import Comment
wb = Workbook()
ws = wb.active
comment = Comment('This is the comment text', 'Comment Author')
ws["A1".comment] = comment
wb.save('your_file.xlsx')

I've been trying to accomplish the same thing. Apparently that "note" is the same as data validation as described in the docs.
So what you do is:
from openpyxl import load_workbook
from openpyxl.worksheet.datavalidation import DataValidation
wb = load_workbook('my_sheets.xlsx')
# Create 'note'
dv = DataValidation()
dv.errorTitle = 'Your note title'
dv.error = 'Your note body'
# Add 'note' to A1 in the active sheet
dv.add(wb.active['A1'])
# This is required also, or you won't see the note
wb.active.add_data_validation(dv)
wb.save('my_sheet_with_note.xlsx')
It also mentions prompts, which is something you can look into:
# Optionally set a custom prompt message
dv.promptTitle = 'List Selection'
dv.prompt = 'Please select from the list'
Edit: I updated the answer with a part of the code that solved my problem at the time:
def add_note(cell, prompt_title='', prompt=''):
p = {
'promptTitle': prompt_title[:32],
'prompt': prompt[:255],
}
dv = DataValidation(**p)
dv.add(cell)
cell.parent.add_data_validation(dv)

AutoFilter method of Range class failed (Dispatch vs EnsureDispatch)

This code fails with error: "AutoFilter method of Range class failed"
from win32com.client.gencache import EnsureDispatch
excel = EnsureDispatch('Excel.Application')
excel.Visible = 1
workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add()
sheet = workbook.ActiveSheet
sheet.Cells(1, 1).Value = 'Hello world'
sheet.Columns.AutoFilter()
This code also fails although it used to work:
from win32com.client import Dispatch
excel = Dispatch('Excel.Application')
excel.Visible = 1
workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add()
sheet = excel.ActiveSheet
sheet.Cells(1, 1).Value = 'Hello world'
sheet.Columns.AutoFilter()

Python uses win32com to communicate directly with Windows applications, and can work with (via EnsureDispatch) or without (via Dispatch) prior knowledge of the application's API. When you call EnsureDispatch, the API is fetched and written into win32com.gen_py., thereby permanently adding the application's API into your Python library.
Once you've initialised an application with EnsureDispatch, any time that a script uses Dispatch for that application, it will be given the pre-fetched API. This is good, because you can then make use of the predefined application constants (from win32com.client import constants).
However, sometimes previously working code will break. For example, in the following code, AutoFilter() will work without an argument as long as the Excel API has never previously been cached in the library...
# ExcelAutoFilterTest1
# Works unless you ever previously called EnsureDispatch('Excel.Application')
from win32com.client import Dispatch
excel = Dispatch('Excel.Application')
excel.Visible = 1
workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add()
sheet = workbook.ActiveSheet
sheet.Cells(1, 1).Value = 'Hello world'
sheet.Columns.AutoFilter()
The following code will always fail because now the Excel API has been fetched and written to win32com.gen_py.00020813-0000-0000-C000-000000000046x0x1x7 in your Python library, it will no longer accept AutoFilter() without an argument.
# ExcelAutoFilterTest2
# Always fails with error: AutoFilter method of Range class failed
from win32com.client.gencache import EnsureDispatch
excel = EnsureDispatch('Excel.Application')
excel.Visible = 1
workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add()
sheet = workbook.ActiveSheet
sheet.Cells(1, 1).Value = 'Hello world'
sheet.Columns.AutoFilter()
The following code always works because we're now providing the VisibleDropDown argument (1=on, 0=off).
# ExcelAutoFilterTest3
# Always succeeds
from win32com.client.gencache import EnsureDispatch
excel = EnsureDispatch('Excel.Application')
excel.Visible = 1
workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add()
sheet = workbook.ActiveSheet
sheet.Cells(1, 1).Value = 'Hello world'
sheet.Columns.AutoFilter(1)
This seems to be a bug, because the Excel API documentation claims that all arguments to AutoFilter are optional:
"If you omit all the arguments, this method simply toggles the display
of the AutoFilter drop-down arrows in the specified range."

Adding an Excel Textbox with win32com

I am trying to add an Excel Textbox to a worksheet... the typical shortcut I use in the Excel GUI is Alt+N X and then click where I want the Textbox; however, I don't have access to the COM browser, which leaves me guessing where Microsoft hid the Textbox API under Python's win32com...
from win32com import client
excel=client.Dispatch("Excel.Application")
excel.Visible=True
book=excel.Workbooks.Open("c:/Users/dpennington/Desktop/Blank.xls", False,
True)
sheet=book.Worksheets(2)
How would I add a textbox (i.e. in the Excel GUI: Alt+N X), using Python's win32com api? (Specific positioning in the worksheet is up to you...)

Use the AddTextbox method of the Shapes object:
import win32com.client as client
xl = client.Dispatch("Excel.Application")
xl.Visible = True
wb = xl.Workbooks.Open("c:/1temp/badacres.xls")
ws = wb.Sheets(1)
tb = ws.Shapes.AddTextbox(1, 570, 45, 171, 80)
tb.TextFrame2.TextRange.Characters.Text = 'This is a great big test.'
You can find more on the AddTextbox method here.

Problem using Python comtypes library to add a querytable to Excel

I'm trying to create a QueryTable in an excel spreadsheet using the Python comtypes library, but getting a rather uninformative error...
In vba (in a module within the workbook), the following code works fine:
Sub CreateQuery()
Dim con As ADODB.Connection
Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset
Dim ws As Worksheet
Dim qt As QueryTable
Set ws = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1)
Set con = New ADODB.Connection
con.Open ("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=C:\Path\to\Db.mdb;")
Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset
rs.Open "Select * from [tbl Base Data];", con
Set qt = ws.QueryTables.Add(rs, ws.Range("A1"))
qt.Refresh
End Sub
But the following Python code:
import sys
import comtypes.client as client
def create_querytable():
constring = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=C:\\Path\\to\\Db.mdb"
conn = client.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection", dynamic = True)
rs = client.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset", dynamic = True)
SQL = "Select * from [tbl Base Data];"
conn.Open(constring)
rs.Open(SQL, conn)
excel = client.CreateObject("Excel.Application", dynamic = True)
excel.Visible = True
ws = excel.Workbooks.Add().Sheets(1)
qt = ws.QueryTables.Add(rs, ws.Range["A1"])
qt.Refresh()
rs.Close()
conn.Close()
Throws the unhelpful error message:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<pyshell#34>", line 1, in <module>
create_querytable()
File "C:/Documents and Settings/cvmne250/Desktop/temp.py", line 17, in create_querytable
qt = ws.QueryTables.Add(rs, ws.Range["A1"])
File "G:\ISA\SPSS\comtypes\lib\comtypes\client\lazybind.py", line 160, in caller
File "G:\ISA\SPSS\comtypes\lib\comtypes\automation.py", line 628, in _invoke
COMError: (-2147352567, 'Exception occurred.', (None, None, None, 0, None))
Any ideas on what's happening here?
Thanks!

I simplified your code and this should work fine (I'll explain the changes below):
def create_querytable2():
constring = "OLEDB;Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=C:\path\to\db.mdb;"
SQL = "Select * from tblName;"
excel = client.CreateObject("Excel.Application", dynamic=True)
excel.Visible = True
ws = excel.Workbooks.Add().Worksheets(1)
ws.QueryTables.Add(constring, ws.Range["A1"], SQL).Refresh()
The QueryTables.Add() function can create the Connection and Recordset objects for you, so that simplifies a lot of things... you just need to add what type of connection it is in the conneciton string (the "OLEDB" part).
Letting Excel do most of the work seems to solve your problem :)

It looks like your error is on this line:
qt = ws.QueryTables.Add(rs, ws.Range["A1"])
I think your problem is that you are using python syntax to look up a value in a VBA Collection. Try changing your square brackets to parentheses.
i.e.
qt = ws.QueryTables.Add(rs, ws.Range("A1"))
The reason being that in VBA when you invoke a Collection like this, Range("A1"), you are actually calling it's default method, Range.Item("A1"). Basically, VBA Collections do not translate to python dictionaries.
I'm getting this from this forum thread, and my experience with VBA.
Edit due to comment:
Unfortunately, I've tried both: as
noted in your link, they sometimes
don't do the same thing, but my gut
feeling here is that the '[' is more
likely to be what I want. – mavnn
Do you know if comtypes.client.CreateObject works the same as win32com.client.Dispatch? You might try creating your com object with the win32com package and see if that makes a difference.