msxlsx

Overview

msxlsx is a Python package for working with SpreadsheetML .xlsx files, including the published MS-XLSX specification. It provides extension features that are not part of the base OOXML workbook model, including slicers, timelines, sparklines, dynamic arrays, and advanced conditional formatting.

Install: pip install -e /path/to/msxlsx (or pip install msxlsx when published)

Quick Reference

Creating Workbooks

from msxlsx import Workbook

wb = Workbook.new()
ws = wb.worksheets[0]  # Default "Sheet1"

# Set cell values
ws.set_cell(1, 1, "Name")
ws.set_cell(1, 2, "Score")
ws.set_cell(2, 1, "Alice")
ws.set_cell(2, 2, 95)
ws.set_cell(3, 1, "Bob")
ws.set_cell(3, 2, 87)
ws.set_cell(4, 2, "=AVERAGE(B2:B3)")

# Style header row
ws.set_cell_style(1, 1, bold=True, fill="4472C4", color="FFFFFF")
ws.set_cell_style(1, 2, bold=True, fill="4472C4", color="FFFFFF")

# Column widths
ws.set_column_width(1, 20)
ws.set_column_width(2, 15)

wb.save("report.xlsx")

Reading Workbooks

from msxlsx import Workbook

wb = Workbook.open("report.xlsx")
print(wb.get_sheet_names())         # ["Sheet1", "Sheet2"]
ws = wb.get_worksheet("Sheet1")

# Read cell values
name = ws.get_cell(2, 1)            # "Alice"
score = ws.get_cell(2, 2)           # 95
formula = ws.get_cell(4, 2)         # "=AVERAGE(B2:B3)"

# Read a full row
row = ws.get_row(1)                 # ["Name", "Score"]

# Iterate all data rows
for row in ws.iter_rows(min_row=2):
    print(row)

# Get used range boundaries
min_row, min_col, max_row, max_col = ws.get_used_range()

Comments (Notes)

# Add comments to cells
ws.add_comment(1, 1, "This is a header", author="Alice")
ws.add_comment(2, 2, "Check this value")  # default author: "msxlsx"

# Read all comments
for c in ws.get_comments():
    print(f"{c['ref']}: {c['text']} (by {c['author']})")

MS-XLSX Extension Features

Sparklines (x14 namespace)

from msxlsx.oxml.ms_extensions import make_sparkline_group

sparkline = make_sparkline_group(
    spark_type="line",
    data_range="Sheet1!B2:F2",
    location_range="Sheet1!G2",
    color="4472C4",
)

Slicers (x14 namespace)

from msxlsx.oxml.ms_extensions import make_slicer

slicer = make_slicer(
    name="Region Slicer",
    table_name="SalesTable",
    column_name="Region",
)

Dynamic Arrays (xr namespace)

from msxlsx.oxml.ms_extensions import make_dynamic_array_properties

props = make_dynamic_array_properties("A1")

Extended Data Bars (x14 namespace)

from msxlsx.oxml.ms_extensions import make_data_bar_ext

data_bar = make_data_bar_ext(
    ref="B2:B10",
    min_val="autoMin",
    max_val="autoMax",
    color="638EC6",
)

Timelines (x15 namespace)

from msxlsx.oxml.ms_extensions import make_timeline

timeline = make_timeline(
    name="Date Timeline",
    source_name="OrderDate",
    level=2,  # months
)

Images in Worksheets

wb = Workbook.new()
ws = wb.worksheets[0]
ws.add_image(2, 2, "logo.png", width_inches=4.0, height_inches=3.0)
wb.save("report.xlsx")

Image Effects — Brightness/Contrast (a14 namespace)

from msxlsx.oxml.ms_extensions import add_image_effects

add_image_effects(blip, brightness=20000, contrast=40000)

Decorative Images (adec namespace)

from msxlsx.oxml.ms_extensions import mark_image_decorative

mark_image_decorative(pic_element)

Critical Rules

1. Shared strings — String cell values MUST reference the shared string table (type="s"), not inline text.
2. mc:Ignorable — Root elements using extension namespaces must declare mc:Ignorable="x14 x15 x16 xr xr6".
3. Content types — Only emit content type overrides for parts that actually exist in the package.
4. Element ordering — workbook.xml: fileVersion, sheets, calcPr. worksheet: sheetViews, sheetFormatPr, cols, sheetData, mergeCells, drawing, tableParts.
5. Cell references — Use A1 notation (column letter + row number). Row/col are 1-indexed.
6. Column letters — A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26, AA=27, AB=28, etc.

Dependencies

• lxml >= 5.0 (XML processing)
• Python >= 3.10