stencilpy 0.5.5

Extract structured data from Excel files using YAML schema definitions

stencilpy

Extract structured data from Excel files using YAML schema definitions into dynamically-generated Pydantic models.

Installation

pip install stencilpy

The stencil open command serves the bundled editor UI locally and opens it in your browser.

Quick Start

from stencilpy import Stencil

# Load a schema
lab = Stencil("lab_report.stencil.yaml")

# Extract data — version auto-detected via discriminator
report = lab.extract("january_lab.xlsx")
print(report.patient_name)
print(report.model_dump())

Schema Format

Create a .stencil.yaml file:

name: lab_report
description: Monthly lab report

discriminator:
  cells:
    - A1

versions:
  "v2.0":
    fields:
      patient_name:
        cell: B3
      sample_date:
        cell: B4
        type: datetime
      readings:
        range: D5:D
        type: list[float]
      report_version:
        cell: header:right
      footer_note:
        cell: footer:center

Scalar cell references can also target worksheet headers and footers:

• header:left
• header:center
• header:right
• footer:left
• footer:center
• footer:right
• Sheet1!header:first:right
• Sheet1!footer:even:center

These references also work in discriminator.cells, which is useful when a workbook version is printed in the page header/footer instead of a normal cell.

Header And Footer References

Use header/footer refs anywhere a scalar cell ref is accepted.

Example: extract version text and report metadata from the page chrome.

name: lab_report
description: Monthly lab report

discriminator:
  cells:
    - A1

versions:
  "v2.0":
    fields:
      patient_name:
        cell: B3
      report_version:
        cell: header:right
      report_title:
        cell: header:center
      generated_by:
        cell: footer:left
      footer_note:
        cell: footer:center

If the workbook uses separate first-page or even-page headers/footers, include the page selector:

versions:
  "v2.0":
    fields:
      first_page_title:
        cell: header:first:center
      even_page_version:
        cell: footer:even:right
      cover_sheet_version:
        cell: Cover!header:first:right

Supported formats:

• header:left
• header:center
• header:right
• header:first:left
• header:even:center
• footer:right
• footer:first:center
• Sheet1!header:right
• Sheet1!footer:even:left

Header-Based Version Detection

If a workbook stores its version in a header or footer instead of a normal cell, add those refs to discriminator.cells.

name: lab_report
description: Monthly lab report

discriminator:
  cells:
    - A1
    - header:right
    - Cover!footer:first:center

versions:
  "v1.0":
    fields:
      patient_name:
        cell: A3
  "v2.0":
    fields:
      patient_name:
        cell: B3

stencilpy will check each discriminator ref in order until one matches a known version key.