Excel / XLSX Spreadsheets

A .xlsx file is a ZIP archive of XML. Work with it programmatically using openpyxl (formulas + formatting) or pandas (bulk data). Choose the right tool for the job and apply it precisely.

Task	Tool
Create or edit with formulas and formatting	openpyxl
Bulk data in/out, pivot analysis	pandas (read_excel, to_excel)
Quick read of content	markitdown file.xlsx
Reading both formulas AND cached values	Two load_workbook passes — see gotchas

openpyxl, pandas, and markitdown are typically pre-installed. Import directly. Only run pip install if an import fails.

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Non-Negotiable Standards

Every spreadsheet delivered must meet these standards:

• Professional font throughout. Arial or Calibri for data, Times New Roman for formal reports. No default Calibri 11 unless that is the existing convention.
• Zero formula errors. Never ship while recalc shows errors. A #DIV/0!, #REF!, or #NAME? in a delivered file is a failure.
• Use formulas, not hardcoded results. Write =SUM(B2:B9), not the Python-computed value. The sheet must recalculate when inputs change.
• Follow the user's spec literally. Exact tab names, exact column headers, exact formula logic. Never redesign what was asked.
• Document every assumption. Hardcoded numbers need a cell comment or adjacent label with the source. "Source: Company 10-K, FY2024, Page 45" is correct. Unexplained magic numbers are not.
• Input cells need a legend. If you create a template for someone to fill in, add a legend naming which cells to edit and include one example row showing expected format.
• Editing existing files: match conventions exactly. Find the designated input cells (usually distinguished by font color or fill). Write only there. Leave all existing formulas untouched.

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Reading a Spreadsheet

import subprocess

# Quick content read (no cell coordinates — use for overview only)
result = subprocess.run(["markitdown", "file.xlsx"], capture_output=True, text=True)
print(result.stdout)

# Read into pandas (values only, no formulas)
import pandas as pd
df = pd.read_excel("file.xlsx", sheet_name="Sheet1")
print(df.head())
print(df.dtypes)

# Read formulas (openpyxl — formulas as strings, no cached values)
import openpyxl
wb = openpyxl.load_workbook("file.xlsx")
ws = wb["Sheet1"]
print(ws["B10"].value)  # prints the formula string e.g. "=SUM(B2:B9)"

# Read cached values (openpyxl data_only — values only, no formulas)
# WARNING: data_only=True is destructive if you save — loses all formulas
wb_vals = openpyxl.load_workbook("file.xlsx", data_only=True)
ws_vals = wb_vals["Sheet1"]
print(ws_vals["B10"].value)  # prints the last-saved calculated value

Reading Both Formulas and Values (Two-Pass)

# CORRECT: two separate loads
wb_formulas = openpyxl.load_workbook("file.xlsx")                # formulas
wb_values   = openpyxl.load_workbook("file.xlsx", data_only=True) # cached values

ws_f = wb_formulas["Sheet1"]
ws_v = wb_values["Sheet1"]

for row in ws_f.iter_rows(min_row=2, values_only=False):
    for cell in row:
        formula = cell.value
        value   = wb_values["Sheet1"].cell(cell.row, cell.column).value
        if formula and str(formula).startswith("="):
            print(f"{cell.coordinate}: formula={formula}, value={value}")

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Creating a Spreadsheet

Basic Creation with openpyxl

import openpyxl
from openpyxl.styles import (
    Font, PatternFill, Alignment, Border, Side, numbers
)
from openpyxl.utils import get_column_letter

wb = openpyxl.Workbook()
ws = wb.active
ws.title = "Revenue Model"

# ── Header row ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
HEADER_FILL = PatternFill("solid", fgColor="1A1A2E")
HEADER_FONT = Font(name="Arial", bold=True, color="FFFFFF", size=11)

headers = ["Period", "Revenue ($k)", "COGS ($k)", "Gross Profit ($k)", "Margin %"]
for col, header in enumerate(headers, 1):
    cell = ws.cell(row=1, column=col, value=header)
    cell.font  = HEADER_FONT
    cell.fill  = HEADER_FILL
    cell.alignment = Alignment(horizontal="center")

# ── Data rows ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
INPUT_FONT = Font(name="Arial", color="000080", size=11)  # blue = hardcoded input
FORMULA_FONT = Font(name="Arial", color="000000", size=11)  # black = formula

data = [
    ("Q1 2025", 1200, 480),
    ("Q2 2025", 1380, 552),
    ("Q3 2025", 1520, 608),
    ("Q4 2025", 1700, 680),
]

for row_idx, (period, revenue, cogs) in enumerate(data, 2):
    ws.cell(row=row_idx, column=1, value=period).font = Font(name="Arial", size=11)

    # Input values — blue font (hardcoded)
    rev_cell = ws.cell(row=row_idx, column=2, value=revenue)
    rev_cell.font = INPUT_FONT

    cogs_cell = ws.cell(row=row_idx, column=3, value=cogs)
    cogs_cell.font = INPUT_FONT

    # Formulas — black font
    gp_col  = get_column_letter(4)
    rev_col = get_column_letter(2)
    cog_col = get_column_letter(3)

    gp_cell = ws.cell(row=row_idx, column=4,
                       value=f"={rev_col}{row_idx}-{cog_col}{row_idx}")
    gp_cell.font = FORMULA_FONT

    margin_cell = ws.cell(row=row_idx, column=5,
                           value=f"=IFERROR({gp_col}{row_idx}/{rev_col}{row_idx},0)")
    margin_cell.font = FORMULA_FONT
    margin_cell.number_format = "0.0%"

# ── Number formats ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
for row in ws.iter_rows(min_row=2, min_col=2, max_col=4):
    for cell in row:
        cell.number_format = '#,##0'  # thousands comma, no decimals

# ── Totals row ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
last_data_row = len(data) + 1
total_row = last_data_row + 1
ws.cell(row=total_row, column=1, value="TOTAL").font = Font(name="Arial", bold=True)

for col in range(2, 5):
    col_letter = get_column_letter(col)
    cell = ws.cell(row=total_row, column=col,
                   value=f"=SUM({col_letter}2:{col_letter}{last_data_row})")
    cell.font = Font(name="Arial", bold=True)
    cell.number_format = '#,##0'

# ── Column widths ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ws.column_dimensions["A"].width = 12
for col in range(2, 6):
    ws.column_dimensions[get_column_letter(col)].width = 18

wb.save("revenue_model.xlsx")
print("Saved revenue_model.xlsx")

Bulk Data with pandas

import pandas as pd

# Create from dict
data = {
    "Name":       ["Alice", "Bob", "Carol"],
    "Department": ["Engineering", "Product", "Design"],
    "Salary":     [120000, 110000, 105000],
    "Start Date": pd.to_datetime(["2022-03-01", "2021-07-15", "2023-01-10"]),
}
df = pd.DataFrame(data)

# Write with formatting options
with pd.ExcelWriter("staff.xlsx", engine="openpyxl", datetime_format="YYYY-MM-DD") as writer:
    df.to_excel(writer, sheet_name="Staff", index=False)

    # Access workbook for formatting
    wb = writer.book
    ws = writer.sheets["Staff"]

    # Auto-size columns
    for col in ws.columns:
        max_len = max(len(str(cell.value or "")) for cell in col)
        ws.column_dimensions[col[0].column_letter].width = max_len + 4

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Formula Reference

Preferred Formulas (work universally)

=SUM(B2:B9)                           — sum a range
=AVERAGE(B2:B9)                       — average
=COUNT(B2:B9)                         — count numbers
=COUNTA(A2:A9)                        — count non-empty
=IFERROR(B2/C2, 0)                   — guard divide by zero
=IF(B2>100, "High", "Low")           — conditional
=SUMIFS(D2:D9, A2:A9, "Q1")         — conditional sum
=COUNTIFS(A2:A9, ">0", B2:B9, "<100") — conditional count
=INDEX(A2:A9, MATCH("Alice", B2:B9, 0)) — flexible lookup
=VLOOKUP(A2, Sheet2!A:C, 2, FALSE)   — vertical lookup
=CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2)            — join text (legacy safe)

Functions Requiring _xlfn. Prefix in openpyxl

# These must have _xlfn. prefix when written via openpyxl
ws["A1"] = "=_xlfn.TEXTJOIN(\", \", TRUE, A2:A10)"
ws["B1"] = "=_xlfn.IFS(A1>90,\"A\",A1>80,\"B\",TRUE,\"C\")"
ws["C1"] = "=_xlfn.MAXIFS(B2:B10, A2:A10, \"Q1\")"

Never Use (breaks in LibreOffice recalc)

XLOOKUP, XMATCH, SORT, FILTER, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE
→ Use INDEX/MATCH for lookups
→ Sort and filter in Python before writing

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Financial Model Conventions

When building financial models, apply these standards unless the existing file differs:

Color Coding

# Standard financial model color convention
COLORS = {
    "hardcoded_input": "0000FF",  # Blue — user enters this
    "formula":         "000000",  # Black — calculated
    "cross_sheet_link":"008000",  # Green — links another sheet
    "external_link":   "FF0000",  # Red — links external file
    "key_assumption":  "FFFF00",  # Yellow fill — critical input cell
}

Number Formats

FORMATS = {
    "currency":    '$#,##0;($#,##0);-',     # negatives in parentheses
    "currency_mm": '$#,##0.0;($#,##0.0);-', # millions with decimal
    "percentage":  '0.0%',                    # store as fraction (0.15 = 15%)
    "multiple":    '0.0x',                    # valuation multiples
    "integer":     '#,##0',                   # thousands separator
    "year":        '@',                        # text format — prevents comma
}

Model Structure Rules

1. All assumptions in clearly labeled input section — never embedded in formulas
2. One row per time period, one column per variable — consistent structure
3. Formulas identical across all projection columns — no one-off edits
4. Denominator protection: =IFERROR(numerator/denominator, 0) on all divisions
5. Assumption cells referenced by name, not repeated values:
   CORRECT: =B5*(1+$B$6)   where $B$6 is the growth rate cell
   WRONG:   =B5*1.05       (what if growth rate changes?)

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Cleaning Messy Data

import pandas as pd

df = pd.read_excel("messy.xlsx", header=None)

# Find the actual header row (sometimes row 3 or 4)
header_row = df[df.iloc[:, 0].astype(str).str.contains("Name|ID|Date", na=False)].index[0]
df.columns = df.iloc[header_row]
df = df.iloc[header_row + 1:].reset_index(drop=True)

# Drop entirely empty rows and columns
df = df.dropna(how="all").dropna(axis=1, how="all")

# Strip whitespace from string columns
str_cols = df.select_dtypes(include="object").columns
df[str_cols] = df[str_cols].apply(lambda col: col.str.strip())

# Standardize date column
df["Date"] = pd.to_datetime(df["Date"], errors="coerce")

# Remove duplicate rows
df = df.drop_duplicates()

# Save cleaned version
df.to_excel("clean.xlsx", index=False)
print(f"Cleaned: {len(df)} rows, {len(df.columns)} columns")

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openpyxl Critical Gotchas

Gotcha	What happens	Fix
data_only=True then save	All formulas replaced with literal values permanently	Never save a data_only workbook
data_only=True on freshly-written file	Returns None for all formula cells	Run recalc first, then load data_only
Writing to merged cell body	AttributeError — only top-left anchor is writable	Write only to the top-left cell of the merge
.xlsm without keep_vba=True	All macros stripped on save	load_workbook("file.xlsm", keep_vba=True)
Sheet name with space in formula	#VALUE! error	Quote the name: ='My Sheet'!A1
External link references	[1]Sheet!A1 — breaks on recalc	Extract cached values before resaving

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Recalculation (Required When File Has Formulas)

openpyxl writes formulas as strings with no cached values. Until recalculated, formula cells return None to anything reading the file.

# If recalc.py helper is available:
python scripts/recalc.py output.xlsx

# Manual LibreOffice recalc:
libreoffice --headless --calc \
  --infilter="Calc MS Excel 2007 XML" \
  --convert-to xlsx output.xlsx

After recalc, verify with:

wb = openpyxl.load_workbook("output.xlsx", data_only=True)
ws = wb.active
# Spot-check key formula cells — they should now have numeric values, not None
print(ws["B10"].value)  # should be a number, not None

A clean recalc proves formulas evaluate — not that they are correct. Always spot-check 3–5 formula results against manually computed expected values.

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Definition of Done — XLSX

• Correct tool used: openpyxl for formulas/formatting, pandas for bulk data
• Professional font applied throughout (Arial or Calibri)
• All formulas use cell references — no hardcoded computed values
• All formulas use safe, universally-supported functions
• _xlfn. prefix applied to post-2007 functions (TEXTJOIN, IFS, MAXIFS, MINIFS)
• XLOOKUP, XMATCH, SORT, FILTER, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE NOT used
• Zero divide-by-zero errors — all divisions wrapped in IFERROR
• Recalculation run — zero errors reported
• Key formula cells spot-checked against expected values
• All hardcoded numbers documented with source or comment
• Financial models: color coding applied (blue=input, black=formula)
• Column widths set — no truncated content
• Header row formatted (bold, fill, centered)
• File opens without errors in Excel and LibreOffice