Open Source Python Library to Manage Excel XLSX Files Metadata

What is PyLightXL API for Python?

PyLightXL is a lightweight and efficient Python library designed for reading and writing Excel files in the `.xlsx` format. While it is primarily known for its simplicity and speed in handling spreadsheet data, PyLightXL also provides basic support for accessing workbook metadata. Users can retrieve essential document properties such as the file's creation date, author, and modification details, making it useful for organizing and tracking Excel files in automated workflows. Unlike heavier Excel processing libraries, PyLightXL focuses on performance and ease of use, making it a great choice for metadata extraction in applications where minimal dependencies and fast execution are priorities.

PyLightXL API - Key Features

PyLightXL API is based on PHPExcel API and has the following strong features.

• Lightweight and Fast: Optimized for quick Excel file processing with minimal dependencies.
• Read and Write Excel Files: Supports reading and writing `.xlsx` files without requiring Excel installation.
• Metadata Extraction: Retrieve essential workbook properties like author, creation date, and modification details.
• No External Dependencies: Works without requiring third-party libraries like openpyxl or pandas.
• Memory Efficient: Designed to handle large Excel files while using minimal system resources.
• Cell and Sheet Operations: Easily read, write, and modify cell data within spreadsheets.
• Cross-Platform Support: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.
• Simple API Design: Easy-to-use functions for streamlined Excel file manipulation.
• Ideal for Automation: Perfect for automating metadata extraction and spreadsheet processing in workflows.
• Open Source: Free to use and actively maintained by the community.

Advantages of PyLightXL API for Python

• Lightweight and Fast: Processes Excel files quickly with minimal system resources.
• No External Dependencies: Works without requiring heavy libraries like pandas or openpyxl.
• Efficient Metadata Handling: Extracts key metadata such as author, creation date, and modification details.
• Memory Efficient: Optimized for handling large Excel files without excessive RAM usage.
• Simple and Intuitive API: Easy-to-use functions make it beginner-friendly and efficient.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works seamlessly on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Ideal for Automation: Great for integrating with scripts and workflows that require metadata extraction.
• Secure and Reliable: Reads and writes Excel files without altering unexpected data or formatting.
• Open Source and Actively Maintained: Free to use with ongoing community support and updates.

Common Uses of PyLightXL API for Python

• Metadata Extraction: Retrieve workbook properties such as author, creation date, and last modification details.
• Excel File Reading: Load and read `.xlsx` files efficiently without requiring external dependencies.
• Excel File Writing: Create and modify Excel spreadsheets programmatically.
• Data Processing and Analysis: Extract and manipulate tabular data from Excel files for further processing.
• Automation and Scripting: Automate Excel-related tasks such as metadata extraction, data updates, and formatting.
• Lightweight Excel Operations: Perform quick and efficient Excel file interactions with minimal memory usage.
• Excel File Validation: Check and verify spreadsheet contents before processing in larger applications.
• Batch Processing: Handle multiple Excel files for metadata retrieval and data extraction in bulk operations.
• Cross-Platform Applications: Use PyLightXL across Windows, macOS, and Linux for seamless spreadsheet management.
• Ideal for Low-Resource Environments: Perfect for embedded systems, cloud functions, or lightweight data manipulation tasks.

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Getting Started with PyLightXL API

You need Python version 3.9+ (CPython and PyPy) on Linux, Windows and macOS, and has no dependencies outside the Python standard library.. So, first install Python and then use below commands to install PyLightXL API on your machine using pip and virtual environment.

pip install pylightxl

Code Examples for Working with PyLightXL API for Python

Working with PyLightXL is easy. You can use the API's well defined methods to read, write and manipulate the metadata of Excel XLSX, XLSM and CSV files. The following code samples show how to work with metadata of these documents using PyLightXL API for Python.

Read Metadata from Excel File in Python

You can read metadata information of an Excel XLSX file from within your Python application as shown in the code sample below.

Conclusion

PyLightXL is a lightweight, fast, and dependency-free Python library designed for efficiently reading and writing .xlsx files. While it excels in basic spreadsheet operations, it has limited support for extracting detailed metadata such as author, creation date, or modification history. However, its simplicity, memory efficiency, and ease of use make it an excellent choice for lightweight Excel processing, especially in automation scripts, data extraction tasks, and low-resource environments. If advanced metadata handling is required, alternative libraries like OpenPyXL may be more suitable. Overall, PyLightXL is a reliable option for users seeking a minimalistic yet powerful Excel processing tool.

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