Spreadsheet

Spreadsheet

When to use

• Build new workbooks with formulas, formatting, and structured layouts.
• Read or analyze tabular data.
• Modify existing workbooks without breaking formulas or references.
• Visualize data with charts or well-structured tables.

Workflow

1. Confirm the file type and goal: create, edit, analyze, or visualize.
2. Use openpyxl for .xlsx edits and pandas for analysis and CSV or TSV workflows.
3. If layout matters, render for visual review when tooling is available.
4. Validate formulas and references. openpyxl does not evaluate formulas.
5. Save outputs cleanly and keep filenames descriptive.

Dependencies

Python packages:

python -m pip install openpyxl pandas

Optional:

python -m pip install matplotlib

Optional system tools for rendering:

# macOS
brew install libreoffice poppler

# Ubuntu or Debian
sudo apt-get install -y libreoffice poppler-utils

Formula requirements

• Use formulas for derived values instead of hardcoding results.
• Prefer simple, readable formulas.
• Guard against #REF!, #DIV/0!, #VALUE!, #N/A, and #NAME?.
• Leave formulas intact and note that results calculate in Excel or Sheets.

Formatting requirements

• Preserve existing formatting exactly when editing styled spreadsheets.
• Use clean number and date formats when creating new sheets.
• Keep headers distinct from data and avoid unnecessary borders everywhere.
• Make text, dates, currency, and percentages immediately readable.

References

• See references/examples/openpyxl/ for small example scripts.