5 Best Ways to Write Values Inside a Cell in a Worksheet with Selenium and Python

Writing Values Inside Cells in Excel Using Selenium with Python

πŸ’‘ Problem Formulation: When automating web applications using Selenium with Python, you might encounter scenarios where you need to write to an Excel worksheet. This could be for data extraction, reporting, or test case management. For example, input might be a value “Test Status” that needs to be written to cell B2 in a worksheet for logging test results using Selenium with Python.

Method 1: Using openpyxl Library

Working with openpyxl makes handling Excel files simple in Python. This library allows you to create a workbook or access an existing one, navigate to the desired cell, and easily modify its value. It is suitable for larger Excel files and supports Excel 2010 xlsx/xlsm/xltx/xltm files.

Here’s an example:

from openpyxl import load_workbook

# Load the workbook and select the active worksheet
workbook = load_workbook('test_results.xlsx')
sheet = workbook.active

# Write to cell B2
sheet['B2'] = 'Test Status'

# Save the workbook
workbook.save('test_results.xlsx')

The output would be an updated ‘test_results.xlsx’ file with “Test Status” written in cell B2.

This snippet loads an existing workbook named ‘test_results.xlsx’, accesses the active worksheet, writes “Test Status” to cell B2, and then saves the workbook. The openpyxl library takes care of the file handling and excel writing aspects, making it a robust choice for Excel operations.

Method 2: Using pandas Library

Pandas is an extensive library primarily used for data manipulation and analysis. One can also use it to write data to Excel easily. With its DataFrame object, one can export data directly to an Excel file. It is best suited for data-centric operations.

Here’s an example:

import pandas as pd

# Create a DataFrame with the data
df = pd.DataFrame({'Status': ['Test Status']})

# Write to cell B2, skipping the first row and the first column
with pd.ExcelWriter('test_results.xlsx', mode='a', if_sheet_exists='overlay') as writer:
    df.to_excel(writer, sheet_name='Sheet1', startrow=1, startcol=1, header=False, index=False)

The output would be an appended ‘test_results.xlsx’ file where “Test Status” is written to cell B2 in ‘Sheet1’.

This code creates a DataFrame with the value to be inserted, and then uses the ExcelWriter object to append to an existing file without altering the other data in the worksheet. This method is especially potent when dealing with larger datasets and complex data structures.

Method 3: Using xlwings Library

xlwings is a Python library that makes it simple to call Python scripts from Excel and vice versa. It allows direct manipulation of Excel workbook without the need for an intermediary file format, offering great flexibility, especially for interactive data manipulation.

Here’s an example:

import xlwings as xw

# Connect to the workbook
wb = xw.Book('test_results.xlsx')
sheet = wb.sheets['Sheet1']

# Write to cell B2
sheet.range('B2').value = 'Test Status'

# Save and Close the workbook
wb.save()
wb.close()

The output is the ‘test_results.xlsx’ file with “Test Status” updated in cell B2 of ‘Sheet1’.

The code uses xlwings to open an existing workbook, then locates the desired sheet and cell to update the value directly. This method is beneficial when the Excel file must remain open during writing, like in real-time data updates.

Method 4: Using xlsxwriter Library

xlsxwriter is a Python module for writing files in the Excel 2007+ XLSX file format. It helps to write text, numbers, formulas, and hyperlinks to multiple worksheets in an Excel 2007+ XLSX file.

Here’s an example:

import xlsxwriter

# Create a new Excel file and add a worksheet
workbook = xlsxwriter.Workbook('test_results.xlsx')
worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet()

# Write to cell B2
worksheet.write('B2', 'Test Status')

# Close the workbook
workbook.close()

The output is a new ‘test_results.xlsx’ file where “Test Status” is written in cell B2.

This code creates a new Excel file or overwrites an existing one, adds a worksheet, updates cell B2, and then closes the workbook. This library is suitable for creating new Excel reports that require specific formatting and custom options.

Bonus One-Liner Method 5: Using pyexcelerate Library

pyexcelerate is known for its performance-centric approach when writing data to an Excel file; particularly useful when dealing with very large datasets that need to be processed quickly.

Here’s an example:

from pyexcelerate import Workbook

# Create a new Workbook and write to cell B2
Workbook().new_sheet('Sheet1', data=[["", "Test Status"]]).save('test_results.xlsx')

The output would be a new ‘test_results.xlsx’ file with “Test Status” written in cell B2 of ‘Sheet1’.

In this one-liner, the pyexcelerate library is used to create a new workbook, add a sheet with the specified data, and then immediately save it. This method shines when speed is a priority, and the written data is relatively uncomplicated.

Summary/Discussion

  • Method 1: Using openpyxl Library. Great for all-around Excel file handling. Slightly heavier than other modules which might affect performance in less powerful environments.
  • Method 2: Using pandas Library. Most suitable for cases with complex data manipulation before Excel export. It can be overkill when you only need to update simple values.
  • Method 3: Using xlwings Library. Ideal for interactive Excel workbook manipulation and comprehensive Excel operations. It requires that Microsoft Excel is installed, limiting its cross-platform capabilities.
  • Method 4: Using xlsxwriter Library. Perfect for producing highly formatted new Excel files. Cannot edit existing Excel files, which can be a limitation for some use cases.
  • Method 5: Using pyexcelerate Library. Superior performance for large datasets. However, it has fewer features for formatting and customization compared to other libraries.