excel-generator

Use xlsxwriter for new files or openpyxl to edit existing ones, writing formulas as strings like ws.write_formula(0, 3, "=B1*C1"). Python does not evaluate formulas; Excel computes them when the file is opened.

Use xlsxwriter for creating new files, large datasets, and richer formatting since it is faster and write-only. Use openpyxl when you need to read or modify an existing .xlsx file, since xlsxwriter cannot open files.

No, Python libraries cannot create native PivotTables because they require cached data. Build the equivalent using pandas pivot_table with groupby aggregation or SUMIFS-based formula grids that update dynamically in Excel.

Use xlsxwriter with constant_memory: True for writing, which streams rows to disk using about 200MB RAM for 1M rows. For reading, use openpyxl in read_only mode and process rows in batches.

Run LibreOffice headless with the command libreoffice --headless --calc --convert-to pdf --outdir ./output report.xlsx. Set print layout options like fitToWidth, margins, and repeated header rows first for clean output.

Python writes external references like '[file.xlsx]Sheet'!B2 as strings without cached values. Excel shows #REF! until the linked workbook is also open or the link is updated, so generate all data workbooks before the master file.