Pros of xlwings

• Allows direct interaction with Excel, including running macros and UDFs
• Supports both reading and writing Excel files
• Provides a more Excel-centric approach, ideal for complex Excel operations

Cons of xlwings

• Requires Excel to be installed on the system
• Generally slower performance compared to XlsxWriter
• More complex setup and usage for simple tasks

Code Comparison

XlsxWriter:

import xlsxwriter

workbook = xlsxwriter.Workbook('example.xlsx')
worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet()
worksheet.write('A1', 'Hello, World!')
workbook.close()

xlwings:

import xlwings as xw

wb = xw.Book()
sheet = wb.sheets[0]
sheet.range('A1').value = 'Hello, World!'
wb.save('example.xlsx')

Both libraries allow for creating Excel files and writing data, but xlwings provides more advanced features for interacting with Excel directly. XlsxWriter is more focused on creating Excel files programmatically without requiring Excel installation. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of the project, such as the need for Excel interaction, performance considerations, and the complexity of the Excel operations required.

Pros of xlrd

• Specializes in reading Excel files, particularly older .xls formats
• Lightweight and focused on a single task
• Well-established with long-term support and community contributions

Cons of xlrd

• Limited to reading Excel files, cannot write or modify
• Less support for newer Excel features and formats
• Development has slowed down in recent years

Code Comparison

xlrd (reading an Excel file):

import xlrd

workbook = xlrd.open_workbook('example.xls')
sheet = workbook.sheet_by_index(0)
value = sheet.cell_value(0, 0)

XlsxWriter (writing an Excel file):

import xlsxwriter

workbook = xlsxwriter.Workbook('example.xlsx')
worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet()
worksheet.write('A1', 'Hello, World!')
workbook.close()

XlsxWriter focuses on creating Excel files with a wide range of features, including charts, formulas, and formatting. It's actively maintained and regularly updated. However, it doesn't support reading Excel files, which is xlrd's primary function.

xlrd is better suited for projects that only need to extract data from existing Excel files, especially older .xls formats. XlsxWriter is ideal for generating new Excel files with complex formatting and features, particularly in the newer .xlsx format.

For projects requiring both reading and writing capabilities, using a combination of xlrd and XlsxWriter or considering alternative libraries like openpyxl might be more appropriate.

Pros of xlwt

• Lightweight and simple to use for basic Excel file creation
• Supports older Excel file formats (.xls)
• Well-established and stable library with a long history

Cons of xlwt

• Limited support for newer Excel features and formats
• No longer actively maintained, with infrequent updates
• Lacks advanced formatting and chart creation capabilities

Code Comparison

xlwt:

import xlwt

workbook = xlwt.Workbook()
sheet = workbook.add_sheet('Sheet1')
sheet.write(0, 0, 'Hello, World!')
workbook.save('example.xls')

XlsxWriter:

import xlsxwriter

workbook = xlsxwriter.Workbook('example.xlsx')
worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet()
worksheet.write('A1', 'Hello, World!')
workbook.close()

Both libraries offer straightforward ways to create Excel files, but XlsxWriter provides more advanced features and supports the newer .xlsx format. While xlwt is simpler for basic tasks, XlsxWriter offers greater flexibility and ongoing development. The code examples demonstrate the similar syntax for basic operations, but XlsxWriter's additional capabilities become apparent when working with more complex spreadsheets and formatting options.

Pros of PhpSpreadsheet

• Supports reading and writing multiple spreadsheet formats (XLSX, XLS, ODS, CSV)
• More comprehensive feature set, including cell styling, formulas, and charts
• Active development with regular updates and improvements

Cons of PhpSpreadsheet

• Slower performance compared to XlsxWriter, especially for large datasets
• Higher memory usage, which can be a concern for resource-constrained environments
• Steeper learning curve due to its more complex API and extensive features

Code Comparison

XlsxWriter (Python):

import xlsxwriter

workbook = xlsxwriter.Workbook('example.xlsx')
worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet()
worksheet.write('A1', 'Hello, World!')
workbook.close()

PhpSpreadsheet (PHP):

use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Spreadsheet;
use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Xlsx;

$spreadsheet = new Spreadsheet();
$sheet = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet();
$sheet->setCellValue('A1', 'Hello, World!');
$writer = new Xlsx($spreadsheet);
$writer->save('example.xlsx');

Both libraries offer straightforward ways to create and write to spreadsheets, but PhpSpreadsheet's API is slightly more verbose. XlsxWriter focuses on simplicity and performance for writing XLSX files, while PhpSpreadsheet provides a more comprehensive set of features for working with various spreadsheet formats.

Pros of SheetJS

• Supports reading and writing various spreadsheet formats (XLSX, CSV, HTML, etc.)
• Works in both browser and Node.js environments
• Extensive community support and regular updates

Cons of SheetJS

• Steeper learning curve due to more complex API
• Larger file size, which may impact performance in browser environments
• Some advanced features require a commercial license

Code Comparison

XlsxWriter:

import xlsxwriter

workbook = xlsxwriter.Workbook('example.xlsx')
worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet()
worksheet.write('A1', 'Hello World')
workbook.close()

SheetJS:

const XLSX = require('xlsx');

const workbook = XLSX.utils.book_new();
const worksheet = XLSX.utils.aoa_to_sheet([['Hello World']]);
XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(workbook, worksheet, 'Sheet1');
XLSX.writeFile(workbook, 'example.xlsx');

Summary

XlsxWriter is a Python library focused on creating Excel XLSX files, offering a straightforward API for basic spreadsheet operations. SheetJS, on the other hand, is a more versatile JavaScript library that supports multiple spreadsheet formats and can be used in various environments. While SheetJS provides more flexibility, it comes with a steeper learning curve and potential performance considerations. XlsxWriter may be preferable for simpler Excel-specific tasks in Python, while SheetJS is better suited for complex, cross-platform spreadsheet manipulation in JavaScript.