xlrd.biffh.XLRDError: Excel xlsx file; not supported

📝 Title: How to Fix the "Excel xlsx file not supported" Error in Python

👋 Hey there, techies! Are you trying to read a macro-enabled Excel worksheet using pandas.read_excel with the xlrd library, but encountering an annoying error message that says "Excel xlsx file; not supported"? Don't worry, I've got your back! In this blog post, we'll dive into the common causes of this error and provide you with easy solutions to resolve it. Let's get started! 💪

Understanding the Error

So, you're trying to read an Excel file with the .xlsx extension, which typically means it's a modern Excel file format. The xlrd library, although quite powerful for handling Excel files, has limited support for the newer file formats like .xlsx. As a result, you may encounter the dreaded xlrd.biffh.XLRDError: Excel xlsx file; not supported error.

Possible Solutions

Fortunately, there are a few workarounds that can help you overcome this error. Let's explore them one by one:

1. Using the openpyxl Library: One viable solution is to switch to the openpyxl library for reading Excel files. Unlike xlrd, openpyxl offers extensive support for .xlsx files. Here's a modified version of your code that uses openpyxl:

import pandas as pd
df1 = pd.read_excel(os.path.join(APP_PATH, os.path.join("Data", "aug_latest.xlsm")), sheet_name=None, engine="openpyxl")

By specifying the engine="openpyxl" argument, you'll be able to read the .xlsx file without encountering the "not supported" error.

1. Converting the File to an Older Format: If you don't want to change your library, you can try converting the .xlsx file to an older Excel format like .xls or .xlsm. Tools like Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc can help you save the file in the desired format. Once converted, you should be able to read the file using xlrd without any issues.

2. Checking the xlrd Version: It's important to ensure that you're using the latest version of the xlrd library. Older versions may have limited or no support for newer Excel file formats. Upgrade your xlrd library using pip:

pip install --upgrade xlrd

1. Handling Macros: If your Excel file contains macros, xlrd might not be the best solution for parsing it. Consider using libraries like xlwings or PyXLL, which provide better support for Excel macros.

💡 Pro Tip: Avoid using macros in your Excel files if you're planning to parse them with xlrd or similar libraries.

Call-to-Action

🎉 And there you have it, folks! You've learned some handy tips to tackle the "Excel xlsx file; not supported" error in Python. Give these solutions a try and let us know which one worked best for you. If you have any questions or other Excel-related hurdles to overcome, drop a comment below. We'd love to help you out! 👇

📢 Also, don't forget to share this blog post with your Pythonista friends who might be wrestling with the same issue. Spread the knowledge and keep coding like a champ! 🚀