Python: Convert Excel to TXT (Text)

Text files have a distinct advantage over Excel spreadsheets in terms of simplicity as they don't contain complex formatting, macros or formulas. This streamlined nature not only enhances portability, but also reduces the possibility of file corruption. Consequently, converting Excel files to text files can greatly facilitates data parsing and ensures compatibility with various applications. In this article, you will learn how to convert Excel to TXT text file in Python using Spire.XLS for Python.

Install Spire.XLS for Python

This scenario requires Spire.XLS for Python and plum-dispatch v1.7.4. They can be easily installed in your Windows through the following pip command.

pip install Spire.XLS

If you are unsure how to install, please refer to this tutorial: How to Install Spire.XLS for Python on Windows

Convert Excel to TXT in Python

Spire.XLS for Python offers the Worksheet.SaveToFile(fileName: str, separator: str, encoding: Encoding) method to convert a specified worksheet to a TXT text file. The three parameters represent:

• fileName: Specifies the path and the name of the output text file.
• separator: Specifies the separator for the output text file. Common separators include commas (,), tabs, semicolons (;), etc.
• encoding: Specifies the encoding format of the file, e.g. UTF-8, Unicode, ASCII, etc. You need to use the correct encoding format to ensure that the text is represented and interpreted correctly.

The following are the detailed steps to convert Excel to text files in Python.

• Create a Workbook instance.
• Load a sample Excel file using Workbook.LoadFromFile() method.
• Get a specified worksheet by its index using Workbook.Worksheets[sheetIndex] property.
• Convert the Excel worksheet to a TXT file using Worksheet.SaveToFile() method.

import os
import sys
curPath = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
rootPath = os.path.split(curPath)[0]
sys.path.append(rootPath)
from spire.xls import *
from spire.xls.common import *

inputFile = "Inventories.xlsx"
outputFile = "ExceltoTxt.txt"

# Create a Workbook instance 
workbook = Workbook()

# Load an Excel document from disk
workbook.LoadFromFile(inputFile)

# Get the first worksheet
sheet = workbook.Worksheets[0]

# Save the worksheet as a txt file
sheet.SaveToFile(outputFile, " ", Encoding.get_UTF8())
workbook.Dispose()

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