Python: error opening excel workbook with win32com

Question

I am trying to make a program to open existing excel files, in order to read and write their contents. I am already having trouble opening files.

My code:

def open_sheet():
    excel = win32com.client.Dispatch("Excel.Application")
    wb = excel.Workbooks(r'C:\Users\<username>\Documents\<more file path>\test.xls').Open()
    ws = wb.Worksheets('abc') # there is a worksheet called abc.
    excel.Visible = True

Note: I abbreviated the file paths for brevity. The .py file and the test.xls file are in the same folder.

The error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\<username>\Documents\<more file path>\automation code.py", line 37, in <module>
    open_sheet()
  File "C:\Users\<username>\Documents\<more file path>\automation code.py", line 33, in open_sheet
    wb = excel.Workbooks(r'C:\Users\<username>\Documents\<more file path>\test.xls').Open()
  File "C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python36-32\lib\site-packages\win32com\gen_py\00020813-0000-0000-C000-000000000046x0x1x9\Workbooks.py", line 198, in __call__
    ret = self._oleobj_.InvokeTypes(0, LCID, 2, (13, 0), ((12, 1),),Index
pywintypes.com_error: (**-2147352567**, '例外が発生しました。', (0, None, None, None, 0, -2147352565), None)

Note: I am using a Japanese computer. The sentence in Japanese means 'Exception occurred'.

I tried to find out more about the error:

import win32api
win32api.FormatMessage(**-2147352567**)

Output:
'例外が発生しました。\r\n'
(The translation, I think, is: 'Exception occurred. \r\n')

I found this question. In it, the error number is the same, but their problem is the wrong sheet name. My sheet name, 'abc' really does exist in the excel file.

The following might also be useful diagnostic information. This code works (to create and open a new workbook):

def make_xl():
    o = win32com.client.Dispatch("Excel.Application")
    o.Visible = 1
    o.Workbooks.Add() # for office 97 – 95 a bit different!
    o.Cells(1,1).Value = "Hello"

Other info: Windows 10 Python 3.6 Python win is installed (pywin32 build 222)

I am new to using win32com. Please help me troubleshoot this problem.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 04 '18 at 20:35

1

I think your problem comes from:

wb = excel.Workbooks(r'C:\Users\<username>\Documents\<more file path>\test.xls').Open()

The path to your file should be in Open() such as:

wb = excel.Workbooks.Open(r'C:\Users\<username>\Documents\<more file path>\test.xls')

Note also that there is no () after Workbooks as in your second code. This way works for me.

answered Apr 04 '18 at 20:35

Ben.T

29,160
6
32
54

This worked. Strange that the second code (def make_xl()) worked, despite having the extra(). My wrong code, I found on some site that must itself have been wrong. For others looking for function syntax of working with excel files, I just found this quickstart that has the workbooks.open('...') syntax right and hopefully is correct about other functions also: http://pythonexcels.com/python-excel-mini-cookbook/ – user4396936 Apr 10 '18 at 09:08

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 07 '22 at 16:00

0

You can try to upgrade win32com by using the following command: pip install pywin32 --upgrade

answered Nov 07 '22 at 16:00

iMatrixx

11
3

Python: error opening excel workbook with win32com

2 Answers2