question: Why XlsxWriter cannot use an existing Excel file as a template?

[tonkolviktor]

Question

https://xlsxwriter.readthedocs.io/faq.html?highlight=read#q-can-xlsxwriter-use-an-existing-excel-file-as-a-template

No.
XlsxWriter is designed only as a file writer. It cannot read or modify an existing Excel file.

Although write only mode is certainly useful, I'm wondering why do you not support reading+writing? For my naive thinking this seems like such a basic use-case.

I actually want to allow my users to preformat the report before I fill it with the content, it makes everybody's life easier.

Thanks,
Viktor

[jmcnamara]

For my naive thinking this seems like such a basic use-case.

It is an obvious use case and I have thought about, and even tried it. However, it represents a lot of work (probably several years) and it isn't something that I could feasibly do.

I laid out some of my thoughts on a similar question here:

#653 (comment)