Excel to CSV with Python

I wanted to handle a simple task: convert a bunch of XSLs to CSVs. Well I wrote a small Script in VBScript and it worked. Then I needed to change the List separator, so I did that in my System settings, and then my Script didn’t work anymore, because it just ignored my changed settings.

I googled a lot and didn’t find the solution (only people with the same problem). It seems that VBScript (or WSH) is using it’s own locale that you can not change.

So I began to look for alternatives. Python can handle the COM interface when you install PyWin32 (the version must match the python version you’re using). So I just rebuild my script with python and it’s COM-Interface. Et voil�: it takes the user defined settings and converts my files in the way I want them.

#import win32 stuff
from win32com.client import Dispatch
#import other needed
import glob,sys,os

path = os.path.split(sys.argv[0]) #gather the path of the script
path = path[0]
path = path + '\\' #append \ at the end of path (when using *NIX you must use / instead
files = glob.glob('*.xls') #get list of files

xlApp = Dispatch("Excel.Application") #create Excel COM-Object
xlApp.DisplayAlerts = False
for file in files:
    xlWB = xlApp.Workbooks.Open(path + file)
    xlWB.SaveAs(path + file.replace(".xls",".csv"), 6 ) #6 = xlcsv
    xlWB.Close()
xlApp.Quit()
del xlApp