Pywin32: How to import data into Excel?

[Duncan Booth]

Tim Golden wrote:

> [Dmytro Lesnyak]
>> I need to import some big data into Excel from my 
>> Python script. I have TXT file (~7,5 Mb). I'm using 
>> Pywin32 library for that, but if I first try to read 
>> the TXT file and then save the values one by one like
>> xlBook.Sheets(sheet_name).Cells(i,j).Value = value_from_TXT_file
>> it takes about 10 hours to process whole data
> 
> A few suggestions:
> 
> + When trying to automate anything in Excel, it's
>   usually illuminating to record a macro which does
>   what you want, and then to translate that VBA code
>   into Python.
> 

Another suggestion: when automating Excel, turn off the automatic 
recalculation (set Application.Calculation=xlManual) and then turn it back 
on again when you have finished.

If you don't do this, Excel will attempt to recalculate the sheet after 
every update to a cell. Even if you don't have any formulae referencing the 
cells you change it still makes a big difference.