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A quick tip for reading in password protected excel files

PeterA
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

There are times that you want to read in Microsoft Excel files that have been password protected without going through too many extra hoops.  Out-of-the-box the INPUT Tool will not do this - 2019.2 included.  But you are in luck there are numerous R & Python packages that can handle this request.  Here is one example leveraging the R Tool.

 

Workflow to read in a password protected Excel file.Workflow to read in a password protected Excel file.

 

Attached below is the workflow, but if you just want the R code then here you go.  (notice that library that needs to be installed)

 

 

# install.packages(c("excel.link"))
library("excel.link")

df <- read.Alteryx("#1", mode="data.frame")
filename <- as.character(df[1,"FullPath"])
excel_pwd <- as.character(df[1,"excel_password"])

excel_data <- xl.read.file(filename, password = excel_pwd, write.res.password=excel_pwd)

write.Alteryx(excel_data, 1)

 

 

 

36 REPLIES 36
LukeM
Moderator
Moderator

@PeterA do you know the package well?

 

Is there a way to do the opposite - i.e. write to a password protected excel?

 

Luke

PeterA
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

@LukeM 

Great Question.  Yes there is a simple way with the same package - just check out the online doc for the library - see https://www.rdocumentation.org/packages/excel.link/versions/0.9.8-1/topics/xl.read.file for more information.

 

 

xl.save.file(output, filename, xl.sheet = NULL, password = "alteryx", write.res.password = "alteryx")

 

LukeM
Moderator
Moderator

Legend @PeterA, thanks! I've had a few questions from users around this so is a really nice and useful solution.

msmt85
5 - Atom
Seems like an easy and Nice to have solution. @peter Does it work for xlsb files as Well? Thanks.
PeterA
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

Good question @msmt85. Just gave it a quick test... and I can report that YES... it can handle XLSB files without any problem.

msheladia
5 - Atom

@PeterA, how can I use this to open and output multiple files at once? Thanks!

JamelTalbi
7 - Meteor

Can somebody indicate where I can download the "excel.link" library? Thanks.

 

I'm getting the following error message:

 

R (1) Error in library("excel.link") : there is no package called 'excel.link'

 

 

cruparelia
6 - Meteoroid

I tried to run the workflow 

 but getting error " R (3) Error in top_left_corner[["CurrentRegion"]] :"

 

Kindly assist to fix the issue.

 

Untitled.png

 

l10tovar
5 - Atom

@cruparelia did you ever find a solution to this issue? 

I am having the same error you are having in your screenshot. 

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