xlrd module sample use

xlrd.py

import xlrd

# initialize a workbook
workbook = xlrd.open_workbook('<excel filename>')

# inspect a workbook's sheets
workbook.sheet_names()  # returns a list of sheet names

# initialize a worksheet
worksheet = workbook.sheet_by_name('<sheet name>')
# handy to reference by index
worksheet = workbook.sheet_by_name(workbook.sheet_names()[<sheet index>])

# get worksheet number of rows
worksheet.nrows

# iterate over worksheet rows
for n in xrange(worksheet.nrows):
    print worksheet.row(n)

    
# handle dates
def auto_date(workbook, sheet, row, row_index):
    for col_index in range(len(row)):
        cell = sheet.cell(row_index, col_index)
        if cell.ctype == xlrd.XL_CELL_DATE:
            dt = datetime.datetime(
                *xlrd.xldate_as_tuple(cell.value, worksheet.book.datemode))
            # dates and datetimes must be timezone "aware"
            row[col_index] = tz.localize(dt, is_dst=False)
    return row