How to loop over rows in Excel Graph API?

I am writing some Python automation script with Excel Graph API that needs to loop over the rows of a shared excel file and if a row meets criteria, write some value to one of its cells.

After using openpyxl library, using Graph API is very difficult for me to grasp. I am able to read worksheet usedRange values and even change value at a given cell address, but I have no clue how to loop over the rows.

I tried to get a row range object from usedRange as follows, but it just returns an error. This is my endpoint in Graph Explorer.

https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/drives/{drive_id}/items/{item_id}/workbook/worksheets('<worksheet_name>')/usedRange/row

This is my request body for POST request:

 {  "row": 4 } 

And this is a 400 Bad Request error I am getting:

{
    "error": {
        "code": "BadRequest",
        "message": "Resource not found for the segment 'row'.",
        "innerError": {
            "date": "2024-09-10T08:21:14",
            "request-id": "29b3dfd7-08b5-446d-b035-1dffa220d15a",
            "client-request-id": "4b79cd03-244e-0613-1897-ea442a0171bc"
        }
    }
}

I would appreciate any ideas on how to loop over the rows using Graph API.

You’re absolutely right; the Microsoft Graph API doesn’t provide a direct way to loop through rows using the usedRange/row endpoint. It’s designed for working with specific cells within the used range.

Here are two alternative approaches to achieve your goal of looping through rows in a shared Excel file using Python automation:

1. Using openpyxl library (recommended):

Since you’re already comfortable with openpyxl , it’s the recommended approach for working directly with the Excel file. Here’s the process:

  • Import libraries:
    Python
import openpyxl
  • **Authenticate with Microsoft Graph (if necessary):**If you need to access private data in the file and haven’t already, use the Microsoft Graph API to get an access token for your application. You can find resources online for Microsoft Graph authentication in Python.
  • Open the shared Excel file (using access token if needed):
  • For public files:
    Python
wb = openpyxl.load_workbook(url="https://<drive_id>/items/<item_id>

For private files (using access token):
Python

# Replace with your access token
access_token = "<your_access_token>"
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}"}

wb = openpyxl.load_workbook(url="https://<drive_id>/items/<item_id>

Get the worksheet:
Python

worksheet = wb["<worksheet_name>"]

Loop through rows using the iter_rows() method:
Python

for row in worksheet.iter_rows():
    # Access cells in the row using cell.value or cell.coordinate
    for cell in row:
        # Check your criteria on cell values
        if your_condition(cell.value):
            # Update cell value if needed
            cell.value = "New Value"

# Save the changes to the Excel file
wb.save("updated_file.xlsx")

2. Using Microsoft Graph API with Delta Queries (advanced):

If you need to constantly monitor changes in the shared file and react in real-time, you can use Delta Queries with Microsoft Graph API. It’s a more complex approach, but here’s a general idea:

  • Subscribe to a Delta Query: Subscribe to a Delta Query that monitors changes in the specific worksheet of a shared Excel file. This requires building a subscription and handling notifications.
  • Process notifications: Parse the notification payload to identify changes in specific rows.
  • Update the file: Use the Graph API to update the specific cells within those rows based on your criteria.

This approach involves more development effort and understanding of Delta Queries. Refer to the Microsoft Graph documentation for Delta Queries: Use delta query to track changes in Microsoft Graph data - Microsoft Graph | Microsoft Learn.

Remember: When accessing shared files, ensure you have the necessary permissions to read and write data.

For your specific error with row segment, it’s because the Graph API expects a specific cell address or range. It doesn’t support querying entire rows directly. Choose the approach that best suits your requirements and coding experience.