The Problem (Q-score 5, ranked #285th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2013
I’m reading xls file using xlrd. The problem is, when xlrd reading value like this “12/09/2012”, i get result like this “xldate:41252.0”. When I use xlrd.xldate_as_tuple, i get this result:
(2016, 12, 10, 0, 0, 0)
My code:
curr_row = -1
while curr_row < num_rows:
curr_row += 1
row = worksheet.row(curr_row)
for x in xrange(num_cols):
field_type = worksheet.cell_type(curr_row, x)
if field_type == 3: # this is date
field_value = worksheet.cell_value(curr_row, x)
print worksheet.cell(curr_row, x).value
print xlrd.xldate_as_tuple(field_value, 1)
Result:
41252.0
(2016, 12, 10, 0, 0, 0)
Both results are wrong for me. How can i get original cell value “12/09/2012” using xlrd ?
Why this Range / Worksheet targeting trips people up
The question centers on reaching a specific cell, range, or workbook object. In Excel VBA, this is the #1 source of failures after activation events: every property (.Value, .Formula, .Address) behaves differently depending on whether the parent Workbook is explicit or implicit.
The Verified Solution — niche answer (below median) (+6)
17-line Excel VBA pattern (copy-ready)
According to the docstring, you should pass your workbook’s datemode to xldate_as_tuple as a second parameter:
from datetime import datetime
import xlrd
book = xlrd.open_workbook("test.xls")
sheet = book.sheet_by_index(0)
a1 = sheet.cell_value(rowx=0, colx=0)
print a1 # prints 41252.0
print xlrd.xldate_as_tuple(a1, 1) # prints (2016, 12, 10, 0, 0, 0)
a1_tuple = xlrd.xldate_as_tuple(a1, book.datemode)
print a1_tuple # prints (2012, 12, 9, 0, 0, 0)
a1_datetime = datetime(*a1_tuple)
print a1_datetime.strftime("%m/%d/%Y") # prints 12/09/2012
When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)
Ranked #285th in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 98% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2013 and 2026
The answer is 13 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.