5 ms·

Sheetfu – Python library to interact with Google Sheets V4 API

224 points by jeanloolz 7y ago

mushufasa 7y ago
also see stencila https://stenci.la https://stenci.la
- agravier 7y ago
  Looks like nice stuff but this is not yet something that can be used if one is not part of the closed beta.
jonas_b 7y ago
Seems like re-creating pygsheets, no? https://github.com/nithinmurali/pygsheets https://github.com/nithinmurali/pygsheets
- washadjeffmad 7y ago
  Similar in function, different in application? They don't need to call it yapygsheets for it to be their own.
- jeanloolz 7y ago
  Author here: Sheetfu original goal was to port the Google Apps Script API for spreadsheet (made in javascript) to Python, so you'll see a lot of common ground between those 2 libs. You could probably achieve the same with both Pygsheet and Sheetfu, the interface is a bit different. Sheetfu, however, contains the Table module, which completely abstracts the coordinate system for a more ORM-ish syntax.
- proc0 7y ago
  These lib names, lmao
master_yoda_1 7y ago
Why it is trending at no 1? I think I need to stop reading hacker news :(
- packetslave 7y ago
  Go right ahead
ma2rten 7y ago
Is it possible using this or pygsheets to open a sheet that is editable by link without authorizing your account?
- ShakataGaNai 7y ago
  No. The API's require authentication to function.
6gvONxR4sf7o 7y ago
Anyone tried airtable? It seems like it's designed specifically for this, and looks nice, but the fact that they limit number of rows per table on the free plan is a bit of a WTF.
- wy35 7y ago
  I think we can cut Airtable a little slack since it's geared towards professionals/businesses instead of average consumers. Kind of like how Slack puts a cap on the number of messages in their free version.
- ShakataGaNai 7y ago
  I've tinkered with Airtable a bit and it's a solid product. It's a "database" shown in the style of a spreadsheet. With a number of great features, but of course you got to pay for that. The plan limit for free I get. However overall I think they use the records-per-base limit as their major "please don't use us for anything automated" function. You couldn't, say, build a light CRM on anything less than the enterprise version because 50k records (for pro aka $20/user/mo) just wouldn't cut it. For those people who need database type powers for a very very small company - it's really impressive. Anyone larger...probably builds something themselves.
  - wy35 7y ago
    I also messed around with Airtable a bit and I do agree that it's a very polished experience. Interestingly, I've noticed that there's actually a large amount of real estate agents who are sick of Salesforce and are very hyped for Airtable. They're waiting for Airtable to add some essential features Salesforce has before jumping ship.
    - jamessun 7y ago
      What are some of the features missing in Airtable that you think would make it more palatable for real estate agents to use?
    - gsempe 7y ago
cgidriver 7y ago
is there something like this for gmail? Where I could query emails from Python and act on them?
- slightwinder 7y ago
  GMail has an IMAP-interface. You can use any imap-capable solution, including pythons own imaplib.
  - bonzini 7y ago
    IMAP cannot operate on a whole thread at a time. Ironically you will hardly notice the difference when operating with the web interface, which is very much thread based, but it can be useful to apply a label to a whole thread if your interaction with GMail happens in Thunderbird or mutt. For example, I have a Google Apps script that adds a label to a whole thread whenever someone CCs me on a bug, so that the entire bug suddenly pops up in the "my bugs" Thunderbird folder, including messages prior to my being added.
    - slightwinder 7y ago
      Yes and no. You must fetch the whole thread in a seperate request and handle them specifically. Bit more work, but simple. https://developers.google.com/gmail/imap/imap-extensions#access_to_the_gmail_thread_id_x-gm-thrid https://developers.google.com/gmail/imap/imap-extensions#acc...
- xtreak29 7y ago
  This might help : https://automatetheboringstuff.com/2e/chapter18/ https://automatetheboringstuff.com/2e/chapter18/
- tyingq 7y ago
  There's a restful Gmail API, and Python bindings. https://developers.google.com/gmail/api/downloads https://developers.google.com/gmail/api/downloads
airstrike 7y ago
First impression: get_field_name and set_field_name seem quite verbose when one could simply get / set attributes directly
- orf 7y ago
  Yeah, this could be more pythonic for sure. Setter and getter methods are always a bit iffy in Python, usually their presence in a library doesn’t bode well. They could make some of them work with the same syntax as dictionaries, which would be a good start.
  - zbentley 7y ago
    > usually their presence in a library doesn’t bode well Yuuup. My personal favorite is SendGrid/Twilio's email envelope handling, in which the way you add multiple headers is by .... assigning to an attribute multiple times: mail_object.header = "header 1" mail_object.header = "header 2" mail_object.send() # Sends with headers ["header 1", "header 2"]
    - airstrike 7y ago
      As convenient as you may find it, that behavior seems really unexpected so I don't think that qualifies as a great example
      - orf 7y ago
        It’s a great example of poorly designed APIs, that was his point.
        airstrike 7y ago
        Thanks. I missed his sarcastic tone entirely, but now I see it.
joaodlf 7y ago
I have been using https://github.com/burnash/gspread https://github.com/burnash/gspread for a while now, very happy with it. Does Sheetfu do anything better?
- jeanloolz 7y ago
  As far as I know, Gspread does not handle data other than cells values. Sheetfu can however, you can get or set notes, and colors for example. Pygsheet also can do that. Sheetfu contains the Table module which gives you the possibility to interact with your sheet as it it was a database table (as close as we can get to ORM-ish approach).

224 points by jeanloolz 7y ago

mushufasa 7y ago

also see stencila https://stenci.la https://stenci.la

agravier 7y ago
Looks like nice stuff but this is not yet something that can be used if one is not part of the closed beta.

jonas_b 7y ago

Seems like re-creating pygsheets, no? https://github.com/nithinmurali/pygsheets https://github.com/nithinmurali/pygsheets

washadjeffmad 7y ago
Similar in function, different in application? They don't need to call it yapygsheets for it to be their own.
jeanloolz 7y ago
Author here: Sheetfu original goal was to port the Google Apps Script API for spreadsheet (made in javascript) to Python, so you'll see a lot of common ground between those 2 libs. You could probably achieve the same with both Pygsheet and Sheetfu, the interface is a bit different. Sheetfu, however, contains the Table module, which completely abstracts the coordinate system for a more ORM-ish syntax.
proc0 7y ago
These lib names, lmao

master_yoda_1 7y ago

Why it is trending at no 1? I think I need to stop reading hacker news :(

packetslave 7y ago
Go right ahead

ma2rten 7y ago

Is it possible using this or pygsheets to open a sheet that is editable by link without authorizing your account?

ShakataGaNai 7y ago
No. The API's require authentication to function.

6gvONxR4sf7o 7y ago

Anyone tried airtable? It seems like it's designed specifically for this, and looks nice, but the fact that they limit number of rows per table on the free plan is a bit of a WTF.

wy35 7y ago
I think we can cut Airtable a little slack since it's geared towards professionals/businesses instead of average consumers. Kind of like how Slack puts a cap on the number of messages in their free version.
ShakataGaNai 7y ago
I've tinkered with Airtable a bit and it's a solid product. It's a "database" shown in the style of a spreadsheet. With a number of great features, but of course you got to pay for that. The plan limit for free I get. However overall I think they use the records-per-base limit as their major "please don't use us for anything automated" function. You couldn't, say, build a light CRM on anything less than the enterprise version because 50k records (for pro aka $20/user/mo) just wouldn't cut it. For those people who need database type powers for a very very small company - it's really impressive. Anyone larger...probably builds something themselves.
- wy35 7y ago
  I also messed around with Airtable a bit and I do agree that it's a very polished experience. Interestingly, I've noticed that there's actually a large amount of real estate agents who are sick of Salesforce and are very hyped for Airtable. They're waiting for Airtable to add some essential features Salesforce has before jumping ship.
  - jamessun 7y ago
    What are some of the features missing in Airtable that you think would make it more palatable for real estate agents to use?
  - gsempe 7y ago

cgidriver 7y ago

is there something like this for gmail? Where I could query emails from Python and act on them?

slightwinder 7y ago
GMail has an IMAP-interface. You can use any imap-capable solution, including pythons own imaplib.
- bonzini 7y ago
  IMAP cannot operate on a whole thread at a time. Ironically you will hardly notice the difference when operating with the web interface, which is very much thread based, but it can be useful to apply a label to a whole thread if your interaction with GMail happens in Thunderbird or mutt. For example, I have a Google Apps script that adds a label to a whole thread whenever someone CCs me on a bug, so that the entire bug suddenly pops up in the "my bugs" Thunderbird folder, including messages prior to my being added.
  - slightwinder 7y ago
    Yes and no. You must fetch the whole thread in a seperate request and handle them specifically. Bit more work, but simple. https://developers.google.com/gmail/imap/imap-extensions#access_to_the_gmail_thread_id_x-gm-thrid https://developers.google.com/gmail/imap/imap-extensions#acc...
xtreak29 7y ago
This might help : https://automatetheboringstuff.com/2e/chapter18/ https://automatetheboringstuff.com/2e/chapter18/
tyingq 7y ago
There's a restful Gmail API, and Python bindings. https://developers.google.com/gmail/api/downloads https://developers.google.com/gmail/api/downloads

airstrike 7y ago

First impression: get_field_name and set_field_name seem quite verbose when one could simply get / set attributes directly

orf 7y ago
Yeah, this could be more pythonic for sure. Setter and getter methods are always a bit iffy in Python, usually their presence in a library doesn’t bode well. They could make some of them work with the same syntax as dictionaries, which would be a good start.
- zbentley 7y ago
  > usually their presence in a library doesn’t bode well Yuuup. My personal favorite is SendGrid/Twilio's email envelope handling, in which the way you add multiple headers is by .... assigning to an attribute multiple times: mail_object.header = "header 1" mail_object.header = "header 2" mail_object.send() # Sends with headers ["header 1", "header 2"]
  - airstrike 7y ago
    As convenient as you may find it, that behavior seems really unexpected so I don't think that qualifies as a great example
    - orf 7y ago
      It’s a great example of poorly designed APIs, that was his point.
      - airstrike 7y ago
        Thanks. I missed his sarcastic tone entirely, but now I see it.

joaodlf 7y ago

I have been using https://github.com/burnash/gspread https://github.com/burnash/gspread for a while now, very happy with it. Does Sheetfu do anything better?

jeanloolz 7y ago
As far as I know, Gspread does not handle data other than cells values. Sheetfu can however, you can get or set notes, and colors for example. Pygsheet also can do that. Sheetfu contains the Table module which gives you the possibility to interact with your sheet as it it was a database table (as close as we can get to ORM-ish approach).