On Jul 28, 3:33 pm, "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Jul 28, 3:29 pm, "Diez B. Roggisch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] schrieb: > > > > On Jul 28, 3:00 pm, "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >> Hi - experienced programmer but this is my first Python program. > > > >> This URL will retrieve an excel spreadsheet containing (that day's) > > >> msci stock index returns. > > > >>http://www.mscibarra.com/webapp/indexperf/excel?priceLevel=0&scope=0&... > > > >> Want to write python to download and save the file. > > > >> So far I've arrived at this: > > > >> [quote] > > >> # import pdb > > >> import urllib2 > > >> from win32com.client import Dispatch > > > >> xlApp = Dispatch("Excel.Application") > > > >> # test 1 > > >> # xlApp.Workbooks.Add() > > >> # xlApp.ActiveSheet.Cells(1,1).Value = 'A' > > >> # xlApp.ActiveWorkbook.ActiveSheet.Cells(2,1).Value = 'B' > > >> # xlBook = xlApp.ActiveWorkbook > > >> # xlBook.SaveAs(Filename='C:\\test.xls') > > > >> # pdb.set_trace() > > >> response = urllib2.urlopen('http://www.mscibarra.com/webapp/indexperf/ > > >> excel? > > >> priceLevel=0&scope=0¤cy=15&style=C&size=36&market=1897&asOf=Jul > > >> +25%2C+2008&export=Excel_IEIPerfRegional') > > >> # test 2 - returns check = False > > >> check_for_data = urllib2.Request('http://www.mscibarra.com/webapp/ > > >> indexperf/excel? > > >> priceLevel=0&scope=0¤cy=15&style=C&size=36&market=1897&asOf=Jul > > >> +25%2C+2008&export=Excel_IEIPerfRegional').has_data() > > > >> xlApp = response.fp > > >> print(response.fp.name) > > >> print(xlApp.name) > > >> xlApp.write > > >> xlApp.Close > > >> [/quote] > > > > Woops hit Send when I wanted Preview. Looks like the html [quote] tag > > > doesn't work from groups.google.com (nice). > > > > Anway, in test 1 above, I determined how to instantiate an excel > > > object; put some stuff in it; then save to disk. > > > > So, in theory, I'm retrieving my excel spreadsheet with > > > > response = urllib2.urlopen() > > > > Except what then do I do with this? > > > > Well for one read some of the urllib2 documentation and found the > > > Request class with the method has_data() on it. It returns False. > > > Hmm that's not encouraging. > > > > I supposed the trick to understand what urllib2.urlopen is returning > > > to me; rummage around in there; and hopefully find my excel file. > > > > I use pdb to debug. This is interesting: > > > > (Pdb) dir(response) > > > ['__doc__', '__init__', '__iter__', '__module__', '__repr__', 'close', > > > 'code', ' > > > fileno', 'fp', 'geturl', 'headers', 'info', 'msg', 'next', 'read', > > > 'readline', ' > > > readlines', 'url'] > > > (Pdb) > > > > I suppose the members with __*_ are methods; and the names without the > > > underbars are attributes (variables) (?). > > > No, these are the names of all attributes and methods. read is a method, > > for example. > > right - I got it backwards. > > > > > > > > Or maybe this isn't at all the right direction to take (maybe there > > > are much better modules to do this stuff). Would be happy to learn if > > > that's the case (and if that gets the job done for me). > > > The docs (http://docs.python.org/lib/module-urllib2.html) are pretty > > clear on this: > > > """ > > This function returns a file-like object with two additional methods: > > """ > > > And then for file-like objects: > > >http://docs.python.org/lib/bltin-file-objects.html > > > """ > > read( [size]) > > Read at most size bytes from the file (less if the read hits EOF > > before obtaining size bytes). If the size argument is negative or > > omitted, read all data until EOF is reached. The bytes are returned as a > > string object. An empty string is returned when EOF is encountered > > immediately. (For certain files, like ttys, it makes sense to continue > > reading after an EOF is hit.) Note that this method may call the > > underlying C function fread() more than once in an effort to acquire as > > close to size bytes as possible. Also note that when in non-blocking > > mode, less data than what was requested may be returned, even if no size > > parameter was given. > > """ > > > Diez > > Just stumbled upon .read: > > response = urllib2.urlopen('http://www.mscibarra.com/webapp/indexperf/ > excel? > priceLevel=0&scope=0¤cy=15&style=C&size=36&market=1897&asOf=Jul > +25%2C+2008&export=Excel_IEIPerfRegional').read > > Now the question is: what to do with this? I'll look at the > documentation that you point to. > > thanx - pat
Or rather (next iteration): response = urllib2.urlopen('http://www.mscibarra.com/webapp/indexperf/ excel? priceLevel=0&scope=0¤cy=15&style=C&size=36&market=1897&asOf=Jul +25%2C+2008&export=Excel_IEIPerfRegional').read(1000000) The file is generally something like 26 KB so specifying 1,000,000 seems like a good idea (first approximation). And then when I do: print(response) I get a whole lot of garbage (and some non-garbage), so I know I'm onto something. When I read the .read documentation further, it says that read() has returned the data as a string object. Now - how do I convince Python that the string object is in fact an excel file - and save it to disk? pat -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list