This short tutorial describes the process of tracing precedents in Excel using Python. It has the details to set the IDE for development, a list of steps depicting program flow, and a runnable sample code to identify the Excel dependent cells using Python. You will learn to trace all the precedents and dependents of cells in your Excel sheet and display the relevant data.

Steps to Trace Excel Cell Reference using Python

1. Set the IDE to use Aspose.Cells for Python via Java for tracking precedents and dependents
2. Create an empty Excel file using the Workbook class to identify the cell references
3. Select some cells and add references to one cell in the other cell
4. Get a reference to the dependent cell and get its collection of precedents
5. Display information on all the precedents
6. Repeat the same process with a precedent cell and get and display all its dependents

These steps describe how to track Excel precedent using Python. Create the empty Excel file, get cells collection from the target sheet, and set some formulas referring to different cells for testing the feature. Get the precedents collection of the dependent cell where you have set the formula and display all the precedents properties. Repeat the same process for the dependents collection of a precedent cell and display its properties.

Code to Track Precedents and Dependents in Excel using Python

This sample code demonstrates the retrieval of the Excel precedents using Python. The precedents collection contains the reference cell range on which the target cell is dependent. Similarly, if you get the collection of dependents of a precedent cell, you will get the array of cells that are dependent on this precedence cell.

This article has taught us how to trace precedent in Excel using Python. To display formulas instead of values, refer to the article on How to display formulas in Excel using Python.