Lock Cells to Protect Them with Python.NET

Possible Usage Scenarios

Locking cells to protect them is a common practice in spreadsheet applications, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, for several important reasons:

1. Preventing Accidental Changes: Locking cells can prevent users from accidentally modifying important data or formulas.
2. Maintain Data Integrity: Ensure critical data remains consistent and accurate.
3. Controlled Access: Manage editing permissions in collaborative environments.
4. Protecting Formulas: Safeguard crucial calculations from alteration.
5. Enforcing Business Rules: Comply with data‑protection requirements.
6. Guiding Users: Provide clear editable areas in complex spreadsheets.

How to Lock Cells to Protect Them in Excel

Here’s how you can lock cells in Microsoft Excel:

1. Select the cells to lock: Choose cells, or skip to lock the entire sheet.
2. Open the Format Cells dialog: Right‑click ► Format Cells or press Ctrl+1.
   
   
   
3. Lock the cells: Go to the Protection tab ► check Locked ► click OK.
4. Protect the worksheet: Review tab ► Protect Sheet ► set password/permissions ► click OK.
   
   
   

How to Lock Cells to Protect Them Using Python

Aspose.Cells for Python via .NET enables programmatic cell protection. Follow these steps:

1. Load sample file
2. Unlock all cells (the default locked state is not enforced until protection)
3. Lock specific cells
4. Protect the worksheet to enforce locking

import aspose.cells as ac

# Load sample workbook
workbook = ac.Workbook("sample.xlsx")
worksheet = workbook.worksheets[0]

# Unlock all cells first
style = ac.Style()
style.is_locked = False
style_flag = ac.StyleFlag()
style_flag.locked = True
worksheet.cells.apply_style(style, style_flag)

# Lock specific cells
worksheet.cells["A1"].get_style().is_locked = True
worksheet.cells["B2"].get_style().is_locked = True

# Enable worksheet protection
worksheet.protect(ac.ProtectionType.ALL)

# Save protected workbook
workbook.save("output.xlsx")

Output Result

This implementation locks the specified cells (A1 and B2) while keeping others editable. Worksheet protection enforces these settings.

from aspose.cells import Workbook, ProtectionType, StyleFlag

# Load the Excel file
workbook = Workbook("sample.xlsx")

# Access the first worksheet
sheet = workbook.worksheets[0]

# Unlock all cells first
unlock_style = workbook.create_style()
unlock_style.is_locked = False

style_flag = StyleFlag()
style_flag.locked = True
sheet.cells.apply_style(unlock_style, style_flag)

# Lock specific cells (A1 and B2)
lock_style = workbook.create_style()
lock_style.is_locked = True

sheet.cells.get("A1").set_style(lock_style)
sheet.cells.get("B2").set_style(lock_style)

# Protect the worksheet to enforce locking
sheet.protect(ProtectionType.ALL)

# Save the modified workbook
workbook.save("output_locked.xlsx")