Trouble updating a Google Sheets document with Python

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1

Hey everyone, I’m struggling with a Python script I wrote to update a Google Sheets document. The script can upload a CSV file just fine, but when I try to replace existing data, I get an error I can’t figure out.

Here’s a simplified version of my code:

import gdata.docs.client

client = gdata.docs.client.DocsClient('MyApp')
client.auth_token = gdata.gauth.TwoLeggedOAuthHmacToken('my_key', 'my_secret', '[email protected]')

sheet_url = 'https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/abcdefghijklmnop'
data_source = gdata.data.MediaSource(file_path='/path/to/data.csv', content_type='text/csv')

try:
    updated_sheet = client.Update(sheet_url, data_source)
except AttributeError as e:
    print(f'Error: {e}')

When I run this, I get an AttributeError saying ‘MediaSource’ object has no attribute ‘to_string’. I’ve looked everywhere but can’t find any info about this ‘to_string’ attribute. Does anyone know what I’m doing wrong or how to fix this? Thanks in advance for any help!

2

I’ve dealt with similar issues updating Google Sheets via Python. The gdata library is quite outdated now. I’d strongly recommend switching to the Google Sheets API v4 as others have suggested. It’s much more robust and well-documented.

For your specific use case of replacing existing data with CSV content, you might want to look into the spreadsheets().values().clear() method first, then use spreadsheets().values().update(). This approach ensures a clean slate before inserting new data.

Remember to set up proper OAuth2 authentication. It may seem daunting at first, but it’s straightforward once you get the hang of it. The Google Cloud Console provides step-by-step instructions for setting up credentials.

If you’re still having trouble after switching to the v4 API, feel free to post your updated code and we can take a closer look.

3

hey miar, looks like ur using an outdated library. try switching to google sheets API v4 instead. it’s way easier to work with and has better docs. you’ll need to set up OAuth2 credentials but it’s worth it. lemme know if u need help with that!

4

I’ve encountered similar issues when working with Google Sheets and Python. In my experience, the Google Sheets API v4 is indeed the way to go. It’s more reliable and offers better performance.

To update your sheet, you’ll need to use the spreadsheets().values().update() method. Here’s a basic example of how I’ve done it:

from googleapiclient.discovery import build
from google.oauth2.credentials import Credentials

creds = Credentials.from_authorized_user_file('path/to/token.json', ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets'])
service = build('sheets', 'v4', credentials=creds)

sheet_id = 'your_sheet_id'
range_name = 'Sheet1!A1:B5'  # Adjust as needed
values = [['New', 'Data'], ['Goes', 'Here']]

body = {'values': values}
result = service.spreadsheets().values().update(
    spreadsheetId=sheet_id, range=range_name,
    valueInputOption='USER_ENTERED', body=body).execute()

print(f'{result.get('updatedCells')} cells updated.')

This approach has been more stable for me. Just remember to handle your credentials securely.