Effective Ways to Convert Parquet to Excel – Top Methods Explained

With the rapid advancements in technology, the methods of data storage have also changed. Users prefer storing their data in .parquet file formats for their given benefits. However, many situations arise that require users to convert Parquet to Excel, depending on the user’s needs and necessities. Now, what are these benefits, and how the entire process can be carried out without compromising data security, we will read that in the blog. 

But, before jumping to why this conversion is suggested or preferred, we will take a brief look at what these file formats are and how they are different. 

Understanding the File Formats Differences 

Before getting to the process of convert parquet to Excel, we will first learn a little about the formats. If we talk about the functionalities of both these formats, the basic purpose for both of them is the storage of data. However, when it comes to their structure and way of working, that’s where things get different. Below, we will take a look at the differences in several aspects of both these file formats. 

• Data Storage: The primary usage of both these file formats is to store data in them. On one hand, the Parquet file format is used to store large data in a columnar storage. On the other hand, Excel stores data in a tabular structure, in a row-based format. 
• Capacity for Handling Data: When it comes to the capacity of handling data, the Parquet file format can store large datasets, in the million to billion range. However, the data capacity of Excel is limited; it can store up to 1,048,576 rows and 16384 columns in one sheet. 
• Performance with these Files: As we all know now, .parquet is a file format that is used primarily for its large dataset storage capacity. It further offers users the benefits of reading and analytical efficiency. Excel, in comparison, is slower while handling large datasets, but it works fine with smaller datasets. 

These are a few basic differences between the two formats. Now, with these differences, it is assumed that Parquet is a much efficient option to store data, so why do we need to convert Parquet to Excel? We will now take a look at the common cases and reasons that demand this conversion for a smooth organizational workflow.

Also Read: How to migrate Parquet file to Access Database effectively?

Common Scenarios to Convert Parquet to XLS

Here are some of the good reasons explained to understand why users prefer going for XLS/XLSX format instead of working on the .parquet file format.

• The major cause for this conversion is that the Parquet file format might be efficient for data storage, but Excel XLS/XLSX, in contrast, is a universally accepted and used file format. 
• When it comes to audits, compliance, and further data validation, the datasets and records are generally expected in Excel, further requiring users to convert Parquet to Excel. 
• For the report generation and importing datasets to analytical tools, it becomes crucial to convert Parquet file to Excel, as most of these analytical tools support XLS/XLSX file formats only.
• The most common and crucial reason for this conversion is that the Parquet files are generally unreadable. This means it is impossible for the users to just open and read the .parquet file. So to analyse and read the data of the given dataset, users need to convert Parquet to XLSX.

With all these reasons, we now have a general idea of why this conversion is necessary. So far, we have understood the reasons and case scenarios for the specified conversion. We will now take a look at the optimal ways that will allow users to change Parquet to XLS easily. 

Methods to Convert Parquet to Excel (XLS/XLSX) Easily

We will now take a look at all the approaches for this conversion, one by one, to make the methods simpler to understand for the users. Beginning with the first method, which is the conversion using Python. 

Method 1: Convert the Files Using Python

To convert the file from .parquet format to .xls or .xlsx to be efficiently supported in Excel, the command given below will help. 

import pandas as pd
import pyarrow.parquet as pq
table = pq.read_table("input.parquet")
df = table.to_pandas()
df.to_excel("output.xlsx", index=False)

This command allows users to convert the big data to Excel Excel-supported file format, making data analysis easier for the users. However, using the command comes with a few risks, including loss of schema and structure of the data, and also the type conversion issues for both platforms. Moving on to the next method, let’s see how it will be helpful with the conversion. 

Method 2: Convert Parquet to XLS With Power BI

In this method, we will use the Power BI setup for the Parquet to Excel conversion. Let’s now take a look at the steps to see how it is effective for the users. 

1. The first step is to open the Power BI desktop.
2. Next, go to the Get Data Option, and choose the Parquet file option. 
3. Add the file, and after adding the file, load the data in the Power BI Data model for conversion. 
4. Next, in the report canvas, create a table that contains all the data columns required to be exported. 
5. After this, click on the ellipsis (…) to browse for the Export data option. Then choose the .xlsx data format to convert Parquet to Excel easily.

By following these steps, users can convert their .parquet files to the required .xls or .xlsx formats. The major setback of using this method is that the free version of Power BI allows conversion to CSV format, and not directly to XLS, making the entire process complex and lengthy. To convert the dataset to XLS directly, users must have the premium version. 

Let’s now take a look to how a professional solution can help with this conversion. 

Method 3: Convert Parquet file to Excel Using the Advanced Tool

As we learned about the manual methods, we now know there are certain limitations of those methods. However, using a professional solution for conversion allows users to carry out the process more safely. With a solution like SysTools Parquet File Converter Software, it becomes easier to convert Parquet to XLS/XLSX formats without losing data integrity.

Let’s take a look at the steps to convert the files efficiently.

1. Install and run the suggested software. Click on Add Files to load .parquet files to the software.
2. After adding the files, click on the Next Button.
3. Next, choose the desired file format from the given export options.
4. Add the destination path to save the resultant file to a specified location.
5. Click on Export button for Parquet File to Excel conversion.

These are a few simple steps that will help the user to carry out file conversion in a simpler way. The tool is efficient and allows users to convert their .parquet files without compromising data integrity. 

Conclusion

With the help of this technical write-up, we have discussed the need and common use cases to convert Parquet to Excel. Furthermore, we also discussed the differences in the file formats to make the entire process logical for the users. Lastly, we have explained the best ways to allow users to make the conversion in a hassle-free way.