def excel():
    """
    Convert Excel files to LiPD files. LiPD data is returned directly from this function.

    | Example
    | 1: lipd.readExcel()
    | 2: D = lipd.excel()

    :return dict _d: Metadata
    """
    global files, cwd, settings
    _d = {}
    # Turn off verbose. We don't want to clutter the console with extra reading/writing output statements
    settings["verbose"] = False
    # Find excel files
    print("Found " + str(len(files[".xls"])) + " Excel files")
    logger_start.info("found excel files: {}".format(len(files[".xls"])))
    # Start the clock
    start = clock()
    # Loop for each excel file
    for file in files[".xls"]:
        # Convert excel file to LiPD
        dsn = excel_main(file)
        try:
            # Read the new LiPD file back in, to get fixes, inferred calculations, updates, etc.
            _d[dsn] = readLipd(os.path.join(file["dir"], dsn + ".lpd"))
            # Write the modified LiPD file back out again.
            writeLipd(_d[dsn], cwd)
        except Exception as e:
            logger_start.error("excel: Unable to read new LiPD file, {}".format(e))
            print("Error: Unable to read new LiPD file: {}, {}".format(dsn, e))
    # Time!
    end = clock()
    logger_benchmark.info(log_benchmark("excel", start, end))
    # Start printing stuff again.
    settings["verbose"] = True
    return _d
Convert Excel files to LiPD files. LiPD data is returned directly from this function.

    | Example
    | 1: lipd.readExcel()
    | 2: D = lipd.excel()

    :return dict _d: Metadata