rubyXL

To Install:

gem install rubyXL

To Use:

require 'rubyXL' #assuming rubygems is already required

Parsing an existing workbook

workbook = RubyXL::Parser.parse("path/to/Excel/file.xlsx")

Creating a new Workbook

workbook = RubyXL::Workbook.new

Accessing

Accessing a Worksheet

workbook.worksheets[0] #returns first worksheet
workbook[0] #returns first worksheet

Accessing Only the Values

workbook.worksheets[0].extract_data #produces a 2d array which consists only of the values (instead of the Cell objects which include other variables)

Accessing a Row (Array of Cells)

workbook[0].sheet_data[0] #returns first row in first worksheet
workbook[0][0] #returns first row in first worksheet

Accessing a Cell

workbook[0].sheet_data[0][0] #returns A1 in first worksheet
workbook[0][0][0] #returns A1 in first worksheet

Accessing Cell properties

workbook[0][0][0].is_struckthrough() #returns if A1 is struckthrough, other boolean properties have same syntax
workbook[0][0][0].font_name #returns font name for A1
workbook[0][0][0].font_size #returns font size for A1
workbook[0][0][0].font_color #returns font color for A1
workbook[0][0][0].fill_color #returns fill color for A1
workbook[0][0][0].horizontal_alignment #returns horizontal alignment for A1 (or nil if it does not exist)
workbook[0][0][0].vertical_alignment #returns vertical alignment for A1 (or nil if it does not exist)
workbook[0][0][0].border_top #returns type of border on top of A1 (nil if none exists), other directions have same syntax

Accessing row properties

workbook[0].get_row_fill(0) #returns fill color for first row
workbook[0].get_row_font_name(0) #returns font name for first row
workbook[0].get_row_font_size(0) #returns font size for first row
workbook[0].get_row_font_color(0) #returns font color for first row
workbook[0].is_row_underlined(0) #returns if first row is italicized, other boolean properties have same syntax
workbook[0].get_row_height(0) #returns height of first row
workbook[0].get_row_horizontal_alignment(0) #returns horizontal alignment of first row (nil if none exists)
workbook[0].get_row_vertical_alignment(0) #returns vertical alignment of first row (nil if none exists)
workbook[0].get_row_border_right(0) #returns weight of right border of first row (nil if none exists), other directions have the same syntax

Accessing column properties

workbook[0].get_column_fill(0) #returns fill color for first column
workbook[0].get_column_font_name(0) #returns font name for first column
workbook[0].get_column_font_size(0) #returns font size for first column
workbook[0].get_column_font_color(0) #returns font color for first column
workbook[0].is_column_underlined(0) #returns if first column is italicized, other boolean properties have same syntax
workbook[0].get_column_height(0) #returns height of first column
workbook[0].get_column_horizontal_alignment(0) #returns horizontal alignment of first column (nil if none exists)
workbook[0].get_column_vertical_alignment(0) #returns vertical alignment of first column (nil if none exists)
workbook[0].get_column_border_right(0) #returns weight of right border of first column (nil if none exists), other directions have the same syntax

Table identification

workbook[0].get_table(["NAME", "AGE", "HEIGHT"]) #returns hash of a table in the first worksheet, with the specified strings as headers, accessible by row and column
#it returns the following structure
{
 :Name=>["John", "Jane", "Joe"], 
 :Height=>[70, 65, 68], 
 :Age=>[30, 25, 35]
 :table=>[
  {:Name=>"John", :Height=>70, :Age=>30},
  {:Name=>"Jane", :Height=>65, :Age=>25}, 
  {:Name=>"Joe", :Height=>68, :Age=>35}
 ]
}

Modifying

Adding Worksheets

workbook.worksheets << Worksheet.new('Sheet2')

Adding Cells

workbook.worksheets[0].add_cell(0,0,'A1') #sets A1 to string "A1"
workbook.worksheets[0].add_cell(0,1,'','A1') #sets B1 to value of A1

workbook.worksheets[0].add_cell_obj(Cell.new(1,0,'blah')) #sets A2 to 'blah'

Changing Cells

workbook.worksheets[0][0][0].change_contents("", workbook.worksheets[0][0][0].formula) #sets A1 to empty string, preserves formula

Changing Fonts

workbook.worksheets[0].sheet_data[0][0].change_font_bold(true) #sets A1 to bold
workbook.worksheets[0].change_row_font_italics(0,true) #makes first row italicized
workbook.worksheets[0].change_column_font_name(0,'Courier') #makes first column have font Courier

Changing Fills

workbook.worksheets[0].sheet_data[0][0].change_fill('0ba53d') #sets A1 to have fill #0ba53d
workbook.worksheets[0].change_row_fill(0, '0ba53d') #sets first row to have fill #0ba53d
workbook.worksheets[0].change_column_fill(0, '0ba53d') #sets first column to have fill #0ba53d

Changing Borders

# Possible weights: hairline, thin, medium, thick
# Possible "directions": top, bottom, left, right, diagonal
workbook.worksheets[0].sheet_data[0][0].change_border_top('thin') #sets A1 to have a top, thin border
workbook.worksheets[0].change_row_border_left(0, 'hairline') #sets first row to have a left, hairline border
workbook.worksheets[0].change_column_border_diagonal(0, 'medium') #sets first column to have diagonal, medium border

Changing Alignment

Horizontal

center, distributed, justify, left, right

workbook.worksheets[0].sheet_data[0][0].change_horizontal_alignment('center') #sets A1 to be centered
workbook.worksheets[0].change_row_horizontal_alignment(0,'justify') #sets first row to be justified
workbook.worksheets[0].change_column_horizontal_alignment(0,'right'), #sets first column to be right-aligned
Vertical

bottom, center, distributed, top

workbook.worksheets[0].sheet_data[0][0].change_vertical_alignment('bottom') #sets A1 to be bottom aligned
workbook.worksheets[0].change_row_vertical_alignment(0,'distributed') #sets first row to be distributed vertically
workbook.worksheets[0].change_column_vertical_alignment(0,'top') #sets first column to be top aligned

Changing Row Height

workbook.worksheets[0].change_row_height(0,30) #sets first row to be of height 30

Changing Column Width

workbook.worksheets[0].change_column_width(0,30) #sets first column to be of width 30

Merging Cells

workbook.worksheets[0].merge_cells(0,0,1,1) #merges A1:B2

Insert Row

This method will insert a row at specified index, pushing all rows below it down. It also copies styles from row above.

WARNING: Use of this method WILL break formulas referencing cells which have been moved, as the formulas do not adapt to the shifted rows

workbook.worksheets[0].insert_row(1)

Insert Column

This method will insert a column at specified index, pushing all columns to the right of it one to the right. It also copies styles from column to the left

WARNING: Use of this method WILL break formulas referencing cells which have been moved, as the formulas do not adapt to the shifted columns

workbook.worksheets[0].insert_column(1)

Delete Row

This method will delete a row at specified index, pushing all rows below it up.

WARNING: Use of this method WILL break formulas referencing cells which have been moved, as the formulas do not adapt to the shifted rows

workbook.worksheets[0].delete_row(1)

Delete Column

This method will delete a column at specified index, pushing all columns to the right of it left.

WARNING: Use of this method WILL break formulas referencing cells which have been moved, as the formulas do not adapt to the shifted columns

workbook.worksheets[0].delete_column(1)

Insert Cell

This method will insert a cell at specified position. It takes a :right or :down option, to shift cells either left or down upon inserting (nil means replacing the cell)

WARNING: Use of this method WILL break formulas referencing cells which have been moved, as the formulas do not adapt to the shifted cells

workbook.worksheets[0].insert_cell(0,0,"blah",formula=nil,:right) #inserts cell at A1, shifts cells in first row right
workbook.worksheets[0].insert_cell(0,0,"blah",formula=nil,:down) #inserts cell at A1, shifts cells in first column down
workbook.worksheets[0].insert_cell(0,0,"blah") #inserts cell at A1, shifts nothing

Delete Cell

This method will delete a cell at specified position. It takes a :left or :up option, to shift cells either up or left upon deletion (nil means simply deleting the cell contents)

WARNING: Use of this method WILL break formulas referencing cells which have been moved, as the formulas do not adapt to the shifted cells

workbook.worksheets[0].delete_cell(0,0,:left) #deletes A1, shifts contents of first row left
workbook.worksheets[0].delete_cell(0,0,:up) #deletes A1, shifts contents of first column up
workbook.worksheets[0].delete_cell(0,0) #deletes A1, does not shift cells

Writing

workbook.write("path/to/desired/Excel/file.xlsx")

Miscellaneous

Cell.convert_to_cell(0,0) == 'A1' #converts row and column index to Excel-style index
Parser.convert_to_index('A1') == [0,0] #converts Excel-style index to row and column index

For more information

Take a look at the files in spec/lib/ for rspecs on most methods

Contributing to rubyXL

  • Check out the latest master to make sure the feature hasn’t been implemented or the bug hasn’t been fixed yet

  • Check out the issue tracker to make sure someone already hasn’t requested it and/or contributed it

  • Fork the project

  • Start a feature/bugfix branch

  • Commit and push until you are happy with your contribution

  • Make sure to add tests for it. This is important so I don’t break it in a future version unintentionally.

  • Please try not to mess with the Rakefile, version, or history. If you want to have your own version, or is otherwise necessary, that is fine, but please isolate to its own commit so I can cherry-pick around it.

Copyright © 2011 Vivek Bhagwat. See LICENSE.txt for further details.