Direct reading and writing Excel files

LibXL is a library that can read and write Excel files. It doesn't require Microsoft Excel and .NET framework, combines an easy to use and powerful features. Library can be used to

Generate a new spreadsheet from scratch
Extract data from an existing spreadsheet
Edit an existing spreadsheet

LibXL can help your applications in exporting and extracting data to/from Excel files with minimum effort. Also it can be used as report engine. Library can be used in C, C++, C#, Delphi, Fortran and other languages. Supports Excel 97-2003 binary formats (xls) and Excel 2007/2010 xml formats (xlsx). Supports Unicode and 64-bit platforms. There are a wrapper for .NET developers and separate Mac and Linux edition. See features of the library in demo.xls or demo.xlsx files. They have been produced by LibXL.

Simple interoperate, no more Excel dependency

LibXL has C/C++ headers, Delphi unit and .NET assembly for including in your project. No OLE automation.

Customizing the look and feel

LibXL supports numerous formatting options: alignments, borders, colors, fill patterns, fonts, merging cells and so on.

High performance

Writing speed is about 2 100 000 cells per second for numbers and 240 000 cells per second for 8-character random strings in binary format (CPU 3.2 GHz).

Royalty-free distribution with your application

Our customers can use this library in theirs commercial applications without any fees.

Code example: generate a new spreadsheet from scratch

#include "libxl.h"
using namespace libxl;

int main() 
{
    Book* book = xlCreateBook(); // xlCreateXMLBook() for xlsx
    if(book)
    {
        Sheet* sheet = book->addSheet(L"Sheet1");
        if(sheet)
        {
            sheet->writeStr(2, 1, L"Hello, World !");
            sheet->writeNum(3, 1, 1000);
        }
        book->save(L"example.xls");
        book->release();
    } 
    return 0;
}

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#include "libxl.h"


int main()
{
    BookHandle book = xlCreateBook(); // xlCreateXMLBook()
    if(book) 
    {
        SheetHandle sheet = xlBookAddSheet(book, L"Sheet1");
        if(sheet) 
        {
            xlSheetWriteStr(sheet, 2, 1, L"Hello, World !", NULL);
            xlSheetWriteNum(sheet, 3, 1, 1000, NULL);
        }
        xlBookSave(book, L"example.xls");
        xlBookRelease(book);
    }
    return 0;
}

#include "libxl.h"
using namespace libxl;

int main() 
{
    Book* book = xlCreateBook(); // xlCreateXMLBook() for xlsx
    if(book)
    {
        Sheet* sheet = book->addSheet(L"Sheet1");
        if(sheet)
        {
            sheet->writeStr(2, 1, L"Hello, World !");
            sheet->writeNum(3, 1, 1000);
        }
        book->save(L"example.xls");
        book->release();
    } 
    return 0;
}

class Program
{ 
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        try 
        {
            Book book = new BinBook(); // use XmlBook() for xlsx
            Sheet sheet = book.addSheet("Sheet1");
            sheet.writeStr(2, 1, "Hello, World !");
            sheet.writeNum(3, 1, 1000);
            book.save("example.xls");    
        }
        catch (System.Exception e)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
        }
    }
}

var

  Book: TBook;
  Sheet: TSheet;

begin

  Book := TBinBook.Create; // use TXmlBook() for xlsx
  Sheet := Book.addSheet('Sheet1');

  Sheet.writeStr(2, 1, 'Hello, World !');
  Sheet.writeNum(3, 1, 1000);

  Book.save('example.xls');
  Book.Free;

end;

BookHandle book = xlCreateBook();
if(book) 
{
    if(xlBookLoad(book, L"example.xls")) 
    {
        SheetHandle sheet = xlBookGetSheet(book, 0);
        if(sheet)
        {
            double d;
            const wchar_t* s = xlSheetReadStr(sheet, 2, 1, NULL);

            if(s) wprintf(L"%s\n", s);

            d = xlSheetReadNum(sheet, 3, 1, NULL);
            printf("%g\n", d);
        }
    }        
    xlBookRelease(book);
}

Book* book = xlCreateBook();
if(book)
{
    if(book->load(L"example.xls"))
    {
        Sheet* sheet = book->getSheet(0);
        if(sheet)
        {
            const wchar_t* s = sheet->readStr(2, 1);
            if(s) wcout << s << endl;

            double d = sheet->readNum(3, 1);
            cout << d << endl;
        }
    }

    book->release();
}



try 
{
    Book book = new BinBook();
    book.load("example.xls");
    Sheet sheet = book.getSheet(0);

    string s = sheet.readStr(2, 1);
    Console.WriteLine(s);

    double d = sheet.readNum(3, 1);
    Console.WriteLine(d);
}
catch (System.Exception e)
{
    Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
}

var

  Book: TBook;
  Sheet: TSheet;
  d: double;
  s: string;

begin

  Book := TBinBook.Create;
  Book.load('example.xls');
  Sheet := Book.getSheet(0);

  s := Sheet.readStr(2, 1);
  d := Sheet.readNum(3, 1);

  Book.Free;

end;

BookHandle book = xlCreateBook();
if(book) 
{        
    if(xlBookLoad(book, L"example.xls")) 
    {
        SheetHandle sheet = xlBookGetSheet(book, 0);
        if(sheet)
        {                
            double d = xlSheetReadNum(sheet, 3, 1, NULL);
            xlSheetWriteNum(sheet, 3, 1, d * 2, NULL);
            xlSheetWriteStr(sheet, 4, 1, L"new string", NULL);
        }
        xlBookSave(book, L"example.xls");            
    }        

    xlBookRelease(book);
}

Book* book = xlCreateBook();
if(book) 
{                
    if(book->load(L"example.xls"))
    {
        Sheet* sheet = book->getSheet(0);
        if(sheet) 
        {   
            double d = sheet->readNum(3, 1);
            sheet->writeNum(3, 1, d * 2);
            sheet->writeStr(4, 1, L"new string");
        }
        book->save(L"example.xls");
    }

    book->release();   
}



try 
{
    Book book = new BinBook();
    book.load("example.xls");
    Sheet sheet = book.getSheet(0);

    double d = sheet.readNum(3, 1);
    sheet.writeNum(3, 1, d * 2);
    sheet.writeStr(4, 1, "new string");

    book.save("example.xls");
}
catch (System.Exception e)
{
    Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
}

var

  Book: TBook;
  Sheet: TSheet;
  d: double;

begin

  Book := TBinBook.Create;
  Book.load('example.xls');
  Sheet := Book.getSheet(0);

  d := Sheet.readNum(3, 1);
  Sheet.writeNum(3, 1, d * 2);

  Book.save('example.xls');
  Book.Free;

end;

font = xlBookAddFont(book, NULL);
xlFontSetName(font, L"Impact");
xlFontSetSize(font, 36);

format = xlBookAddFormat(book, NULL);
xlFormatSetAlignH(format, ALIGNH_CENTER);
xlFormatSetBorder(format, BORDERSTYLE_MEDIUMDASHDOTDOT);
xlFormatSetBorderColor(format, COLOR_RED);
xlFormatSetFont(format, font);

sheet = xlBookAddSheet(book, L"Custom");
if(sheet) 
{
    xlSheetWriteStr(sheet, 2, 1, L"Format", format);
    xlSheetSetCol(sheet, 1, 1, 25, NULL, 0);
}

xlBookSave(book, L"format.xls");

Font* font = book->addFont();
font->setName(L"Impact");
font->setSize(36);        

Format* format = book->addFormat();
format->setAlignH(ALIGNH_CENTER);
format->setBorder(BORDERSTYLE_MEDIUMDASHDOTDOT);
format->setBorderColor(COLOR_RED);
format->setFont(font);
           
Sheet* sheet = book->addSheet(L"Custom");
if(sheet)
{
    sheet->writeStr(2, 1, L"Format", format);
    sheet->setCol(1, 1, 25);
}

book->save(L"format.xls");



Book book = new BinBook();

Font font = book.addFont();
font.size = 36;

Format format = book.addFormat();
format.alignH = AlignH.ALIGNH_CENTER;
format.setBorder(BorderStyle.BORDERSTYLE_MEDIUMDASHDOTDOT);
format.setBorderColor(Color.COLOR_RED);
format.font = font;

Sheet sheet = book.addSheet("Sheet1");
sheet.writeStr(2, 1, "Format", format);
sheet.setCol(1, 1, 25);

book.save("format.xls");

var
  Book: TBook;
  Sheet: TSheet;
  Font: TFont;
  Format: TFormat;
begin
  Book := TBinBook.Create;
  Font := Book.addFont();
  Font.setSize(36);
  Format := Book.addFormat();
  Format.alignH := ALIGNH_CENTER;
  Format.setBorder(BORDERSTYLE_MEDIUMDASHDOTDOT);
  Format.Font := Font;
  Sheet := Book.addSheet('Custom');
  Sheet.writeStr(2, 1, 'Format', Format);
  Sheet.setCol(1, 1, 25);
  Book.save('format.xls');
  Book.Free;
end;