What is node-xlsx?
The node-xlsx package is a powerful tool for parsing and writing Excel files in Node.js. It allows you to read data from Excel files, manipulate it, and write it back to new Excel files. This package supports both .xlsx and .xls formats.
What are node-xlsx's main functionalities?
Reading Excel Files
This feature allows you to read data from an Excel file. The `parse` method reads the file and returns an array of worksheets, each containing an array of rows and columns.
const xlsx = require('node-xlsx');
const workSheetsFromFile = xlsx.parse(`${__dirname}/myFile.xlsx`);
console.log(workSheetsFromFile);
Writing Excel Files
This feature allows you to write data to an Excel file. The `build` method creates a buffer from the data, which can then be written to a file using Node's `fs` module.
const xlsx = require('node-xlsx');
const data = [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]];
const buffer = xlsx.build([{name: 'mySheetName', data: data}]);
require('fs').writeFileSync('myFile.xlsx', buffer);
Manipulating Excel Data
This feature allows you to manipulate data within an Excel file. You can read the file, modify the data, and then write the updated data back to a new file.
const xlsx = require('node-xlsx');
const workSheetsFromFile = xlsx.parse(`${__dirname}/myFile.xlsx`);
workSheetsFromFile[0].data[0][0] = 'New Value';
const buffer = xlsx.build(workSheetsFromFile);
require('fs').writeFileSync('myFile.xlsx', buffer);
Other packages similar to node-xlsx
xlsx
The xlsx package is another popular library for reading and writing Excel files in Node.js. It offers a wide range of features and is known for its performance and reliability. Compared to node-xlsx, it has a more extensive API and better documentation.
exceljs
The exceljs package provides a comprehensive set of features for working with Excel files, including support for styling, formatting, and creating complex worksheets. It is more feature-rich compared to node-xlsx, especially in terms of formatting and styling capabilities.
sheetjs
The sheetjs package, also known as js-xlsx, is a highly versatile library for parsing and writing spreadsheet files. It supports a wide range of formats and offers extensive functionality for data manipulation. It is comparable to node-xlsx but offers more flexibility and support for different file formats.
node-xlsx
Features
Straightforward excel file parser and builder.
- Relies on SheetJS xlsx module to parse/build excel sheets.
- Built with TypeScript for static type checking with exported types along the
library.
Install
npm install node-xlsx --save
pnpm add node-xlsx
Quickstart
Parse an xlsx file
import xlsx from 'node-xlsx';
const workSheetsFromBuffer = xlsx.parse(fs.readFileSync(`${__dirname}/myFile.xlsx`));
const workSheetsFromFile = xlsx.parse(`${__dirname}/myFile.xlsx`);
Build an xlsx file
import xlsx from 'node-xlsx';
const data = [
[1, 2, 3],
[true, false, null, 'sheetjs'],
['foo', 'bar', new Date('2014-02-19T14:30Z'), '0.3'],
['baz', null, 'qux'],
];
var buffer = xlsx.build([{name: 'mySheetName', data: data}]);
Custom column width
import xlsx from 'node-xlsx';
const data = [
[1, 2, 3],
[true, false, null, 'sheetjs'],
['foo', 'bar', new Date('2014-02-19T14:30Z'), '0.3'],
['baz', null, 'qux'],
];
const sheetOptions = {'!cols': [{wch: 6}, {wch: 7}, {wch: 10}, {wch: 20}]};
var buffer = xlsx.build([{name: 'mySheetName', data: data}], {sheetOptions});
Spanning multiple rows A1:A4
in every sheets
import xlsx from 'node-xlsx';
const data = [
[1, 2, 3],
[true, false, null, 'sheetjs'],
['foo', 'bar', new Date('2014-02-19T14:30Z'), '0.3'],
['baz', null, 'qux'],
];
const range = {s: {c: 0, r: 0}, e: {c: 0, r: 3}};
const sheetOptions = {'!merges': [range]};
var buffer = xlsx.build([{name: 'mySheetName', data: data}], {sheetOptions});
Spanning multiple rows A1:A4
in second sheet
import xlsx from 'node-xlsx';
const dataSheet1 = [
[1, 2, 3],
[true, false, null, 'sheetjs'],
['foo', 'bar', new Date('2014-02-19T14:30Z'), '0.3'],
['baz', null, 'qux'],
];
const dataSheet2 = [
[4, 5, 6],
[7, 8, 9, 10],
[11, 12, 13, 14],
['baz', null, 'qux'],
];
const range = {s: {c: 0, r: 0}, e: {c: 0, r: 3}};
const sheetOptions = {'!merges': [range]};
var buffer = xlsx.build([
{name: 'myFirstSheet', data: dataSheet1},
{name: 'mySecondSheet', data: dataSheet2, options: sheetOptions},
]);
Beware that if you try to merge several times the same cell, your xlsx file will be seen as corrupted.
- Using Primitive Object Notation Data values can also be specified in a non-abstracted representation.
Examples:
const rowAverage = [[{t: 'n', z: 10, f: '=AVERAGE(2:2)'}], [1, 2, 3]];
var buffer = xlsx.build([{name: 'Average Formula', data: rowAverage}]);
Refer to xlsx documentation for valid structure and values:
Troubleshooting
This library requires at least node.js v10. For legacy versions, you can use this workaround before using the lib.
npm i --save object-assign
Object.prototype.assign = require('object-assign');
Contributing
Please submit all pull requests the against master branch. If your unit test contains javascript patches or features,
you should include relevant unit tests. Thanks!
Available scripts
start | Alias of test:watch |
test | Run mocha unit tests |
test:watch | Run and watch mocha unit tests |
lint | Run eslint static tests |
compile | Compile the library |
compile:watch | Compile and watch the library |
Authors
Olivier Louvignes
Copyright and license
Apache License 2.0
Copyright (C) 2012-2014 Olivier Louvignes
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
Except where noted, this license applies to any and all software programs and associated documentation files created by the Original Author and distributed with the Software:
Inspired by SheetJS gist examples, Copyright (c) SheetJS.