What is xlsx?
The xlsx npm package is a library that provides tools to parse and write various spreadsheet formats including XLS, XLSX, and CSV. It allows for the manipulation of spreadsheet data programmatically, making it a useful tool for tasks such as data analysis, reporting, and conversion between different spreadsheet formats.
What are xlsx's main functionalities?
Reading XLSX files
This feature allows you to read the contents of an XLSX file into a workbook object, which can then be manipulated or queried using the xlsx package's API.
const XLSX = require('xlsx');
const workbook = XLSX.readFile('path/to/your/spreadsheet.xlsx');
Writing XLSX files
This feature enables you to create a new XLSX file or modify an existing one and save it to disk. You can add new data, create new sheets, and perform various other operations before writing the file.
const XLSX = require('xlsx');
const workbook = XLSX.utils.book_new();
XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(workbook, worksheet, 'Sheet1');
XLSX.writeFile(workbook, 'path/to/your/new/spreadsheet.xlsx');
Converting JSON to a worksheet
With this feature, you can convert an array of JavaScript objects (typically representing rows of data) into a worksheet that can be added to a workbook and eventually written to a file.
const XLSX = require('xlsx');
const worksheet = XLSX.utils.json_to_sheet([{name: 'John', age: 30}, {name: 'Jane', age: 28}]);
Parsing cell data
This feature allows you to parse data from individual cells or ranges of cells within a sheet. You can extract the data in a JSON format for easy manipulation and use in your application.
const XLSX = require('xlsx');
const workbook = XLSX.readFile('path/to/your/spreadsheet.xlsx');
const firstSheetName = workbook.SheetNames[0];
const worksheet = workbook.Sheets[firstSheetName];
const cellValue = XLSX.utils.sheet_to_json(worksheet);
Other packages similar to xlsx
exceljs
exceljs is another npm package that provides similar functionalities to xlsx. It allows for reading, writing, and streaming Excel data. Compared to xlsx, exceljs offers a more modern API and additional features such as streaming I/O, which can be beneficial for handling large files or working with data on-the-fly.
sheetjs
sheetjs, also known as xlsx, is actually the same package as xlsx. It is a community-driven fork of the original xlsx package with additional features and improvements. It is often used interchangeably with xlsx.
node-xlsx
node-xlsx is a simpler and more lightweight alternative to xlsx. It focuses on parsing and building XLSX/CSV files. While it may not have as many features as xlsx, it can be easier to use for basic tasks and has a smaller footprint.