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, PHP, Python, PowerBASIC, Xojo, Fortran and other languages. Supports Excel 97-2003 binary formats (xls), Excel 2007-2021 XML formats (xlsx/xlsm). Supports Unicode and 64-bit platforms. There are a wrapper for .NET developers and separate Linux, Mac and iOS editions. See features of the library in demo.xls or demo.xlsx files.

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 xls format (CPU 3.2 GHz).

Royalty-free distribution with your application

Our customers can use this library in their commercial applications without any additional 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;