1Excel::Writer::XLSX(3)User Contributed Perl DocumentationExcel::Writer::XLSX(3)
2
6 Excel::Writer::XLSX - Create a new file in the Excel 2007+ XLSX format.
7
9 To write a string, a formatted string, a number and a formula to the
10 first worksheet in an Excel workbook called perl.xlsx:
11 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
13 # Create a new Excel workbook
15 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'perl.xlsx' );
16 # Add a worksheet
18 $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
19 # Add and define a format
21 $format = $workbook->add_format();
22 $format->set_bold();
23 $format->set_color( 'red' );
24 $format->set_align( 'center' );
25 # Write a formatted and unformatted string, row and column notation.
27 $col = $row = 0;
28 $worksheet->write( $row, $col, 'Hi Excel!', $format );
29 $worksheet->write( 1, $col, 'Hi Excel!' );
30 # Write a number and a formula using A1 notation
32 $worksheet->write( 'A3', 1.2345 );
33 $worksheet->write( 'A4', '=SIN(PI()/4)' );
34 $workbook->close();
36
38 The "Excel::Writer::XLSX" module can be used to create an Excel file in
39 the 2007+ XLSX format.
40 The XLSX format is the Office Open XML (OOXML) format used by Excel
42 2007 and later.
43 Multiple worksheets can be added to a workbook and formatting can be
45 applied to cells. Text, numbers, and formulas can be written to the
46 cells.
47 This module cannot, as yet, be used to write to an existing Excel XLSX
49 file.
50
52 "Excel::Writer::XLSX" uses the same interface as the
53 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel module which produces an Excel file in binary
54 XLS format.
55 Excel::Writer::XLSX supports all of the features of
57 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel and in some cases has more functionality. For
58 more details see "Compatibility with Spreadsheet::WriteExcel".
59 The main advantage of the XLSX format over the XLS format is that it
61 allows a larger number of rows and columns in a worksheet. The XLSX
62 file format also produces much smaller files than the XLS file format.
63
65 Excel::Writer::XLSX tries to provide an interface to as many of Excel's
66 features as possible. As a result there is a lot of documentation to
67 accompany the interface and it can be difficult at first glance to see
68 what it important and what is not. So for those of you who prefer to
69 assemble Ikea furniture first and then read the instructions, here are
70 four easy steps:
71 1. Create a new Excel workbook (i.e. file) using "new()".
73 2. Add a worksheet to the new workbook using "add_worksheet()".
75 3. Write to the worksheet using "write()".
77 4. "close()" the file.
79 Like this:
81 use Excel::Writer::XLSX; # Step 0
83 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'perl.xlsx' ); # Step 1
85 $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet(); # Step 2
86 $worksheet->write( 'A1', 'Hi Excel!' ); # Step 3
87 $workbook->close(); # Step 4
89 This will create an Excel file called "perl.xlsx" with a single
91 worksheet and the text 'Hi Excel!' in the relevant cell. And that's it.
92 Okay, so there is actually a zeroth step as well, but "use module" goes
93 without saying. There are many examples that come with the distribution
94 and which you can use to get you started. See "EXAMPLES".
95 Those of you who read the instructions first and assemble the furniture
97 afterwards will know how to proceed. ;-)
98
100 The Excel::Writer::XLSX module provides an object oriented interface to
101 a new Excel workbook. The following methods are available through a new
102 workbook.
103 new()
105 add_worksheet()
106 add_format()
107 add_chart()
108 add_shape()
109 add_vba_project()
110 set_vba_name()
111 close()
112 set_properties()
113 set_custom_property()
114 define_name()
115 set_tempdir()
116 set_custom_color()
117 sheets()
118 get_worksheet_by_name()
119 set_1904()
120 set_optimization()
121 set_calc_mode()
122 get_default_url_format()
123 If you are unfamiliar with object oriented interfaces or the way that
125 they are implemented in Perl have a look at "perlobj" and "perltoot" in
126 the main Perl documentation.
127 new()
129 A new Excel workbook is created using the "new()" constructor which
130 accepts either a filename or a filehandle as a parameter. The following
131 example creates a new Excel file based on a filename:
132 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'filename.xlsx' );
134 my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
135 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'Hi Excel!' );
136 $workbook->close();
137 Here are some other examples of using "new()" with filenames:
139 my $workbook1 = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( $filename );
141 my $workbook2 = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( '/tmp/filename.xlsx' );
142 my $workbook3 = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( "c:\\tmp\\filename.xlsx" );
143 my $workbook4 = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'c:\tmp\filename.xlsx' );
144 The last two examples demonstrates how to create a file on DOS or
146 Windows where it is necessary to either escape the directory separator
147 "\" or to use single quotes to ensure that it isn't interpolated. For
148 more information see "perlfaq5: Why can't I use "C:\temp\foo" in DOS
149 paths?".
150 It is recommended that the filename uses the extension ".xlsx" rather
152 than ".xls" since the latter causes an Excel warning when used with the
153 XLSX format.
154 The "new()" constructor returns a Excel::Writer::XLSX object that you
156 can use to add worksheets and store data. It should be noted that
157 although "my" is not specifically required it defines the scope of the
158 new workbook variable and, in the majority of cases, ensures that the
159 workbook is closed properly without explicitly calling the "close()"
160 method.
161 If the file cannot be created, due to file permissions or some other
163 reason, "new" will return "undef". Therefore, it is good practice to
164 check the return value of "new" before proceeding. As usual the Perl
165 variable $! will be set if there is a file creation error. You will
166 also see one of the warning messages detailed in "DIAGNOSTICS":
167 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'protected.xlsx' );
169 die "Problems creating new Excel file: $!" unless defined $workbook;
170 You can also pass a valid filehandle to the "new()" constructor. For
172 example in a CGI program you could do something like this:
173 binmode( STDOUT );
175 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( \*STDOUT );
176 The requirement for "binmode()" is explained below.
178 See also, the "cgi.pl" program in the "examples" directory of the
180 distro.
181 In "mod_perl" programs where you will have to do something like the
183 following:
184 # mod_perl 1
186 ...
187 tie *XLSX, 'Apache';
188 binmode( XLSX );
189 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( \*XLSX );
190 ...
191 # mod_perl 2
193 ...
194 tie *XLSX => $r; # Tie to the Apache::RequestRec object
195 binmode( *XLSX );
196 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( \*XLSX );
197 ...
198 See also, the "mod_perl1.pl" and "mod_perl2.pl" programs in the
200 "examples" directory of the distro.
201 Filehandles can also be useful if you want to stream an Excel file over
203 a socket or if you want to store an Excel file in a scalar.
204 For example here is a way to write an Excel file to a scalar:
206 #!/usr/bin/perl -w
208 use strict;
210 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
211 open my $fh, '>', \my $str or die "Failed to open filehandle: $!";
213 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( $fh );
215 my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
216 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'Hi Excel!' );
218 $workbook->close();
220 # The Excel file in now in $str. Remember to binmode() the output
222 # filehandle before printing it.
223 binmode STDOUT;
224 print $str;
225 See also the "write_to_scalar.pl" and "filehandle.pl" programs in the
227 "examples" directory of the distro.
228 Note about the requirement for "binmode()". An Excel file is comprised
230 of binary data. Therefore, if you are using a filehandle you should
231 ensure that you "binmode()" it prior to passing it to "new()".You
232 should do this regardless of whether you are on a Windows platform or
233 not.
234 You don't have to worry about "binmode()" if you are using filenames
236 instead of filehandles. Excel::Writer::XLSX performs the "binmode()"
237 internally when it converts the filename to a filehandle. For more
238 information about "binmode()" see "perlfunc" and "perlopentut" in the
239 main Perl documentation.
240 add_worksheet( $sheetname )
242 At least one worksheet should be added to a new workbook. A worksheet
243 is used to write data into cells:
244 $worksheet1 = $workbook->add_worksheet(); # Sheet1
246 $worksheet2 = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'Foglio2' ); # Foglio2
247 $worksheet3 = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'Data' ); # Data
248 $worksheet4 = $workbook->add_worksheet(); # Sheet4
249 If $sheetname is not specified the default Excel convention will be
251 followed, i.e. Sheet1, Sheet2, etc.
252 The worksheet name must be a valid Excel worksheet name, i.e:
254 · It must be less than 32 characters.
256 · It cannot contain any of the following characters: "[ ] : * ? / \"
258 · It cannot start or end with an apostrophe.
260 · It cannot be the same as an existing worksheet name (or a case
262 insensitive variant).
263 · It cannot be the reserved name "History" (or a case insensitive
265 variant).
266 See the Excel worksheet naming rules at
268 <https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/rename-a-worksheet-3f1f7148-ee83-404d-8ef0-9ff99fbad1f9>.
269 add_format( %properties )
271 The "add_format()" method can be used to create new Format objects
272 which are used to apply formatting to a cell. You can either define the
273 properties at creation time via a hash of property values or later via
274 method calls.
275 $format1 = $workbook->add_format( %props ); # Set properties at creation
277 $format2 = $workbook->add_format(); # Set properties later
278 See the "CELL FORMATTING" section for more details about Format
280 properties and how to set them.
281 add_chart( %properties )
283 This method is use to create a new chart either as a standalone
284 worksheet (the default) or as an embeddable object that can be inserted
285 into a worksheet via the "insert_chart()" Worksheet method.
286 my $chart = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'column' );
288 The properties that can be set are:
290 type (required)
292 subtype (optional)
293 name (optional)
294 embedded (optional)
295 · "type"
297 This is a required parameter. It defines the type of chart that
299 will be created.
300 my $chart = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'line' );
302 The available types are:
304 area
306 bar
307 column
308 line
309 pie
310 doughnut
311 scatter
312 stock
313 · "subtype"
315 Used to define a chart subtype where available.
317 my $chart = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'bar', subtype => 'stacked' );
319 See the Excel::Writer::XLSX::Chart documentation for a list of
321 available chart subtypes.
322 · "name"
324 Set the name for the chart sheet. The name property is optional and
326 if it isn't supplied will default to "Chart1 .. n". The name must
327 be a valid Excel worksheet name. See "add_worksheet()" for more
328 details on valid sheet names. The "name" property can be omitted
329 for embedded charts.
330 my $chart = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'line', name => 'Results Chart' );
332 · "embedded"
334 Specifies that the Chart object will be inserted in a worksheet via
336 the "insert_chart()" Worksheet method. It is an error to try insert
337 a Chart that doesn't have this flag set.
338 my $chart = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'line', embedded => 1 );
340 # Configure the chart.
342 ...
343 # Insert the chart into the a worksheet.
345 $worksheet->insert_chart( 'E2', $chart );
346 See Excel::Writer::XLSX::Chart for details on how to configure the
348 chart object once it is created. See also the "chart_*.pl" programs in
349 the examples directory of the distro.
350 add_shape( %properties )
352 The "add_shape()" method can be used to create new shapes that may be
353 inserted into a worksheet.
354 You can either define the properties at creation time via a hash of
356 property values or later via method calls.
357 # Set properties at creation.
359 $plus = $workbook->add_shape(
360 type => 'plus',
361 id => 3,
362 width => $pw,
363 height => $ph
364 );
365 # Default rectangle shape. Set properties later.
368 $rect = $workbook->add_shape();
369 See Excel::Writer::XLSX::Shape for details on how to configure the
371 shape object once it is created.
372 See also the "shape*.pl" programs in the examples directory of the
374 distro.
375 add_vba_project( 'vbaProject.bin' )
377 The "add_vba_project()" method can be used to add macros or functions
378 to an Excel::Writer::XLSX file using a binary VBA project file that has
379 been extracted from an existing Excel "xlsm" file.
380 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'file.xlsm' );
382 $workbook->add_vba_project( './vbaProject.bin' );
384 The supplied "extract_vba" utility can be used to extract the required
386 "vbaProject.bin" file from an existing Excel file:
387 $ extract_vba file.xlsm
389 Extracted 'vbaProject.bin' successfully
390 Macros can be tied to buttons using the worksheet "insert_button()"
392 method (see the "WORKSHEET METHODS" section for details):
393 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro' } );
395 Note, Excel uses the file extension "xlsm" instead of "xlsx" for files
397 that contain macros. It is advisable to follow the same convention.
398 See also the "macros.pl" example file and the "WORKING WITH VBA
400 MACROS".
401 set_vba_name()
403 The "set_vba_name()" method can be used to set the VBA codename for the
404 workbook. This is sometimes required when a "vbaProject macro" included
405 via "add_vba_project()" refers to the workbook. The default Excel VBA
406 name of "ThisWorkbook" is used if a user defined name isn't specified.
407 See also "WORKING WITH VBA MACROS".
408 close()
410 In general your Excel file will be closed automatically when your
411 program ends or when the Workbook object goes out of scope. However it
412 is recommended to explicitly call the "close()" method close the Excel
413 file and avoid the potential issues outlined below. The "close()"
414 method is called like this:
415 $workbook->close();
417 The return value of "close()" is the same as that returned by perl when
419 it closes the file created by "new()". This allows you to handle error
420 conditions in the usual way:
421 $workbook->close() or die "Error closing file: $!";
423 An explicit "close()" is required if the file must be closed prior to
425 performing some external action on it such as copying it, reading its
426 size or attaching it to an email.
427 In addition, "close()" may be required to prevent perl's garbage
429 collector from disposing of the Workbook, Worksheet and Format objects
430 in the wrong order. Situations where this can occur are:
431 · If "my()" was not used to declare the scope of a workbook variable
433 created using "new()".
434 · If the "new()", "add_worksheet()" or "add_format()" methods are
436 called in subroutines.
437 The reason for this is that Excel::Writer::XLSX relies on Perl's
439 "DESTROY" mechanism to trigger destructor methods in a specific
440 sequence. This may not happen in cases where the Workbook, Worksheet
441 and Format variables are not lexically scoped or where they have
442 different lexical scopes.
443 To avoid these issues it is recommended that you always close the
445 Excel::Writer::XLSX filehandle using "close()".
446 set_size( $width, $height )
448 The "set_size()" method can be used to set the size of a workbook
449 window.
450 $workbook->set_size(1200, 800);
452 The Excel window size was used in Excel 2007 to define the width and
454 height of a workbook window within the Multiple Document Interface
455 (MDI). In later versions of Excel for Windows this interface was
456 dropped. This method is currently only useful when setting the window
457 size in Excel for Mac 2011. The units are pixels and the default size
458 is 1073 x 644.
459 Note, this doesn't equate exactly to the Excel for Mac pixel size since
461 it is based on the original Excel 2007 for Windows sizing.
462 set_tab_ratio( $tab_ratio )
464 The "set_tab_ratio()" method can be used to set the ratio between
465 worksheet tabs and the horizontal slider at the bottom of a workbook.
466 This can be increased to give more room to the tabs or reduced to
467 increase the size of the horizontal slider:
468 $workbook->set_tab_ratio(75);
470 The default value in Excel is 60.
472 set_properties()
474 The "set_properties" method can be used to set the document properties
475 of the Excel file created by "Excel::Writer::XLSX". These properties
476 are visible when you use the "Office Button -> Prepare -> Properties"
477 option in Excel and are also available to external applications that
478 read or index Windows files.
479 The properties should be passed in hash format as follows:
481 $workbook->set_properties(
483 title => 'This is an example spreadsheet',
484 author => 'John McNamara',
485 comments => 'Created with Perl and Excel::Writer::XLSX',
486 );
487 The properties that can be set are:
489 title
491 subject
492 author
493 manager
494 company
495 category
496 keywords
497 comments
498 status
499 hyperlink_base
500 created - File create date. Such be an aref of gmtime() values.
501 See also the "properties.pl" program in the examples directory of the
503 distro.
504 set_custom_property( $name, $value, $type)
506 The "set_custom_property" method can be used to set one of more custom
507 document properties not covered by the "set_properties()" method above.
508 These properties are visible when you use the "Office Button -> Prepare
509 -> Properties -> Advanced Properties -> Custom" option in Excel and are
510 also available to external applications that read or index Windows
511 files.
512 The "set_custom_property" method takes 3 parameters:
514 $workbook-> set_custom_property( $name, $value, $type);
516 Where the available types are:
518 text
520 date
521 number
522 bool
523 For example:
525 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Checked by', 'Eve', 'text' );
527 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Date completed', '2016-12-12T23:00:00Z', 'date' );
528 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Document number', '12345' , 'number' );
529 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Reference', '1.2345', 'number' );
530 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Has review', 1, 'bool' );
531 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Signed off', 0, 'bool' );
532 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Department', $some_string, 'text' );
533 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Scale', '1.2345678901234', 'number' );
534 Dates should by in ISO8601 "yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.sssZ" date format in
536 Zulu time, as shown above.
537 The "text" and "number" types are optional since they can usually be
539 inferred from the data:
540 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Checked by', 'Eve' );
542 $workbook->set_custom_property( 'Reference', '1.2345' );
543 The $name and $value parameters are limited to 255 characters by Excel.
545 define_name()
547 This method is used to defined a name that can be used to represent a
548 value, a single cell or a range of cells in a workbook.
549 For example to set a global/workbook name:
551 # Global/workbook names.
553 $workbook->define_name( 'Exchange_rate', '=0.96' );
554 $workbook->define_name( 'Sales', '=Sheet1!$G$1:$H$10' );
555 It is also possible to define a local/worksheet name by prefixing the
557 name with the sheet name using the syntax "sheetname!definedname":
558 # Local/worksheet name.
560 $workbook->define_name( 'Sheet2!Sales', '=Sheet2!$G$1:$G$10' );
561 If the sheet name contains spaces or special characters you must
563 enclose it in single quotes like in Excel:
564 $workbook->define_name( "'New Data'!Sales", '=Sheet2!$G$1:$G$10' );
566 See the defined_name.pl program in the examples dir of the distro.
568 Refer to the following to see Excel's syntax rules for defined names:
570 <http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/excel-help/define-and-use-names-in-formulas-HA010147120.aspx#BMsyntax_rules_for_names>
571 set_tempdir()
573 "Excel::Writer::XLSX" stores worksheet data in temporary files prior to
574 assembling the final workbook.
575 The "File::Temp" module is used to create these temporary files.
577 File::Temp uses "File::Spec" to determine an appropriate location for
578 these files such as "/tmp" or "c:\windows\temp". You can find out which
579 directory is used on your system as follows:
580 perl -MFile::Spec -le "print File::Spec->tmpdir()"
582 If the default temporary file directory isn't accessible to your
584 application, or doesn't contain enough space, you can specify an
585 alternative location using the "set_tempdir()" method:
586 $workbook->set_tempdir( '/tmp/writeexcel' );
588 $workbook->set_tempdir( 'c:\windows\temp\writeexcel' );
589 The directory for the temporary file must exist, "set_tempdir()" will
591 not create a new directory.
592 set_custom_color( $index, $red, $green, $blue )
594 The method is maintained for backward compatibility with
595 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel. Excel::Writer::XLSX programs don't require
596 this method and colours can be specified using a Html style "#RRGGBB"
597 value, see "WORKING WITH COLOURS".
598 sheets( 0, 1, ... )
600 The "sheets()" method returns a list, or a sliced list, of the
601 worksheets in a workbook.
602 If no arguments are passed the method returns a list of all the
604 worksheets in the workbook. This is useful if you want to repeat an
605 operation on each worksheet:
606 for $worksheet ( $workbook->sheets() ) {
608 print $worksheet->get_name();
609 }
610 You can also specify a slice list to return one or more worksheet
612 objects:
613 $worksheet = $workbook->sheets( 0 );
615 $worksheet->write( 'A1', 'Hello' );
616 Or since the return value from "sheets()" is a reference to a worksheet
618 object you can write the above example as:
619 $workbook->sheets( 0 )->write( 'A1', 'Hello' );
621 The following example returns the first and last worksheet in a
623 workbook:
624 for $worksheet ( $workbook->sheets( 0, -1 ) ) {
626 # Do something
627 }
628 Array slices are explained in the "perldata" manpage.
630 get_worksheet_by_name()
632 The "get_worksheet_by_name()" function return a worksheet or chartsheet
633 object in the workbook using the sheetname:
634 $worksheet = $workbook->get_worksheet_by_name('Sheet1');
636 set_1904()
638 Excel stores dates as real numbers where the integer part stores the
639 number of days since the epoch and the fractional part stores the
640 percentage of the day. The epoch can be either 1900 or 1904. Excel for
641 Windows uses 1900 and Excel for Macintosh uses 1904. However, Excel on
642 either platform will convert automatically between one system and the
643 other.
644 Excel::Writer::XLSX stores dates in the 1900 format by default. If you
646 wish to change this you can call the "set_1904()" workbook method. You
647 can query the current value by calling the "get_1904()" workbook
648 method. This returns 0 for 1900 and 1 for 1904.
649 See also "DATES AND TIME IN EXCEL" for more information about working
651 with Excel's date system.
652 In general you probably won't need to use "set_1904()".
654 set_optimization()
656 The "set_optimization()" method is used to turn on optimizations in the
657 Excel::Writer::XLSX module. Currently there is only one optimization
658 available and that is to reduce memory usage.
659 $workbook->set_optimization();
661 See "SPEED AND MEMORY USAGE" for more background information.
663 Note, that with this optimization turned on a row of data is written
665 and then discarded when a cell in a new row is added via one of the
666 Worksheet "write_*()" methods. As such data should be written in
667 sequential row order once the optimization is turned on.
668 This method must be called before any calls to "add_worksheet()".
670 set_calc_mode( $mode )
672 Set the calculation mode for formulas in the workbook. This is mainly
673 of use for workbooks with slow formulas where you want to allow the
674 user to calculate them manually.
675 The mode parameter can be one of the following strings:
677 "auto"
679 The default. Excel will re-calculate formulas when a formula or a
680 value affecting the formula changes.
681 "manual"
683 Only re-calculate formulas when the user requires it. Generally by
684 pressing F9.
685 "auto_except_tables"
687 Excel will automatically re-calculate formulas except for tables.
688 get_default_url_format()
690 The "get_default_url_format()" method gets a copy of the default url
691 format used when a user defined format isn't specified with the
692 worksheet "write_url()" method. The format is the hyperlink style
693 defined by Excel for the default theme:
694 my $url_format = $workbook->get_default_url_format();
696
698 A new worksheet is created by calling the "add_worksheet()" method from
699 a workbook object:
700 $worksheet1 = $workbook->add_worksheet();
702 $worksheet2 = $workbook->add_worksheet();
703 The following methods are available through a new worksheet:
705 write()
707 write_number()
708 write_string()
709 write_rich_string()
710 keep_leading_zeros()
711 write_blank()
712 write_row()
713 write_col()
714 write_date_time()
715 write_url()
716 write_url_range()
717 write_formula()
718 write_boolean()
719 write_comment()
720 show_comments()
721 set_comments_author()
722 add_write_handler()
723 insert_image()
724 insert_chart()
725 insert_shape()
726 insert_button()
727 data_validation()
728 conditional_formatting()
729 add_sparkline()
730 add_table()
731 get_name()
732 activate()
733 select()
734 hide()
735 set_first_sheet()
736 protect()
737 set_selection()
738 set_row()
739 set_default_row()
740 set_column()
741 outline_settings()
742 freeze_panes()
743 split_panes()
744 merge_range()
745 merge_range_type()
746 set_zoom()
747 right_to_left()
748 hide_zero()
749 set_tab_color()
750 autofilter()
751 filter_column()
752 filter_column_list()
753 set_vba_name()
754 Cell notation
756 Excel::Writer::XLSX supports two forms of notation to designate the
757 position of cells: Row-column notation and A1 notation.
758 Row-column notation uses a zero based index for both row and column
760 while A1 notation uses the standard Excel alphanumeric sequence of
761 column letter and 1-based row. For example:
762 (0, 0) # The top left cell in row-column notation.
764 ('A1') # The top left cell in A1 notation.
765 (1999, 29) # Row-column notation.
767 ('AD2000') # The same cell in A1 notation.
768 Row-column notation is useful if you are referring to cells
770 programmatically:
771 for my $i ( 0 .. 9 ) {
773 $worksheet->write( $i, 0, 'Hello' ); # Cells A1 to A10
774 }
775 A1 notation is useful for setting up a worksheet manually and for
777 working with formulas:
778 $worksheet->write( 'H1', 200 );
780 $worksheet->write( 'H2', '=H1+1' );
781 In formulas and applicable methods you can also use the "A:A" column
783 notation:
784 $worksheet->write( 'A1', '=SUM(B:B)' );
786 The "Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility" module that is included in the
788 distro contains helper functions for dealing with A1 notation, for
789 example:
790 use Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility;
792 ( $row, $col ) = xl_cell_to_rowcol( 'C2' ); # (1, 2)
794 $str = xl_rowcol_to_cell( 1, 2 ); # C2
795 For simplicity, the parameter lists for the worksheet method calls in
797 the following sections are given in terms of row-column notation. In
798 all cases it is also possible to use A1 notation.
799 Note: in Excel it is also possible to use a R1C1 notation. This is not
801 supported by Excel::Writer::XLSX.
802 write( $row, $column, $token, $format )
804 Excel makes a distinction between data types such as strings, numbers,
805 blanks, formulas and hyperlinks. To simplify the process of writing
806 data the "write()" method acts as a general alias for several more
807 specific methods:
808 write_string()
810 write_number()
811 write_blank()
812 write_formula()
813 write_url()
814 write_row()
815 write_col()
816 The general rule is that if the data looks like a something then a
818 something is written. Here are some examples in both row-column and A1
819 notation:
820 # Same as:
822 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'Hello' ); # write_string()
823 $worksheet->write( 1, 0, 'One' ); # write_string()
824 $worksheet->write( 2, 0, 2 ); # write_number()
825 $worksheet->write( 3, 0, 3.00001 ); # write_number()
826 $worksheet->write( 4, 0, "" ); # write_blank()
827 $worksheet->write( 5, 0, '' ); # write_blank()
828 $worksheet->write( 6, 0, undef ); # write_blank()
829 $worksheet->write( 7, 0 ); # write_blank()
830 $worksheet->write( 8, 0, 'http://www.perl.com/' ); # write_url()
831 $worksheet->write( 'A9', 'ftp://ftp.cpan.org/' ); # write_url()
832 $worksheet->write( 'A10', 'internal:Sheet1!A1' ); # write_url()
833 $worksheet->write( 'A11', 'external:c:\foo.xlsx' ); # write_url()
834 $worksheet->write( 'A12', '=A3 + 3*A4' ); # write_formula()
835 $worksheet->write( 'A13', '=SIN(PI()/4)' ); # write_formula()
836 $worksheet->write( 'A14', \@array ); # write_row()
837 $worksheet->write( 'A15', [\@array] ); # write_col()
838 # And if the keep_leading_zeros property is set:
840 $worksheet->write( 'A16', '2' ); # write_number()
841 $worksheet->write( 'A17', '02' ); # write_string()
842 $worksheet->write( 'A18', '00002' ); # write_string()
843 # Write an array formula. Not available in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
845 $worksheet->write( 'A19', '{=SUM(A1:B1*A2:B2)}' ); # write_formula()
846 The "looks like" rule is defined by regular expressions:
848 "write_number()" if $token is a number based on the following regex:
850 "$token =~ /^([+-]?)(?=\d|\.\d)\d*(\.\d*)?([Ee]([+-]?\d+))?$/".
851 "write_string()" if "keep_leading_zeros()" is set and $token is an
853 integer with leading zeros based on the following regex: "$token =~
854 /^0\d+$/".
855 "write_blank()" if $token is undef or a blank string: "undef", "" or
857 ''.
858 "write_url()" if $token is a http, https, ftp or mailto URL based on
860 the following regexes: "$token =~ m|^[fh]tt?ps?://|" or "$token =~
861 m|^mailto:|".
862 "write_url()" if $token is an internal or external sheet reference
864 based on the following regex: "$token =~ m[^(in|ex)ternal:]".
865 "write_formula()" if the first character of $token is "=".
867 "write_array_formula()" if the $token matches "/^{=.*}$/".
869 "write_row()" if $token is an array ref.
871 "write_col()" if $token is an array ref of array refs.
873 "write_string()" if none of the previous conditions apply.
875 The $format parameter is optional. It should be a valid Format object,
877 see "CELL FORMATTING":
878 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
880 $format->set_bold();
881 $format->set_color( 'red' );
882 $format->set_align( 'center' );
883 $worksheet->write( 4, 0, 'Hello', $format ); # Formatted string
885 The write() method will ignore empty strings or "undef" tokens unless a
887 format is also supplied. As such you needn't worry about special
888 handling for empty or "undef" values in your data. See also the
889 "write_blank()" method.
890 One problem with the "write()" method is that occasionally data looks
892 like a number but you don't want it treated as a number. For example,
893 zip codes or ID numbers often start with a leading zero. If you write
894 this data as a number then the leading zero(s) will be stripped. You
895 can change this default behaviour by using the "keep_leading_zeros()"
896 method. While this property is in place any integers with leading zeros
897 will be treated as strings and the zeros will be preserved. See the
898 "keep_leading_zeros()" section for a full discussion of this issue.
899 You can also add your own data handlers to the "write()" method using
901 "add_write_handler()".
902 The "write()" method will also handle Unicode strings in "UTF-8"
904 format.
905 The "write" methods return:
907 0 for success.
909 -1 for insufficient number of arguments.
910 -2 for row or column out of bounds.
911 -3 for string too long.
912 write_number( $row, $column, $number, $format )
914 Write an integer or a float to the cell specified by $row and $column:
915 $worksheet->write_number( 0, 0, 123456 );
917 $worksheet->write_number( 'A2', 2.3451 );
918 See the note about "Cell notation". The $format parameter is optional.
920 In general it is sufficient to use the "write()" method.
922 Note: some versions of Excel 2007 do not display the calculated values
924 of formulas written by Excel::Writer::XLSX. Applying all available
925 Service Packs to Excel should fix this.
926 write_string( $row, $column, $string, $format )
928 Write a string to the cell specified by $row and $column:
929 $worksheet->write_string( 0, 0, 'Your text here' );
931 $worksheet->write_string( 'A2', 'or here' );
932 The maximum string size is 32767 characters. However the maximum string
934 segment that Excel can display in a cell is 1000. All 32767 characters
935 can be displayed in the formula bar.
936 The $format parameter is optional.
938 The "write()" method will also handle strings in "UTF-8" format. See
940 also the "unicode_*.pl" programs in the examples directory of the
941 distro.
942 In general it is sufficient to use the "write()" method. However, you
944 may sometimes wish to use the "write_string()" method to write data
945 that looks like a number but that you don't want treated as a number.
946 For example, zip codes or phone numbers:
947 # Write as a plain string
949 $worksheet->write_string( 'A1', '01209' );
950 However, if the user edits this string Excel may convert it back to a
952 number. To get around this you can use the Excel text format "@":
953 # Format as a string. Doesn't change to a number when edited
955 my $format1 = $workbook->add_format( num_format => '@' );
956 $worksheet->write_string( 'A2', '01209', $format1 );
957 See also the note about "Cell notation".
959 write_rich_string( $row, $column, $format, $string, ..., $cell_format )
961 The "write_rich_string()" method is used to write strings with multiple
962 formats. For example to write the string "This is bold and this is
963 italic" you would use the following:
964 my $bold = $workbook->add_format( bold => 1 );
966 my $italic = $workbook->add_format( italic => 1 );
967 $worksheet->write_rich_string( 'A1',
969 'This is ', $bold, 'bold', ' and this is ', $italic, 'italic' );
970 The basic rule is to break the string into fragments and put a $format
972 object before the fragment that you want to format. For example:
973 # Unformatted string.
975 'This is an example string'
976 # Break it into fragments.
978 'This is an ', 'example', ' string'
979 # Add formatting before the fragments you want formatted.
981 'This is an ', $format, 'example', ' string'
982 # In Excel::Writer::XLSX.
984 $worksheet->write_rich_string( 'A1',
985 'This is an ', $format, 'example', ' string' );
986 String fragments that don't have a format are given a default format.
988 So for example when writing the string "Some bold text" you would use
989 the first example below but it would be equivalent to the second:
990 # With default formatting:
992 my $bold = $workbook->add_format( bold => 1 );
993 $worksheet->write_rich_string( 'A1',
995 'Some ', $bold, 'bold', ' text' );
996 # Or more explicitly:
998 my $bold = $workbook->add_format( bold => 1 );
999 my $default = $workbook->add_format();
1000 $worksheet->write_rich_string( 'A1',
1002 $default, 'Some ', $bold, 'bold', $default, ' text' );
1003 As with Excel, only the font properties of the format such as font
1005 name, style, size, underline, color and effects are applied to the
1006 string fragments. Other features such as border, background, text wrap
1007 and alignment must be applied to the cell.
1008 The "write_rich_string()" method allows you to do this by using the
1010 last argument as a cell format (if it is a format object). The
1011 following example centers a rich string in the cell:
1012 my $bold = $workbook->add_format( bold => 1 );
1014 my $center = $workbook->add_format( align => 'center' );
1015 $worksheet->write_rich_string( 'A5',
1017 'Some ', $bold, 'bold text', ' centered', $center );
1018 See the "rich_strings.pl" example in the distro for more examples.
1020 my $bold = $workbook->add_format( bold => 1 );
1022 my $italic = $workbook->add_format( italic => 1 );
1023 my $red = $workbook->add_format( color => 'red' );
1024 my $blue = $workbook->add_format( color => 'blue' );
1025 my $center = $workbook->add_format( align => 'center' );
1026 my $super = $workbook->add_format( font_script => 1 );
1027 # Write some strings with multiple formats.
1030 $worksheet->write_rich_string( 'A1',
1031 'This is ', $bold, 'bold', ' and this is ', $italic, 'italic' );
1032 $worksheet->write_rich_string( 'A3',
1034 'This is ', $red, 'red', ' and this is ', $blue, 'blue' );
1035 $worksheet->write_rich_string( 'A5',
1037 'Some ', $bold, 'bold text', ' centered', $center );
1038 $worksheet->write_rich_string( 'A7',
1040 $italic, 'j = k', $super, '(n-1)', $center );
1041 As with "write_sting()" the maximum string size is 32767 characters.
1043 See also the note about "Cell notation".
1044 keep_leading_zeros()
1046 This method changes the default handling of integers with leading zeros
1047 when using the "write()" method.
1048 The "write()" method uses regular expressions to determine what type of
1050 data to write to an Excel worksheet. If the data looks like a number it
1051 writes a number using "write_number()". One problem with this approach
1052 is that occasionally data looks like a number but you don't want it
1053 treated as a number.
1054 Zip codes and ID numbers, for example, often start with a leading zero.
1056 If you write this data as a number then the leading zero(s) will be
1057 stripped. This is the also the default behaviour when you enter data
1058 manually in Excel.
1059 To get around this you can use one of three options. Write a formatted
1061 number, write the number as a string or use the "keep_leading_zeros()"
1062 method to change the default behaviour of "write()":
1063 # Implicitly write a number, the leading zero is removed: 1209
1065 $worksheet->write( 'A1', '01209' );
1066 # Write a zero padded number using a format: 01209
1068 my $format1 = $workbook->add_format( num_format => '00000' );
1069 $worksheet->write( 'A2', '01209', $format1 );
1070 # Write explicitly as a string: 01209
1072 $worksheet->write_string( 'A3', '01209' );
1073 # Write implicitly as a string: 01209
1075 $worksheet->keep_leading_zeros();
1076 $worksheet->write( 'A4', '01209' );
1077 The above code would generate a worksheet that looked like the
1079 following:
1080 -----------------------------------------------------------
1082 | | A | B | C | D | ...
1083 -----------------------------------------------------------
1084 | 1 | 1209 | | | | ...
1085 | 2 | 01209 | | | | ...
1086 | 3 | 01209 | | | | ...
1087 | 4 | 01209 | | | | ...
1088 The examples are on different sides of the cells due to the fact that
1090 Excel displays strings with a left justification and numbers with a
1091 right justification by default. You can change this by using a format
1092 to justify the data, see "CELL FORMATTING".
1093 It should be noted that if the user edits the data in examples "A3" and
1095 "A4" the strings will revert back to numbers. Again this is Excel's
1096 default behaviour. To avoid this you can use the text format "@":
1097 # Format as a string (01209)
1099 my $format2 = $workbook->add_format( num_format => '@' );
1100 $worksheet->write_string( 'A5', '01209', $format2 );
1101 The "keep_leading_zeros()" property is off by default. The
1103 "keep_leading_zeros()" method takes 0 or 1 as an argument. It defaults
1104 to 1 if an argument isn't specified:
1105 $worksheet->keep_leading_zeros(); # Set on
1107 $worksheet->keep_leading_zeros( 1 ); # Set on
1108 $worksheet->keep_leading_zeros( 0 ); # Set off
1109 See also the "add_write_handler()" method.
1111 write_blank( $row, $column, $format )
1113 Write a blank cell specified by $row and $column:
1114 $worksheet->write_blank( 0, 0, $format );
1116 This method is used to add formatting to a cell which doesn't contain a
1118 string or number value.
1119 Excel differentiates between an "Empty" cell and a "Blank" cell. An
1121 "Empty" cell is a cell which doesn't contain data whilst a "Blank" cell
1122 is a cell which doesn't contain data but does contain formatting. Excel
1123 stores "Blank" cells but ignores "Empty" cells.
1124 As such, if you write an empty cell without formatting it is ignored:
1126 $worksheet->write( 'A1', undef, $format ); # write_blank()
1128 $worksheet->write( 'A2', undef ); # Ignored
1129 This seemingly uninteresting fact means that you can write arrays of
1131 data without special treatment for "undef" or empty string values.
1132 See the note about "Cell notation".
1134 write_row( $row, $column, $array_ref, $format )
1136 The "write_row()" method can be used to write a 1D or 2D array of data
1137 in one go. This is useful for converting the results of a database
1138 query into an Excel worksheet. You must pass a reference to the array
1139 of data rather than the array itself. The "write()" method is then
1140 called for each element of the data. For example:
1141 @array = ( 'awk', 'gawk', 'mawk' );
1143 $array_ref = \@array;
1144 $worksheet->write_row( 0, 0, $array_ref );
1146 # The above example is equivalent to:
1148 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, $array[0] );
1149 $worksheet->write( 0, 1, $array[1] );
1150 $worksheet->write( 0, 2, $array[2] );
1151 Note: For convenience the "write()" method behaves in the same way as
1153 "write_row()" if it is passed an array reference. Therefore the
1154 following two method calls are equivalent:
1155 $worksheet->write_row( 'A1', $array_ref ); # Write a row of data
1157 $worksheet->write( 'A1', $array_ref ); # Same thing
1158 As with all of the write methods the $format parameter is optional. If
1160 a format is specified it is applied to all the elements of the data
1161 array.
1162 Array references within the data will be treated as columns. This
1164 allows you to write 2D arrays of data in one go. For example:
1165 @eec = (
1167 ['maggie', 'milly', 'molly', 'may' ],
1168 [13, 14, 15, 16 ],
1169 ['shell', 'star', 'crab', 'stone']
1170 );
1171 $worksheet->write_row( 'A1', \@eec );
1173 Would produce a worksheet as follows:
1175 -----------------------------------------------------------
1177 | | A | B | C | D | E | ...
1178 -----------------------------------------------------------
1179 | 1 | maggie | 13 | shell | ... | ... | ...
1180 | 2 | milly | 14 | star | ... | ... | ...
1181 | 3 | molly | 15 | crab | ... | ... | ...
1182 | 4 | may | 16 | stone | ... | ... | ...
1183 | 5 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
1184 | 6 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
1185 To write the data in a row-column order refer to the "write_col()"
1187 method below.
1188 Any "undef" values in the data will be ignored unless a format is
1190 applied to the data, in which case a formatted blank cell will be
1191 written. In either case the appropriate row or column value will still
1192 be incremented.
1193 To find out more about array references refer to "perlref" and
1195 "perlreftut" in the main Perl documentation. To find out more about 2D
1196 arrays or "lists of lists" refer to "perllol".
1197 The "write_row()" method returns the first error encountered when
1199 writing the elements of the data or zero if no errors were encountered.
1200 See the return values described for the "write()" method above.
1201 See also the "write_arrays.pl" program in the "examples" directory of
1203 the distro.
1204 The "write_row()" method allows the following idiomatic conversion of a
1206 text file to an Excel file:
1207 #!/usr/bin/perl -w
1209 use strict;
1211 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
1212 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'file.xlsx' );
1214 my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
1215 open INPUT, 'file.txt' or die "Couldn't open file: $!";
1217 $worksheet->write( $. -1, 0, [split] ) while <INPUT>;
1219 $workbook->close();
1221 write_col( $row, $column, $array_ref, $format )
1223 The "write_col()" method can be used to write a 1D or 2D array of data
1224 in one go. This is useful for converting the results of a database
1225 query into an Excel worksheet. You must pass a reference to the array
1226 of data rather than the array itself. The "write()" method is then
1227 called for each element of the data. For example:
1228 @array = ( 'awk', 'gawk', 'mawk' );
1230 $array_ref = \@array;
1231 $worksheet->write_col( 0, 0, $array_ref );
1233 # The above example is equivalent to:
1235 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, $array[0] );
1236 $worksheet->write( 1, 0, $array[1] );
1237 $worksheet->write( 2, 0, $array[2] );
1238 As with all of the write methods the $format parameter is optional. If
1240 a format is specified it is applied to all the elements of the data
1241 array.
1242 Array references within the data will be treated as rows. This allows
1244 you to write 2D arrays of data in one go. For example:
1245 @eec = (
1247 ['maggie', 'milly', 'molly', 'may' ],
1248 [13, 14, 15, 16 ],
1249 ['shell', 'star', 'crab', 'stone']
1250 );
1251 $worksheet->write_col( 'A1', \@eec );
1253 Would produce a worksheet as follows:
1255 -----------------------------------------------------------
1257 | | A | B | C | D | E | ...
1258 -----------------------------------------------------------
1259 | 1 | maggie | milly | molly | may | ... | ...
1260 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ... | ...
1261 | 3 | shell | star | crab | stone | ... | ...
1262 | 4 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
1263 | 5 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
1264 | 6 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
1265 To write the data in a column-row order refer to the "write_row()"
1267 method above.
1268 Any "undef" values in the data will be ignored unless a format is
1270 applied to the data, in which case a formatted blank cell will be
1271 written. In either case the appropriate row or column value will still
1272 be incremented.
1273 As noted above the "write()" method can be used as a synonym for
1275 "write_row()" and "write_row()" handles nested array refs as columns.
1276 Therefore, the following two method calls are equivalent although the
1277 more explicit call to "write_col()" would be preferable for
1278 maintainability:
1279 $worksheet->write_col( 'A1', $array_ref ); # Write a column of data
1281 $worksheet->write( 'A1', [ $array_ref ] ); # Same thing
1282 To find out more about array references refer to "perlref" and
1284 "perlreftut" in the main Perl documentation. To find out more about 2D
1285 arrays or "lists of lists" refer to "perllol".
1286 The "write_col()" method returns the first error encountered when
1288 writing the elements of the data or zero if no errors were encountered.
1289 See the return values described for the "write()" method above.
1290 See also the "write_arrays.pl" program in the "examples" directory of
1292 the distro.
1293 write_date_time( $row, $col, $date_string, $format )
1295 The "write_date_time()" method can be used to write a date or time to
1296 the cell specified by $row and $column:
1297 $worksheet->write_date_time( 'A1', '2004-05-13T23:20', $date_format );
1299 The $date_string should be in the following format:
1301 yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.sss
1303 This conforms to an ISO8601 date but it should be noted that the full
1305 range of ISO8601 formats are not supported.
1306 The following variations on the $date_string parameter are permitted:
1308 yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.sss # Standard format
1310 yyyy-mm-ddT # No time
1311 Thh:mm:ss.sss # No date
1312 yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.sssZ # Additional Z (but not time zones)
1313 yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss # No fractional seconds
1314 yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm # No seconds
1315 Note that the "T" is required in all cases.
1317 A date should always have a $format, otherwise it will appear as a
1319 number, see "DATES AND TIME IN EXCEL" and "CELL FORMATTING". Here is a
1320 typical example:
1321 my $date_format = $workbook->add_format( num_format => 'mm/dd/yy' );
1323 $worksheet->write_date_time( 'A1', '2004-05-13T23:20', $date_format );
1324 Valid dates should be in the range 1900-01-01 to 9999-12-31, for the
1326 1900 epoch and 1904-01-01 to 9999-12-31, for the 1904 epoch. As with
1327 Excel, dates outside these ranges will be written as a string.
1328 See also the date_time.pl program in the "examples" directory of the
1330 distro.
1331 write_url( $row, $col, $url, $format, $label )
1333 Write a hyperlink to a URL in the cell specified by $row and $column.
1334 The hyperlink is comprised of two elements: the visible label and the
1335 invisible link. The visible label is the same as the link unless an
1336 alternative label is specified. The $label parameter is optional. The
1337 label is written using the "write()" method. Therefore it is possible
1338 to write strings, numbers or formulas as labels.
1339 The $format parameter is also optional and the default Excel hyperlink
1341 style will be used if it isn't specified. If required you can access
1342 the default url format using the Workbook "get_default_url_format"
1343 method:
1344 my $url_format = $workbook->get_default_url_format();
1346 There are four web style URI's supported: "http://", "https://",
1348 "ftp://" and "mailto:":
1349 $worksheet->write_url( 0, 0, 'ftp://www.perl.org/' );
1351 $worksheet->write_url( 'A3', 'http://www.perl.com/' );
1352 $worksheet->write_url( 'A4', 'mailto:jmcnamara@cpan.org' );
1353 You can display an alternative string using the $label parameter:
1355 $worksheet->write_url( 1, 0, 'http://www.perl.com/', undef, 'Perl' );
1357 If you wish to have some other cell data such as a number or a formula
1359 you can overwrite the cell using another call to "write_*()":
1360 $worksheet->write_url( 'A1', 'http://www.perl.com/' );
1362 # Overwrite the URL string with a formula. The cell is still a link.
1364 # Note the use of the default url format for consistency with other links.
1365 my $url_format = $workbook->get_default_url_format();
1366 $worksheet->write_formula( 'A1', '=1+1', $url_format );
1367 There are two local URIs supported: "internal:" and "external:". These
1369 are used for hyperlinks to internal worksheet references or external
1370 workbook and worksheet references:
1371 $worksheet->write_url( 'A6', 'internal:Sheet2!A1' );
1373 $worksheet->write_url( 'A7', 'internal:Sheet2!A1' );
1374 $worksheet->write_url( 'A8', 'internal:Sheet2!A1:B2' );
1375 $worksheet->write_url( 'A9', q{internal:'Sales Data'!A1} );
1376 $worksheet->write_url( 'A10', 'external:c:\temp\foo.xlsx' );
1377 $worksheet->write_url( 'A11', 'external:c:\foo.xlsx#Sheet2!A1' );
1378 $worksheet->write_url( 'A12', 'external:..\foo.xlsx' );
1379 $worksheet->write_url( 'A13', 'external:..\foo.xlsx#Sheet2!A1' );
1380 $worksheet->write_url( 'A13', 'external:\\\\NET\share\foo.xlsx' );
1381 All of the these URI types are recognised by the "write()" method, see
1383 above.
1384 Worksheet references are typically of the form "Sheet1!A1". You can
1386 also refer to a worksheet range using the standard Excel notation:
1387 "Sheet1!A1:B2".
1388 In external links the workbook and worksheet name must be separated by
1390 the "#" character: "external:Workbook.xlsx#Sheet1!A1'".
1391 You can also link to a named range in the target worksheet. For example
1393 say you have a named range called "my_name" in the workbook
1394 "c:\temp\foo.xlsx" you could link to it as follows:
1395 $worksheet->write_url( 'A14', 'external:c:\temp\foo.xlsx#my_name' );
1397 Excel requires that worksheet names containing spaces or non
1399 alphanumeric characters are single quoted as follows "'Sales Data'!A1".
1400 If you need to do this in a single quoted string then you can either
1401 escape the single quotes "\'" or use the quote operator "q{}" as
1402 described in "perlop" in the main Perl documentation.
1403 Links to network files are also supported. MS/Novell Network files
1405 normally begin with two back slashes as follows "\\NETWORK\etc". In
1406 order to generate this in a single or double quoted string you will
1407 have to escape the backslashes, '\\\\NETWORK\etc'.
1408 If you are using double quote strings then you should be careful to
1410 escape anything that looks like a metacharacter. For more information
1411 see "perlfaq5: Why can't I use "C:\temp\foo" in DOS paths?".
1412 Finally, you can avoid most of these quoting problems by using forward
1414 slashes. These are translated internally to backslashes:
1415 $worksheet->write_url( 'A14', "external:c:/temp/foo.xlsx" );
1417 $worksheet->write_url( 'A15', 'external://NETWORK/share/foo.xlsx' );
1418 Note: Excel::Writer::XLSX will escape the following characters in URLs
1420 as required by Excel: "\s " < > \ [ ] ` ^ { }" unless the URL already
1421 contains %xx style escapes. In which case it is assumed that the URL
1422 was escaped correctly by the user and will by passed directly to Excel.
1423 Versions of Excel prior to Excel 2015 limited hyperlink links and
1425 anchor/locations to 255 characters each. Versions after that support
1426 urls up to 2079 characters. Excel::Writer::XLSX versions >= 1.0.2
1427 support the new longer limit by default.
1428 See also, the note about "Cell notation".
1430 write_formula( $row, $column, $formula, $format, $value )
1432 Write a formula or function to the cell specified by $row and $column:
1433 $worksheet->write_formula( 0, 0, '=$B$3 + B4' );
1435 $worksheet->write_formula( 1, 0, '=SIN(PI()/4)' );
1436 $worksheet->write_formula( 2, 0, '=SUM(B1:B5)' );
1437 $worksheet->write_formula( 'A4', '=IF(A3>1,"Yes", "No")' );
1438 $worksheet->write_formula( 'A5', '=AVERAGE(1, 2, 3, 4)' );
1439 $worksheet->write_formula( 'A6', '=DATEVALUE("1-Jan-2001")' );
1440 Array formulas are also supported:
1442 $worksheet->write_formula( 'A7', '{=SUM(A1:B1*A2:B2)}' );
1444 See also the "write_array_formula()" method below.
1446 See the note about "Cell notation". For more information about writing
1448 Excel formulas see "FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS IN EXCEL"
1449 If required, it is also possible to specify the calculated value of the
1451 formula. This is occasionally necessary when working with non-Excel
1452 applications that don't calculate the value of the formula. The
1453 calculated $value is added at the end of the argument list:
1454 $worksheet->write( 'A1', '=2+2', $format, 4 );
1456 However, this probably isn't something that you will ever need to do.
1458 If you do use this feature then do so with care.
1459 write_array_formula($first_row, $first_col, $last_row, $last_col, $formula,
1461 $format, $value)
1462 Write an array formula to a cell range. In Excel an array formula is a
1463 formula that performs a calculation on a set of values. It can return a
1464 single value or a range of values.
1465 An array formula is indicated by a pair of braces around the formula:
1467 "{=SUM(A1:B1*A2:B2)}". If the array formula returns a single value
1468 then the $first_ and $last_ parameters should be the same:
1469 $worksheet->write_array_formula('A1:A1', '{=SUM(B1:C1*B2:C2)}');
1471 It this case however it is easier to just use the "write_formula()" or
1473 "write()" methods:
1474 # Same as above but more concise.
1476 $worksheet->write( 'A1', '{=SUM(B1:C1*B2:C2)}' );
1477 $worksheet->write_formula( 'A1', '{=SUM(B1:C1*B2:C2)}' );
1478 For array formulas that return a range of values you must specify the
1480 range that the return values will be written to:
1481 $worksheet->write_array_formula( 'A1:A3', '{=TREND(C1:C3,B1:B3)}' );
1483 $worksheet->write_array_formula( 0, 0, 2, 0, '{=TREND(C1:C3,B1:B3)}' );
1484 If required, it is also possible to specify the calculated value of the
1486 formula. This is occasionally necessary when working with non-Excel
1487 applications that don't calculate the value of the formula. However,
1488 using this parameter only writes a single value to the upper left cell
1489 in the result array. For a multi-cell array formula where the results
1490 are required, the other result values can be specified by using
1491 "write_number()" to write to the appropriate cell:
1492 # Specify the result for a single cell range.
1494 $worksheet->write_array_formula( 'A1:A3', '{=SUM(B1:C1*B2:C2)}, $format, 2005 );
1495 # Specify the results for a multi cell range.
1497 $worksheet->write_array_formula( 'A1:A3', '{=TREND(C1:C3,B1:B3)}', $format, 105 );
1498 $worksheet->write_number( 'A2', 12, format );
1499 $worksheet->write_number( 'A3', 14, format );
1500 In addition, some early versions of Excel 2007 don't calculate the
1502 values of array formulas when they aren't supplied. Installing the
1503 latest Office Service Pack should fix this issue.
1504 See also the "array_formula.pl" program in the "examples" directory of
1506 the distro.
1507 Note: Array formulas are not supported by Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
1509 write_boolean( $row, $column, $value, $format )
1511 Write an Excel boolean value to the cell specified by $row and $column:
1512 $worksheet->write_boolean( 'A1', 1 ); # TRUE
1514 $worksheet->write_boolean( 'A2', 0 ); # FALSE
1515 $worksheet->write_boolean( 'A3', undef ); # FALSE
1516 $worksheet->write_boolean( 'A3', 0, $format ); # FALSE, with format.
1517 A $value that is true or false using Perl's rules will be written as an
1519 Excel boolean "TRUE" or "FALSE" value.
1520 See the note about "Cell notation".
1522 store_formula( $formula )
1524 Deprecated. This is a Spreadsheet::WriteExcel method that is no longer
1525 required by Excel::Writer::XLSX. See below.
1526 repeat_formula( $row, $col, $formula, $format )
1528 Deprecated. This is a Spreadsheet::WriteExcel method that is no longer
1529 required by Excel::Writer::XLSX.
1530 In Spreadsheet::WriteExcel it was computationally expensive to write
1532 formulas since they were parsed by a recursive descent parser. The
1533 "store_formula()" and "repeat_formula()" methods were used as a way of
1534 avoiding the overhead of repeated formulas by reusing a pre-parsed
1535 formula.
1536 In Excel::Writer::XLSX this is no longer necessary since it is just as
1538 quick to write a formula as it is to write a string or a number.
1539 The methods remain for backward compatibility but new
1541 Excel::Writer::XLSX programs shouldn't use them.
1542 write_comment( $row, $column, $string, ... )
1544 The "write_comment()" method is used to add a comment to a cell. A cell
1545 comment is indicated in Excel by a small red triangle in the upper
1546 right-hand corner of the cell. Moving the cursor over the red triangle
1547 will reveal the comment.
1548 The following example shows how to add a comment to a cell:
1550 $worksheet->write ( 2, 2, 'Hello' );
1552 $worksheet->write_comment( 2, 2, 'This is a comment.' );
1553 As usual you can replace the $row and $column parameters with an "A1"
1555 cell reference. See the note about "Cell notation".
1556 $worksheet->write ( 'C3', 'Hello');
1558 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'This is a comment.' );
1559 The "write_comment()" method will also handle strings in "UTF-8"
1561 format.
1562 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', "\x{263a}" ); # Smiley
1564 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C4', 'Comment ca va?' );
1565 In addition to the basic 3 argument form of "write_comment()" you can
1567 pass in several optional key/value pairs to control the format of the
1568 comment. For example:
1569 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', visible => 1, author => 'Perl' );
1571 Most of these options are quite specific and in general the default
1573 comment behaves will be all that you need. However, should you need
1574 greater control over the format of the cell comment the following
1575 options are available:
1576 author
1578 visible
1579 x_scale
1580 width
1581 y_scale
1582 height
1583 color
1584 start_cell
1585 start_row
1586 start_col
1587 x_offset
1588 y_offset
1589 font
1590 font_size
1591 Option: author
1593 This option is used to indicate who is the author of the cell
1594 comment. Excel displays the author of the comment in the status bar
1595 at the bottom of the worksheet. This is usually of interest in
1596 corporate environments where several people might review and
1597 provide comments to a workbook.
1598 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Atonement', author => 'Ian McEwan' );
1600 The default author for all cell comments can be set using the
1602 "set_comments_author()" method (see below).
1603 $worksheet->set_comments_author( 'Perl' );
1605 Option: visible
1607 This option is used to make a cell comment visible when the
1608 worksheet is opened. The default behaviour in Excel is that
1609 comments are initially hidden. However, it is also possible in
1610 Excel to make individual or all comments visible. In
1611 Excel::Writer::XLSX individual comments can be made visible as
1612 follows:
1613 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', visible => 1 );
1615 It is possible to make all comments in a worksheet visible using
1617 the "show_comments()" worksheet method (see below). Alternatively,
1618 if all of the cell comments have been made visible you can hide
1619 individual comments:
1620 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', visible => 0 );
1622 Option: x_scale
1624 This option is used to set the width of the cell comment box as a
1625 factor of the default width.
1626 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', x_scale => 2 );
1628 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C4', 'Hello', x_scale => 4.2 );
1629 Option: width
1631 This option is used to set the width of the cell comment box
1632 explicitly in pixels.
1633 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', width => 200 );
1635 Option: y_scale
1637 This option is used to set the height of the cell comment box as a
1638 factor of the default height.
1639 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', y_scale => 2 );
1641 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C4', 'Hello', y_scale => 4.2 );
1642 Option: height
1644 This option is used to set the height of the cell comment box
1645 explicitly in pixels.
1646 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', height => 200 );
1648 Option: color
1650 This option is used to set the background colour of cell comment
1651 box. You can use one of the named colours recognised by
1652 Excel::Writer::XLSX or a Html style "#RRGGBB" colour. See "WORKING
1653 WITH COLOURS".
1654 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', color => 'green' );
1656 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C4', 'Hello', color => '#FF6600' ); # Orange
1657 Option: start_cell
1659 This option is used to set the cell in which the comment will
1660 appear. By default Excel displays comments one cell to the right
1661 and one cell above the cell to which the comment relates. However,
1662 you can change this behaviour if you wish. In the following example
1663 the comment which would appear by default in cell "D2" is moved to
1664 "E2".
1665 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', start_cell => 'E2' );
1667 Option: start_row
1669 This option is used to set the row in which the comment will
1670 appear. See the "start_cell" option above. The row is zero indexed.
1671 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', start_row => 0 );
1673 Option: start_col
1675 This option is used to set the column in which the comment will
1676 appear. See the "start_cell" option above. The column is zero
1677 indexed.
1678 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', start_col => 4 );
1680 Option: x_offset
1682 This option is used to change the x offset, in pixels, of a comment
1683 within a cell:
1684 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', $comment, x_offset => 30 );
1686 Option: y_offset
1688 This option is used to change the y offset, in pixels, of a comment
1689 within a cell:
1690 $worksheet->write_comment('C3', $comment, x_offset => 30);
1692 Option: font
1694 This option is used to change the font used in the comment from
1695 'Tahoma' which is the default.
1696 $worksheet->write_comment('C3', $comment, font => 'Calibri');
1698 Option: font_size
1700 This option is used to change the font size used in the comment
1701 from 8 which is the default.
1702 $worksheet->write_comment('C3', $comment, font_size => 20);
1704 You can apply as many of these options as you require.
1706 Note about using options that adjust the position of the cell comment
1708 such as start_cell, start_row, start_col, x_offset and y_offset: Excel
1709 only displays offset cell comments when they are displayed as
1710 "visible". Excel does not display hidden cells as moved when you mouse
1711 over them.
1712 Note about row height and comments. If you specify the height of a row
1714 that contains a comment then Excel::Writer::XLSX will adjust the height
1715 of the comment to maintain the default or user specified dimensions.
1716 However, the height of a row can also be adjusted automatically by
1717 Excel if the text wrap property is set or large fonts are used in the
1718 cell. This means that the height of the row is unknown to the module at
1719 run time and thus the comment box is stretched with the row. Use the
1720 "set_row()" method to specify the row height explicitly and avoid this
1721 problem.
1722 show_comments()
1724 This method is used to make all cell comments visible when a worksheet
1725 is opened.
1726 $worksheet->show_comments();
1728 Individual comments can be made visible using the "visible" parameter
1730 of the "write_comment" method (see above):
1731 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', visible => 1 );
1733 If all of the cell comments have been made visible you can hide
1735 individual comments as follows:
1736 $worksheet->show_comments();
1738 $worksheet->write_comment( 'C3', 'Hello', visible => 0 );
1739 set_comments_author()
1741 This method is used to set the default author of all cell comments.
1742 $worksheet->set_comments_author( 'Perl' );
1744 Individual comment authors can be set using the "author" parameter of
1746 the "write_comment" method (see above).
1747 The default comment author is an empty string, '', if no author is
1749 specified.
1750 add_write_handler( $re, $code_ref )
1752 This method is used to extend the Excel::Writer::XLSX write() method to
1753 handle user defined data.
1754 If you refer to the section on "write()" above you will see that it
1756 acts as an alias for several more specific "write_*" methods. However,
1757 it doesn't always act in exactly the way that you would like it to.
1758 One solution is to filter the input data yourself and call the
1760 appropriate "write_*" method. Another approach is to use the
1761 "add_write_handler()" method to add your own automated behaviour to
1762 "write()".
1763 The "add_write_handler()" method take two arguments, $re, a regular
1765 expression to match incoming data and $code_ref a callback function to
1766 handle the matched data:
1767 $worksheet->add_write_handler( qr/^\d\d\d\d$/, \&my_write );
1769 (In the these examples the "qr" operator is used to quote the regular
1771 expression strings, see perlop for more details).
1772 The method is used as follows. say you wished to write 7 digit ID
1774 numbers as a string so that any leading zeros were preserved*, you
1775 could do something like the following:
1776 $worksheet->add_write_handler( qr/^\d{7}$/, \&write_my_id );
1778 sub write_my_id {
1781 my $worksheet = shift;
1782 return $worksheet->write_string( @_ );
1783 }
1784 * You could also use the "keep_leading_zeros()" method for this.
1786 Then if you call "write()" with an appropriate string it will be
1788 handled automatically:
1789 # Writes 0000000. It would normally be written as a number; 0.
1791 $worksheet->write( 'A1', '0000000' );
1792 The callback function will receive a reference to the calling worksheet
1794 and all of the other arguments that were passed to "write()". The
1795 callback will see an @_ argument list that looks like the following:
1796 $_[0] A ref to the calling worksheet. *
1798 $_[1] Zero based row number.
1799 $_[2] Zero based column number.
1800 $_[3] A number or string or token.
1801 $_[4] A format ref if any.
1802 $_[5] Any other arguments.
1803 ...
1804 * It is good style to shift this off the list so the @_ is the same
1806 as the argument list seen by write().
1807 Your callback should "return()" the return value of the "write_*"
1809 method that was called or "undef" to indicate that you rejected the
1810 match and want "write()" to continue as normal.
1811 So for example if you wished to apply the previous filter only to ID
1813 values that occur in the first column you could modify your callback
1814 function as follows:
1815 sub write_my_id {
1817 my $worksheet = shift;
1818 my $col = $_[1];
1819 if ( $col == 0 ) {
1821 return $worksheet->write_string( @_ );
1822 }
1823 else {
1824 # Reject the match and return control to write()
1825 return undef;
1826 }
1827 }
1828 Now, you will get different behaviour for the first column and other
1830 columns:
1831 $worksheet->write( 'A1', '0000000' ); # Writes 0000000
1833 $worksheet->write( 'B1', '0000000' ); # Writes 0
1834 You may add more than one handler in which case they will be called in
1836 the order that they were added.
1837 Note, the "add_write_handler()" method is particularly suited for
1839 handling dates.
1840 See the "write_handler 1-4" programs in the "examples" directory for
1842 further examples.
1843 insert_image( $row, $col, $filename, { %options } )
1845 This method can be used to insert a image into a worksheet. The image
1846 can be in PNG, JPEG or BMP format.
1847 $worksheet1->insert_image( 'A1', 'perl.bmp' );
1849 $worksheet2->insert_image( 'A1', '../images/perl.bmp' );
1850 $worksheet3->insert_image( 'A1', '.c:\images\perl.bmp' );
1851 The optional "options" hash/hashref parameter can be used to set
1853 various options for the image. The defaults are:
1854 %options = (
1856 x_offset => 0,
1857 y_offset => 0,
1858 x_scale => 1,
1859 y_scale => 1,
1860 object_position => 2,
1861 url => undef,
1862 tip => undef,
1863 );
1864 The parameters "x_offset" and "y_offset" can be used to specify an
1866 offset from the top left hand corner of the cell specified by $row and
1867 $col. The offset values are in pixels.
1868 $worksheet1->insert_image('A1', 'perl.bmp', { x_offset =>32, y_offset => 10 });
1870 The offsets can be greater than the width or height of the underlying
1872 cell. This can be occasionally useful if you wish to align two or more
1873 images relative to the same cell.
1874 The parameters "x_scale" and "y_scale" can be used to scale the
1876 inserted image horizontally and vertically:
1877 # Scale the inserted image: width x 2.0, height x 0.8
1879 $worksheet->insert_image( 'A1', 'perl.bmp', { y_scale => 2, y_scale => 0.8 } );
1880 The positioning of the image when cells are resized can be set with the
1882 "object_position" parameter:
1883 $worksheet->insert_image( 'A1', 'perl.bmp', { object_position => 1 } );
1885 The "object_position" parameter can have one of the following allowable
1887 values:
1888 1. Move and size with cells.
1890 2. Move but don't size with cells.
1891 3. Don't move or size with cells.
1892 4. Same as Option 1, see below.
1893 Option 4 appears in Excel as Option 1. However, the worksheet object is
1895 sized to take hidden rows or columns into account. This allows the user
1896 to hide an image in a cell, possibly as part of an autofilter.
1897 The "url" option can be use to used to add a hyperlink to an image:
1899 $worksheet->insert_image( 'A1', 'logo.png',
1901 { url => 'https://github.com/jmcnamara' } );
1902 The supported url formats are the same as those supported by the
1904 "write_url()" method and the same rules/limits apply.
1905 The "tip" option can be use to used to add a mouseover tip to the
1907 hyperlink:
1908 $worksheet->insert_image( 'A1', 'logo.png',
1910 {
1911 url => 'https://github.com/jmcnamara',
1912 tip => 'GitHub'
1913 }
1914 );
1915 Note: you must call "set_row()" or "set_column()" before
1917 "insert_image()" if you wish to change the default dimensions of any of
1918 the rows or columns that the image occupies. The height of a row can
1919 also change if you use a font that is larger than the default. This in
1920 turn will affect the scaling of your image. To avoid this you should
1921 explicitly set the height of the row using "set_row()" if it contains a
1922 font size that will change the row height.
1923 BMP images must be 24 bit, true colour, bitmaps. In general it is best
1925 to avoid BMP images since they aren't compressed.
1926 insert_chart( $row, $col, $chart, { %options } )
1928 This method can be used to insert a Chart object into a worksheet. The
1929 Chart must be created by the "add_chart()" Workbook method and it must
1930 have the "embedded" option set.
1931 my $chart = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'line', embedded => 1 );
1933 # Configure the chart.
1935 ...
1936 # Insert the chart into the a worksheet.
1938 $worksheet->insert_chart( 'E2', $chart );
1939 See "add_chart()" for details on how to create the Chart object and
1941 Excel::Writer::XLSX::Chart for details on how to configure it. See also
1942 the "chart_*.pl" programs in the examples directory of the distro.
1943 The optional "options" hash/hashref parameter can be used to set
1945 various options for the chart. The defaults are:
1946 %options = (
1948 x_offset => 0,
1949 y_offset => 0,
1950 x_scale => 1,
1951 y_scale => 1,
1952 object_position => 1,
1953 );
1954 The parameters "x_offset" and "y_offset" can be used to specify an
1956 offset from the top left hand corner of the cell specified by $row and
1957 $col. The offset values are in pixels.
1958 $worksheet1->insert_chart( 'E2', $chart, { x_offset =>10, y_offset => 20 });
1960 The parameters "x_scale" and "y_scale" can be used to scale the
1962 inserted chart horizontally and vertically:
1963 # Scale the width by 120% and the height by 150%
1965 $worksheet->insert_chart( 'E2', $chart, { y_scale => 1.2, y_scale => 1.5 } );
1966 The positioning of the chart when cells are resized can be set with the
1968 "object_position" parameter:
1969 $worksheet->insert_chart( 'E2', $chart, { object_position => 2 } );
1971 The "object_position" parameter can have one of the following allowable
1973 values:
1974 1. Move and size with cells.
1976 2. Move but don't size with cells.
1977 3. Don't move or size with cells.
1978 4. Same as Option 1, see below.
1979 Option 4 appears in Excel as Option 1. However, the worksheet object is
1981 sized to take hidden rows or columns into account. This is generally
1982 only useful for images and not for charts.
1983 insert_shape( $row, $col, $shape, $x, $y, $x_scale, $y_scale )
1985 This method can be used to insert a Shape object into a worksheet. The
1986 Shape must be created by the "add_shape()" Workbook method.
1987 my $shape = $workbook->add_shape( name => 'My Shape', type => 'plus' );
1989 # Configure the shape.
1991 $shape->set_text('foo');
1992 ...
1993 # Insert the shape into the a worksheet.
1995 $worksheet->insert_shape( 'E2', $shape );
1996 See "add_shape()" for details on how to create the Shape object and
1998 Excel::Writer::XLSX::Shape for details on how to configure it.
1999 The $x, $y, $x_scale and $y_scale parameters are optional.
2001 The parameters $x and $y can be used to specify an offset from the top
2003 left hand corner of the cell specified by $row and $col. The offset
2004 values are in pixels.
2005 $worksheet1->insert_shape( 'E2', $chart, 3, 3 );
2007 The parameters $x_scale and $y_scale can be used to scale the inserted
2009 shape horizontally and vertically:
2010 # Scale the width by 120% and the height by 150%
2012 $worksheet->insert_shape( 'E2', $shape, 0, 0, 1.2, 1.5 );
2013 See also the "shape*.pl" programs in the examples directory of the
2015 distro.
2016 insert_button( $row, $col, { %options })
2018 The "insert_button()" method can be used to insert an Excel form button
2019 into a worksheet.
2020 This method is generally only useful when used in conjunction with the
2022 Workbook "add_vba_project()" method to tie the button to a macro from
2023 an embedded VBA project:
2024 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'file.xlsm' );
2026 ...
2027 $workbook->add_vba_project( './vbaProject.bin' );
2028 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro' } );
2030 The properties of the button that can be set are:
2032 macro
2034 caption
2035 width
2036 height
2037 x_scale
2038 y_scale
2039 x_offset
2040 y_offset
2041 Option: macro
2043 This option is used to set the macro that the button will invoke
2044 when the user clicks on it. The macro should be included using the
2045 Workbook "add_vba_project()" method shown above.
2046 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro' } );
2048 The default macro is "ButtonX_Click" where X is the button number.
2050 Option: caption
2052 This option is used to set the caption on the button. The default
2053 is "Button X" where X is the button number.
2054 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro', caption => 'Hello' } );
2056 Option: width
2058 This option is used to set the width of the button in pixels.
2059 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro', width => 128 } );
2061 The default button width is 64 pixels which is the width of a
2063 default cell.
2064 Option: height
2066 This option is used to set the height of the button in pixels.
2067 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro', height => 40 } );
2069 The default button height is 20 pixels which is the height of a
2071 default cell.
2072 Option: x_scale
2074 This option is used to set the width of the button as a factor of
2075 the default width.
2076 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro', x_scale => 2.0 );
2078 Option: y_scale
2080 This option is used to set the height of the button as a factor of
2081 the default height.
2082 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro', y_scale => 2.0 );
2084 Option: x_offset
2086 This option is used to change the x offset, in pixels, of a button
2087 within a cell:
2088 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro', x_offset => 2 );
2090 Option: y_offset
2092 This option is used to change the y offset, in pixels, of a comment
2093 within a cell.
2094 Note: Button is the only Excel form element that is available in
2096 Excel::Writer::XLSX. Form elements represent a lot of work to implement
2097 and the underlying VML syntax isn't very much fun.
2098 data_validation()
2100 The "data_validation()" method is used to construct an Excel data
2101 validation or to limit the user input to a dropdown list of values.
2102 $worksheet->data_validation('B3',
2104 {
2105 validate => 'integer',
2106 criteria => '>',
2107 value => 100,
2108 });
2109 $worksheet->data_validation('B5:B9',
2111 {
2112 validate => 'list',
2113 value => ['open', 'high', 'close'],
2114 });
2115 This method contains a lot of parameters and is described in detail in
2117 a separate section "DATA VALIDATION IN EXCEL".
2118 See also the "data_validate.pl" program in the examples directory of
2120 the distro
2121 conditional_formatting()
2123 The "conditional_formatting()" method is used to add formatting to a
2124 cell or range of cells based on user defined criteria.
2125 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:J10',
2127 {
2128 type => 'cell',
2129 criteria => '>=',
2130 value => 50,
2131 format => $format1,
2132 }
2133 );
2134 This method contains a lot of parameters and is described in detail in
2136 a separate section "CONDITIONAL FORMATTING IN EXCEL".
2137 See also the "conditional_format.pl" program in the examples directory
2139 of the distro
2140 add_sparkline()
2142 The "add_sparkline()" worksheet method is used to add sparklines to a
2143 cell or a range of cells.
2144 $worksheet->add_sparkline(
2146 {
2147 location => 'F2',
2148 range => 'Sheet1!A2:E2',
2149 type => 'column',
2150 style => 12,
2151 }
2152 );
2153 This method contains a lot of parameters and is described in detail in
2155 a separate section "SPARKLINES IN EXCEL".
2156 See also the "sparklines1.pl" and "sparklines2.pl" example programs in
2158 the "examples" directory of the distro.
2159 Note: Sparklines are a feature of Excel 2010+ only. You can write them
2161 to an XLSX file that can be read by Excel 2007 but they won't be
2162 displayed.
2163 add_table()
2165 The "add_table()" method is used to group a range of cells into an
2166 Excel Table.
2167 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { ... } );
2169 This method contains a lot of parameters and is described in detail in
2171 a separate section "TABLES IN EXCEL".
2172 See also the "tables.pl" program in the examples directory of the
2174 distro
2175 get_name()
2177 The "get_name()" method is used to retrieve the name of a worksheet.
2178 For example:
2179 for my $sheet ( $workbook->sheets() ) {
2181 print $sheet->get_name();
2182 }
2183 For reasons related to the design of Excel::Writer::XLSX and to the
2185 internals of Excel there is no "set_name()" method. The only way to set
2186 the worksheet name is via the "add_worksheet()" method.
2187 activate()
2189 The "activate()" method is used to specify which worksheet is initially
2190 visible in a multi-sheet workbook:
2191 $worksheet1 = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'To' );
2193 $worksheet2 = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'the' );
2194 $worksheet3 = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'wind' );
2195 $worksheet3->activate();
2197 This is similar to the Excel VBA activate method. More than one
2199 worksheet can be selected via the "select()" method, see below, however
2200 only one worksheet can be active.
2201 The default active worksheet is the first worksheet.
2203 select()
2205 The "select()" method is used to indicate that a worksheet is selected
2206 in a multi-sheet workbook:
2207 $worksheet1->activate();
2209 $worksheet2->select();
2210 $worksheet3->select();
2211 A selected worksheet has its tab highlighted. Selecting worksheets is a
2213 way of grouping them together so that, for example, several worksheets
2214 could be printed in one go. A worksheet that has been activated via the
2215 "activate()" method will also appear as selected.
2216 hide()
2218 The "hide()" method is used to hide a worksheet:
2219 $worksheet2->hide();
2221 You may wish to hide a worksheet in order to avoid confusing a user
2223 with intermediate data or calculations.
2224 A hidden worksheet can not be activated or selected so this method is
2226 mutually exclusive with the "activate()" and "select()" methods. In
2227 addition, since the first worksheet will default to being the active
2228 worksheet, you cannot hide the first worksheet without activating
2229 another sheet:
2230 $worksheet2->activate();
2232 $worksheet1->hide();
2233 set_first_sheet()
2235 The "activate()" method determines which worksheet is initially
2236 selected. However, if there are a large number of worksheets the
2237 selected worksheet may not appear on the screen. To avoid this you can
2238 select which is the leftmost visible worksheet using
2239 "set_first_sheet()":
2240 for ( 1 .. 20 ) {
2242 $workbook->add_worksheet;
2243 }
2244 $worksheet21 = $workbook->add_worksheet();
2246 $worksheet22 = $workbook->add_worksheet();
2247 $worksheet21->set_first_sheet();
2249 $worksheet22->activate();
2250 This method is not required very often. The default value is the first
2252 worksheet.
2253 protect( $password, \%options )
2255 The "protect()" method is used to protect a worksheet from
2256 modification:
2257 $worksheet->protect();
2259 The "protect()" method also has the effect of enabling a cell's
2261 "locked" and "hidden" properties if they have been set. A locked cell
2262 cannot be edited and this property is on by default for all cells. A
2263 hidden cell will display the results of a formula but not the formula
2264 itself.
2265 See the "protection.pl" program in the examples directory of the distro
2267 for an illustrative example and the "set_locked" and "set_hidden"
2268 format methods in "CELL FORMATTING".
2269 You can optionally add a password to the worksheet protection:
2271 $worksheet->protect( 'drowssap' );
2273 Passing the empty string '' is the same as turning on protection
2275 without a password.
2276 Note, the worksheet level password in Excel provides very weak
2278 protection. It does not encrypt your data and is very easy to
2279 deactivate. Full workbook encryption is not supported by
2280 "Excel::Writer::XLSX" since it requires a completely different file
2281 format and would take several man months to implement.
2282 You can specify which worksheet elements you wish to protect by passing
2284 a hash_ref with any or all of the following keys:
2285 # Default shown.
2287 %options = (
2288 objects => 0,
2289 scenarios => 0,
2290 format_cells => 0,
2291 format_columns => 0,
2292 format_rows => 0,
2293 insert_columns => 0,
2294 insert_rows => 0,
2295 insert_hyperlinks => 0,
2296 delete_columns => 0,
2297 delete_rows => 0,
2298 select_locked_cells => 1,
2299 sort => 0,
2300 autofilter => 0,
2301 pivot_tables => 0,
2302 select_unlocked_cells => 1,
2303 );
2304 The default boolean values are shown above. Individual elements can be
2306 protected as follows:
2307 $worksheet->protect( 'drowssap', { insert_rows => 1 } );
2309 For chartsheets the allowable options and default values are:
2311 %options = (
2313 objects => 1,
2314 content => 1,
2315 );
2316 set_selection( $first_row, $first_col, $last_row, $last_col )
2318 This method can be used to specify which cell or cells are selected in
2319 a worksheet. The most common requirement is to select a single cell, in
2320 which case $last_row and $last_col can be omitted. The active cell
2321 within a selected range is determined by the order in which $first and
2322 $last are specified. It is also possible to specify a cell or a range
2323 using A1 notation. See the note about "Cell notation".
2324 Examples:
2326 $worksheet1->set_selection( 3, 3 ); # 1. Cell D4.
2328 $worksheet2->set_selection( 3, 3, 6, 6 ); # 2. Cells D4 to G7.
2329 $worksheet3->set_selection( 6, 6, 3, 3 ); # 3. Cells G7 to D4.
2330 $worksheet4->set_selection( 'D4' ); # Same as 1.
2331 $worksheet5->set_selection( 'D4:G7' ); # Same as 2.
2332 $worksheet6->set_selection( 'G7:D4' ); # Same as 3.
2333 The default cell selections is (0, 0), 'A1'.
2335 set_row( $row, $height, $format, $hidden, $level, $collapsed )
2337 This method can be used to change the default properties of a row. All
2338 parameters apart from $row are optional.
2339 The most common use for this method is to change the height of a row:
2341 $worksheet->set_row( 0, 20 ); # Row 1 height set to 20
2343 If you wish to set the format without changing the height you can pass
2345 "undef" as the height parameter:
2346 $worksheet->set_row( 0, undef, $format );
2348 The $format parameter will be applied to any cells in the row that
2350 don't have a format. For example
2351 $worksheet->set_row( 0, undef, $format1 ); # Set the format for row 1
2353 $worksheet->write( 'A1', 'Hello' ); # Defaults to $format1
2354 $worksheet->write( 'B1', 'Hello', $format2 ); # Keeps $format2
2355 If you wish to define a row format in this way you should call the
2357 method before any calls to "write()". Calling it afterwards will
2358 overwrite any format that was previously specified.
2359 The $hidden parameter should be set to 1 if you wish to hide a row.
2361 This can be used, for example, to hide intermediary steps in a
2362 complicated calculation:
2363 $worksheet->set_row( 0, 20, $format, 1 );
2365 $worksheet->set_row( 1, undef, undef, 1 );
2366 The $level parameter is used to set the outline level of the row.
2368 Outlines are described in "OUTLINES AND GROUPING IN EXCEL". Adjacent
2369 rows with the same outline level are grouped together into a single
2370 outline.
2371 The following example sets an outline level of 1 for rows 2 and 3
2373 (zero-indexed):
2374 $worksheet->set_row( 1, undef, undef, 0, 1 );
2376 $worksheet->set_row( 2, undef, undef, 0, 1 );
2377 The $hidden parameter can also be used to hide collapsed outlined rows
2379 when used in conjunction with the $level parameter.
2380 $worksheet->set_row( 1, undef, undef, 1, 1 );
2382 $worksheet->set_row( 2, undef, undef, 1, 1 );
2383 For collapsed outlines you should also indicate which row has the
2385 collapsed "+" symbol using the optional $collapsed parameter.
2386 $worksheet->set_row( 3, undef, undef, 0, 0, 1 );
2388 For a more complete example see the "outline.pl" and
2390 "outline_collapsed.pl" programs in the examples directory of the
2391 distro.
2392 Excel allows up to 7 outline levels. Therefore the $level parameter
2394 should be in the range "0 <= $level <= 7".
2395 set_column( $first_col, $last_col, $width, $format, $hidden, $level,
2397 $collapsed )
2398 This method can be used to change the default properties of a single
2399 column or a range of columns. All parameters apart from $first_col and
2400 $last_col are optional.
2401 If "set_column()" is applied to a single column the value of $first_col
2403 and $last_col should be the same. In the case where $last_col is zero
2404 it is set to the same value as $first_col.
2405 It is also possible, and generally clearer, to specify a column range
2407 using the form of A1 notation used for columns. See the note about
2408 "Cell notation".
2409 Examples:
2411 $worksheet->set_column( 0, 0, 20 ); # Column A width set to 20
2413 $worksheet->set_column( 1, 3, 30 ); # Columns B-D width set to 30
2414 $worksheet->set_column( 'E:E', 20 ); # Column E width set to 20
2415 $worksheet->set_column( 'F:H', 30 ); # Columns F-H width set to 30
2416 The width corresponds to the column width value that is specified in
2418 Excel. It is approximately equal to the length of a string in the
2419 default font of Calibri 11. Unfortunately, there is no way to specify
2420 "AutoFit" for a column in the Excel file format. This feature is only
2421 available at runtime from within Excel.
2422 As usual the $format parameter is optional, for additional information,
2424 see "CELL FORMATTING". If you wish to set the format without changing
2425 the width you can pass "undef" as the width parameter:
2426 $worksheet->set_column( 0, 0, undef, $format );
2428 The $format parameter will be applied to any cells in the column that
2430 don't have a format. For example
2431 $worksheet->set_column( 'A:A', undef, $format1 ); # Set format for col 1
2433 $worksheet->write( 'A1', 'Hello' ); # Defaults to $format1
2434 $worksheet->write( 'A2', 'Hello', $format2 ); # Keeps $format2
2435 If you wish to define a column format in this way you should call the
2437 method before any calls to "write()". If you call it afterwards it
2438 won't have any effect.
2439 A default row format takes precedence over a default column format
2441 $worksheet->set_row( 0, undef, $format1 ); # Set format for row 1
2443 $worksheet->set_column( 'A:A', undef, $format2 ); # Set format for col 1
2444 $worksheet->write( 'A1', 'Hello' ); # Defaults to $format1
2445 $worksheet->write( 'A2', 'Hello' ); # Defaults to $format2
2446 The $hidden parameter should be set to 1 if you wish to hide a column.
2448 This can be used, for example, to hide intermediary steps in a
2449 complicated calculation:
2450 $worksheet->set_column( 'D:D', 20, $format, 1 );
2452 $worksheet->set_column( 'E:E', undef, undef, 1 );
2453 The $level parameter is used to set the outline level of the column.
2455 Outlines are described in "OUTLINES AND GROUPING IN EXCEL". Adjacent
2456 columns with the same outline level are grouped together into a single
2457 outline.
2458 The following example sets an outline level of 1 for columns B to G:
2460 $worksheet->set_column( 'B:G', undef, undef, 0, 1 );
2462 The $hidden parameter can also be used to hide collapsed outlined
2464 columns when used in conjunction with the $level parameter.
2465 $worksheet->set_column( 'B:G', undef, undef, 1, 1 );
2467 For collapsed outlines you should also indicate which row has the
2469 collapsed "+" symbol using the optional $collapsed parameter.
2470 $worksheet->set_column( 'H:H', undef, undef, 0, 0, 1 );
2472 For a more complete example see the "outline.pl" and
2474 "outline_collapsed.pl" programs in the examples directory of the
2475 distro.
2476 Excel allows up to 7 outline levels. Therefore the $level parameter
2478 should be in the range "0 <= $level <= 7".
2479 set_default_row( $height, $hide_unused_rows )
2481 The "set_default_row()" method is used to set the limited number of
2482 default row properties allowed by Excel. These are the default height
2483 and the option to hide unused rows.
2484 $worksheet->set_default_row( 24 ); # Set the default row height to 24.
2486 The option to hide unused rows is used by Excel as an optimisation so
2488 that the user can hide a large number of rows without generating a very
2489 large file with an entry for each hidden row.
2490 $worksheet->set_default_row( undef, 1 );
2492 See the "hide_row_col.pl" example program.
2494 outline_settings( $visible, $symbols_below, $symbols_right, $auto_style )
2496 The "outline_settings()" method is used to control the appearance of
2497 outlines in Excel. Outlines are described in "OUTLINES AND GROUPING IN
2498 EXCEL".
2499 The $visible parameter is used to control whether or not outlines are
2501 visible. Setting this parameter to 0 will cause all outlines on the
2502 worksheet to be hidden. They can be unhidden in Excel by means of the
2503 "Show Outline Symbols" command button. The default setting is 1 for
2504 visible outlines.
2505 $worksheet->outline_settings( 0 );
2507 The $symbols_below parameter is used to control whether the row outline
2509 symbol will appear above or below the outline level bar. The default
2510 setting is 1 for symbols to appear below the outline level bar.
2511 The $symbols_right parameter is used to control whether the column
2513 outline symbol will appear to the left or the right of the outline
2514 level bar. The default setting is 1 for symbols to appear to the right
2515 of the outline level bar.
2516 The $auto_style parameter is used to control whether the automatic
2518 outline generator in Excel uses automatic styles when creating an
2519 outline. This has no effect on a file generated by
2520 "Excel::Writer::XLSX" but it does have an effect on how the worksheet
2521 behaves after it is created. The default setting is 0 for "Automatic
2522 Styles" to be turned off.
2523 The default settings for all of these parameters correspond to Excel's
2525 default parameters.
2526 The worksheet parameters controlled by "outline_settings()" are rarely
2528 used.
2529 freeze_panes( $row, $col, $top_row, $left_col )
2531 This method can be used to divide a worksheet into horizontal or
2532 vertical regions known as panes and to also "freeze" these panes so
2533 that the splitter bars are not visible. This is the same as the
2534 "Window->Freeze Panes" menu command in Excel
2535 The parameters $row and $col are used to specify the location of the
2537 split. It should be noted that the split is specified at the top or
2538 left of a cell and that the method uses zero based indexing. Therefore
2539 to freeze the first row of a worksheet it is necessary to specify the
2540 split at row 2 (which is 1 as the zero-based index). This might lead
2541 you to think that you are using a 1 based index but this is not the
2542 case.
2543 You can set one of the $row and $col parameters as zero if you do not
2545 want either a vertical or horizontal split.
2546 Examples:
2548 $worksheet->freeze_panes( 1, 0 ); # Freeze the first row
2550 $worksheet->freeze_panes( 'A2' ); # Same using A1 notation
2551 $worksheet->freeze_panes( 0, 1 ); # Freeze the first column
2552 $worksheet->freeze_panes( 'B1' ); # Same using A1 notation
2553 $worksheet->freeze_panes( 1, 2 ); # Freeze first row and first 2 columns
2554 $worksheet->freeze_panes( 'C2' ); # Same using A1 notation
2555 The parameters $top_row and $left_col are optional. They are used to
2557 specify the top-most or left-most visible row or column in the
2558 scrolling region of the panes. For example to freeze the first row and
2559 to have the scrolling region begin at row twenty:
2560 $worksheet->freeze_panes( 1, 0, 20, 0 );
2562 You cannot use A1 notation for the $top_row and $left_col parameters.
2564 See also the "panes.pl" program in the "examples" directory of the
2566 distribution.
2567 split_panes( $y, $x, $top_row, $left_col )
2569 This method can be used to divide a worksheet into horizontal or
2570 vertical regions known as panes. This method is different from the
2571 "freeze_panes()" method in that the splits between the panes will be
2572 visible to the user and each pane will have its own scroll bars.
2573 The parameters $y and $x are used to specify the vertical and
2575 horizontal position of the split. The units for $y and $x are the same
2576 as those used by Excel to specify row height and column width. However,
2577 the vertical and horizontal units are different from each other.
2578 Therefore you must specify the $y and $x parameters in terms of the row
2579 heights and column widths that you have set or the default values which
2580 are 15 for a row and 8.43 for a column.
2581 You can set one of the $y and $x parameters as zero if you do not want
2583 either a vertical or horizontal split. The parameters $top_row and
2584 $left_col are optional. They are used to specify the top-most or left-
2585 most visible row or column in the bottom-right pane.
2586 Example:
2588 $worksheet->split_panes( 15, 0, ); # First row
2590 $worksheet->split_panes( 0, 8.43 ); # First column
2591 $worksheet->split_panes( 15, 8.43 ); # First row and column
2592 You cannot use A1 notation with this method.
2594 See also the "freeze_panes()" method and the "panes.pl" program in the
2596 "examples" directory of the distribution.
2597 merge_range( $first_row, $first_col, $last_row, $last_col, $token, $format
2599 )
2600 The "merge_range()" method allows you to merge cells that contain other
2601 types of alignment in addition to the merging:
2602 my $format = $workbook->add_format(
2604 border => 6,
2605 valign => 'vcenter',
2606 align => 'center',
2607 );
2608 $worksheet->merge_range( 'B3:D4', 'Vertical and horizontal', $format );
2610 "merge_range()" writes its $token argument using the worksheet
2612 "write()" method. Therefore it will handle numbers, strings, formulas
2613 or urls as required. If you need to specify the required "write_*()"
2614 method use the "merge_range_type()" method, see below.
2615 The full possibilities of this method are shown in the "merge3.pl" to
2617 "merge6.pl" programs in the "examples" directory of the distribution.
2618 merge_range_type( $type, $first_row, $first_col, $last_row, $last_col, ...
2620 )
2621 The "merge_range()" method, see above, uses "write()" to insert the
2622 required data into to a merged range. However, there may be times where
2623 this isn't what you require so as an alternative the "merge_range_type
2624 ()" method allows you to specify the type of data you wish to write.
2625 For example:
2626 $worksheet->merge_range_type( 'number', 'B2:C2', 123, $format1 );
2628 $worksheet->merge_range_type( 'string', 'B4:C4', 'foo', $format2 );
2629 $worksheet->merge_range_type( 'formula', 'B6:C6', '=1+2', $format3 );
2630 The $type must be one of the following, which corresponds to a
2632 "write_*()" method:
2633 'number'
2635 'string'
2636 'formula'
2637 'array_formula'
2638 'blank'
2639 'rich_string'
2640 'date_time'
2641 'url'
2642 Any arguments after the range should be whatever the appropriate method
2644 accepts:
2645 $worksheet->merge_range_type( 'rich_string', 'B8:C8',
2647 'This is ', $bold, 'bold', $format4 );
2648 Note, you must always pass a $format object as an argument, even if it
2650 is a default format.
2651 set_zoom( $scale )
2653 Set the worksheet zoom factor in the range "10 <= $scale <= 400":
2654 $worksheet1->set_zoom( 50 );
2656 $worksheet2->set_zoom( 75 );
2657 $worksheet3->set_zoom( 300 );
2658 $worksheet4->set_zoom( 400 );
2659 The default zoom factor is 100. You cannot zoom to "Selection" because
2661 it is calculated by Excel at run-time.
2662 Note, "set_zoom()" does not affect the scale of the printed page. For
2664 that you should use "set_print_scale()".
2665 right_to_left()
2667 The "right_to_left()" method is used to change the default direction of
2668 the worksheet from left-to-right, with the A1 cell in the top left, to
2669 right-to-left, with the A1 cell in the top right.
2670 $worksheet->right_to_left();
2672 This is useful when creating Arabic, Hebrew or other near or far
2674 eastern worksheets that use right-to-left as the default direction.
2675 hide_zero()
2677 The "hide_zero()" method is used to hide any zero values that appear in
2678 cells.
2679 $worksheet->hide_zero();
2681 In Excel this option is found under Tools->Options->View.
2683 set_tab_color()
2685 The "set_tab_color()" method is used to change the colour of the
2686 worksheet tab. You can use one of the standard colour names provided by
2687 the Format object or a Html style "#RRGGBB" colour. See "WORKING WITH
2688 COLOURS".
2689 $worksheet1->set_tab_color( 'red' );
2691 $worksheet2->set_tab_color( '#FF6600' );
2692 See the "tab_colors.pl" program in the examples directory of the
2694 distro.
2695 autofilter( $first_row, $first_col, $last_row, $last_col )
2697 This method allows an autofilter to be added to a worksheet. An
2698 autofilter is a way of adding drop down lists to the headers of a 2D
2699 range of worksheet data. This allows users to filter the data based on
2700 simple criteria so that some data is shown and some is hidden.
2701 To add an autofilter to a worksheet:
2703 $worksheet->autofilter( 0, 0, 10, 3 );
2705 $worksheet->autofilter( 'A1:D11' ); # Same as above in A1 notation.
2706 Filter conditions can be applied using the "filter_column()" or
2708 "filter_column_list()" method.
2709 See the "autofilter.pl" program in the examples directory of the distro
2711 for a more detailed example.
2712 filter_column( $column, $expression )
2714 The "filter_column" method can be used to filter columns in a
2715 autofilter range based on simple conditions.
2716 NOTE: It isn't sufficient to just specify the filter condition. You
2718 must also hide any rows that don't match the filter condition. Rows are
2719 hidden using the "set_row()" "visible" parameter. "Excel::Writer::XLSX"
2720 cannot do this automatically since it isn't part of the file format.
2721 See the "autofilter.pl" program in the examples directory of the distro
2722 for an example.
2723 The conditions for the filter are specified using simple expressions:
2725 $worksheet->filter_column( 'A', 'x > 2000' );
2727 $worksheet->filter_column( 'B', 'x > 2000 and x < 5000' );
2728 The $column parameter can either be a zero indexed column number or a
2730 string column name.
2731 The following operators are available:
2733 Operator Synonyms
2735 == = eq =~
2736 != <> ne !=
2737 >
2738 <
2739 >=
2740 <=
2741 and &&
2743 or ||
2744 The operator synonyms are just syntactic sugar to make you more
2746 comfortable using the expressions. It is important to remember that the
2747 expressions will be interpreted by Excel and not by perl.
2748 An expression can comprise a single statement or two statements
2750 separated by the "and" and "or" operators. For example:
2751 'x < 2000'
2753 'x > 2000'
2754 'x == 2000'
2755 'x > 2000 and x < 5000'
2756 'x == 2000 or x == 5000'
2757 Filtering of blank or non-blank data can be achieved by using a value
2759 of "Blanks" or "NonBlanks" in the expression:
2760 'x == Blanks'
2762 'x == NonBlanks'
2763 Excel also allows some simple string matching operations:
2765 'x =~ b*' # begins with b
2767 'x !~ b*' # doesn't begin with b
2768 'x =~ *b' # ends with b
2769 'x !~ *b' # doesn't end with b
2770 'x =~ *b*' # contains b
2771 'x !~ *b*' # doesn't contains b
2772 You can also use "*" to match any character or number and "?" to match
2774 any single character or number. No other regular expression quantifier
2775 is supported by Excel's filters. Excel's regular expression characters
2776 can be escaped using "~".
2777 The placeholder variable "x" in the above examples can be replaced by
2779 any simple string. The actual placeholder name is ignored internally so
2780 the following are all equivalent:
2781 'x < 2000'
2783 'col < 2000'
2784 'Price < 2000'
2785 Also, note that a filter condition can only be applied to a column in a
2787 range specified by the "autofilter()" Worksheet method.
2788 See the "autofilter.pl" program in the examples directory of the distro
2790 for a more detailed example.
2791 Note Spreadsheet::WriteExcel supports Top 10 style filters. These
2793 aren't currently supported by Excel::Writer::XLSX but may be added
2794 later.
2795 filter_column_list( $column, @matches )
2797 Prior to Excel 2007 it was only possible to have either 1 or 2 filter
2798 conditions such as the ones shown above in the "filter_column" method.
2799 Excel 2007 introduced a new list style filter where it is possible to
2801 specify 1 or more 'or' style criteria. For example if your column
2802 contained data for the first six months the initial data would be
2803 displayed as all selected as shown on the left. Then if you selected
2804 'March', 'April' and 'May' they would be displayed as shown on the
2805 right.
2806 No criteria selected Some criteria selected.
2808 [/] (Select all) [X] (Select all)
2810 [/] January [ ] January
2811 [/] February [ ] February
2812 [/] March [/] March
2813 [/] April [/] April
2814 [/] May [/] May
2815 [/] June [ ] June
2816 The "filter_column_list()" method can be used to represent these types
2818 of filters:
2819 $worksheet->filter_column_list( 'A', 'March', 'April', 'May' );
2821 The $column parameter can either be a zero indexed column number or a
2823 string column name.
2824 One or more criteria can be selected:
2826 $worksheet->filter_column_list( 0, 'March' );
2828 $worksheet->filter_column_list( 1, 100, 110, 120, 130 );
2829 NOTE: It isn't sufficient to just specify the filter condition. You
2831 must also hide any rows that don't match the filter condition. Rows are
2832 hidden using the "set_row()" "visible" parameter. "Excel::Writer::XLSX"
2833 cannot do this automatically since it isn't part of the file format.
2834 See the "autofilter.pl" program in the examples directory of the distro
2835 for an example.
2836 convert_date_time( $date_string )
2838 The "convert_date_time()" method is used internally by the
2839 "write_date_time()" method to convert date strings to a number that
2840 represents an Excel date and time.
2841 It is exposed as a public method for utility purposes.
2843 The $date_string format is detailed in the "write_date_time()" method.
2845 Worksheet set_vba_name()
2847 The Worksheet "set_vba_name()" method can be used to set the VBA
2848 codename for the worksheet (there is a similar method for the workbook
2849 VBA name). This is sometimes required when a "vbaProject" macro
2850 included via "add_vba_project()" refers to the worksheet. The default
2851 Excel VBA name of "Sheet1", etc., is used if a user defined name isn't
2852 specified.
2853 See also "WORKING WITH VBA MACROS".
2855
2857 Page set-up methods affect the way that a worksheet looks when it is
2858 printed. They control features such as page headers and footers and
2859 margins. These methods are really just standard worksheet methods. They
2860 are documented here in a separate section for the sake of clarity.
2861 The following methods are available for page set-up:
2863 set_landscape()
2865 set_portrait()
2866 set_page_view()
2867 set_paper()
2868 center_horizontally()
2869 center_vertically()
2870 set_margins()
2871 set_header()
2872 set_footer()
2873 repeat_rows()
2874 repeat_columns()
2875 hide_gridlines()
2876 print_row_col_headers()
2877 print_area()
2878 print_across()
2879 fit_to_pages()
2880 set_start_page()
2881 set_print_scale()
2882 print_black_and_white()
2883 set_h_pagebreaks()
2884 set_v_pagebreaks()
2885 A common requirement when working with Excel::Writer::XLSX is to apply
2887 the same page set-up features to all of the worksheets in a workbook.
2888 To do this you can use the "sheets()" method of the "workbook" class to
2889 access the array of worksheets in a workbook:
2890 for $worksheet ( $workbook->sheets() ) {
2892 $worksheet->set_landscape();
2893 }
2894 set_landscape()
2896 This method is used to set the orientation of a worksheet's printed
2897 page to landscape:
2898 $worksheet->set_landscape(); # Landscape mode
2900 set_portrait()
2902 This method is used to set the orientation of a worksheet's printed
2903 page to portrait. The default worksheet orientation is portrait, so you
2904 won't generally need to call this method.
2905 $worksheet->set_portrait(); # Portrait mode
2907 set_page_view()
2909 This method is used to display the worksheet in "Page View/Layout"
2910 mode.
2911 $worksheet->set_page_view();
2913 set_paper( $index )
2915 This method is used to set the paper format for the printed output of a
2916 worksheet. The following paper styles are available:
2917 Index Paper format Paper size
2919 ===== ============ ==========
2920 0 Printer default -
2921 1 Letter 8 1/2 x 11 in
2922 2 Letter Small 8 1/2 x 11 in
2923 3 Tabloid 11 x 17 in
2924 4 Ledger 17 x 11 in
2925 5 Legal 8 1/2 x 14 in
2926 6 Statement 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in
2927 7 Executive 7 1/4 x 10 1/2 in
2928 8 A3 297 x 420 mm
2929 9 A4 210 x 297 mm
2930 10 A4 Small 210 x 297 mm
2931 11 A5 148 x 210 mm
2932 12 B4 250 x 354 mm
2933 13 B5 182 x 257 mm
2934 14 Folio 8 1/2 x 13 in
2935 15 Quarto 215 x 275 mm
2936 16 - 10x14 in
2937 17 - 11x17 in
2938 18 Note 8 1/2 x 11 in
2939 19 Envelope 9 3 7/8 x 8 7/8
2940 20 Envelope 10 4 1/8 x 9 1/2
2941 21 Envelope 11 4 1/2 x 10 3/8
2942 22 Envelope 12 4 3/4 x 11
2943 23 Envelope 14 5 x 11 1/2
2944 24 C size sheet -
2945 25 D size sheet -
2946 26 E size sheet -
2947 27 Envelope DL 110 x 220 mm
2948 28 Envelope C3 324 x 458 mm
2949 29 Envelope C4 229 x 324 mm
2950 30 Envelope C5 162 x 229 mm
2951 31 Envelope C6 114 x 162 mm
2952 32 Envelope C65 114 x 229 mm
2953 33 Envelope B4 250 x 353 mm
2954 34 Envelope B5 176 x 250 mm
2955 35 Envelope B6 176 x 125 mm
2956 36 Envelope 110 x 230 mm
2957 37 Monarch 3.875 x 7.5 in
2958 38 Envelope 3 5/8 x 6 1/2 in
2959 39 Fanfold 14 7/8 x 11 in
2960 40 German Std Fanfold 8 1/2 x 12 in
2961 41 German Legal Fanfold 8 1/2 x 13 in
2962 Note, it is likely that not all of these paper types will be available
2964 to the end user since it will depend on the paper formats that the
2965 user's printer supports. Therefore, it is best to stick to standard
2966 paper types.
2967 $worksheet->set_paper( 1 ); # US Letter
2969 $worksheet->set_paper( 9 ); # A4
2970 If you do not specify a paper type the worksheet will print using the
2972 printer's default paper.
2973 center_horizontally()
2975 Center the worksheet data horizontally between the margins on the
2976 printed page:
2977 $worksheet->center_horizontally();
2979 center_vertically()
2981 Center the worksheet data vertically between the margins on the printed
2982 page:
2983 $worksheet->center_vertically();
2985 set_margins( $inches )
2987 There are several methods available for setting the worksheet margins
2988 on the printed page:
2989 set_margins() # Set all margins to the same value
2991 set_margins_LR() # Set left and right margins to the same value
2992 set_margins_TB() # Set top and bottom margins to the same value
2993 set_margin_left(); # Set left margin
2994 set_margin_right(); # Set right margin
2995 set_margin_top(); # Set top margin
2996 set_margin_bottom(); # Set bottom margin
2997 All of these methods take a distance in inches as a parameter. Note: 1
2999 inch = 25.4mm. ";-)" The default left and right margin is 0.7 inch. The
3000 default top and bottom margin is 0.75 inch. Note, these defaults are
3001 different from the defaults used in the binary file format by
3002 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
3003 set_header( $string, $margin )
3005 Headers and footers are generated using a $string which is a
3006 combination of plain text and control characters. The $margin parameter
3007 is optional.
3008 The available control character are:
3010 Control Category Description
3012 ======= ======== ===========
3013 &L Justification Left
3014 &C Center
3015 &R Right
3016 &P Information Page number
3018 &N Total number of pages
3019 &D Date
3020 &T Time
3021 &F File name
3022 &A Worksheet name
3023 &Z Workbook path
3024 &fontsize Font Font size
3026 &"font,style" Font name and style
3027 &U Single underline
3028 &E Double underline
3029 &S Strikethrough
3030 &X Superscript
3031 &Y Subscript
3032 &[Picture] Images Image placeholder
3034 &G Same as &[Picture]
3035 && Miscellaneous Literal ampersand &
3037 Text in headers and footers can be justified (aligned) to the left,
3039 center and right by prefixing the text with the control characters &L,
3040 &C and &R.
3041 For example (with ASCII art representation of the results):
3043 $worksheet->set_header('&LHello');
3045 ---------------------------------------------------------------
3047 | |
3048 | Hello |
3049 | |
3050 $worksheet->set_header('&CHello');
3053 ---------------------------------------------------------------
3055 | |
3056 | Hello |
3057 | |
3058 $worksheet->set_header('&RHello');
3061 ---------------------------------------------------------------
3063 | |
3064 | Hello |
3065 | |
3066 For simple text, if you do not specify any justification the text will
3068 be centred. However, you must prefix the text with &C if you specify a
3069 font name or any other formatting:
3070 $worksheet->set_header('Hello');
3072 ---------------------------------------------------------------
3074 | |
3075 | Hello |
3076 | |
3077 You can have text in each of the justification regions:
3079 $worksheet->set_header('&LCiao&CBello&RCielo');
3081 ---------------------------------------------------------------
3083 | |
3084 | Ciao Bello Cielo |
3085 | |
3086 The information control characters act as variables that Excel will
3088 update as the workbook or worksheet changes. Times and dates are in the
3089 users default format:
3090 $worksheet->set_header('&CPage &P of &N');
3092 ---------------------------------------------------------------
3094 | |
3095 | Page 1 of 6 |
3096 | |
3097 $worksheet->set_header('&CUpdated at &T');
3100 ---------------------------------------------------------------
3102 | |
3103 | Updated at 12:30 PM |
3104 | |
3105 Images can be inserted using the options shown below. Each image must
3107 have a placeholder in header string using the "&[Picture]" or &G
3108 control characters:
3109 $worksheet->set_header( '&L&G', 0.3, { image_left => 'logo.jpg' });
3111 You can specify the font size of a section of the text by prefixing it
3113 with the control character &n where "n" is the font size:
3114 $worksheet1->set_header( '&C&30Hello Big' );
3116 $worksheet2->set_header( '&C&10Hello Small' );
3117 You can specify the font of a section of the text by prefixing it with
3119 the control sequence "&"font,style"" where "fontname" is a font name
3120 such as "Courier New" or "Times New Roman" and "style" is one of the
3121 standard Windows font descriptions: "Regular", "Italic", "Bold" or
3122 "Bold Italic":
3123 $worksheet1->set_header( '&C&"Courier New,Italic"Hello' );
3125 $worksheet2->set_header( '&C&"Courier New,Bold Italic"Hello' );
3126 $worksheet3->set_header( '&C&"Times New Roman,Regular"Hello' );
3127 It is possible to combine all of these features together to create
3129 sophisticated headers and footers. As an aid to setting up complicated
3130 headers and footers you can record a page set-up as a macro in Excel
3131 and look at the format strings that VBA produces. Remember however that
3132 VBA uses two double quotes "" to indicate a single double quote. For
3133 the last example above the equivalent VBA code looks like this:
3134 .LeftHeader = ""
3136 .CenterHeader = "&""Times New Roman,Regular""Hello"
3137 .RightHeader = ""
3138 To include a single literal ampersand "&" in a header or footer you
3140 should use a double ampersand "&&":
3141 $worksheet1->set_header('&CCuriouser && Curiouser - Attorneys at Law');
3143 As stated above the margin parameter is optional. As with the other
3145 margins the value should be in inches. The default header and footer
3146 margin is 0.3 inch. Note, the default margin is different from the
3147 default used in the binary file format by Spreadsheet::WriteExcel. The
3148 header and footer margin size can be set as follows:
3149 $worksheet->set_header( '&CHello', 0.75 );
3151 The header and footer margins are independent of the top and bottom
3153 margins.
3154 The available options are:
3156 · "image_left" The path to the image. Requires a &G or "&[Picture]"
3158 placeholder.
3159 · "image_center" Same as above.
3161 · "image_right" Same as above.
3163 · "scale_with_doc" Scale header with document. Defaults to true.
3165 · "align_with_margins" Align header to margins. Defaults to true.
3167 The image options must have an accompanying "&[Picture]" or &G control
3169 character in the header string:
3170 $worksheet->set_header(
3172 '&L&[Picture]&C&[Picture]&R&[Picture]',
3173 undef, # If you don't want to change the margin.
3174 {
3175 image_left => 'red.jpg',
3176 image_center => 'blue.jpg',
3177 image_right => 'yellow.jpg'
3178 }
3179 );
3180 Note, the header or footer string must be less than 255 characters.
3182 Strings longer than this will not be written and a warning will be
3183 generated.
3184 The "set_header()" method can also handle Unicode strings in "UTF-8"
3186 format.
3187 $worksheet->set_header( "&C\x{263a}" )
3189 See, also the "headers.pl" program in the "examples" directory of the
3191 distribution.
3192 set_footer( $string, $margin )
3194 The syntax of the "set_footer()" method is the same as "set_header()",
3195 see above.
3196 repeat_rows( $first_row, $last_row )
3198 Set the number of rows to repeat at the top of each printed page.
3199 For large Excel documents it is often desirable to have the first row
3201 or rows of the worksheet print out at the top of each page. This can be
3202 achieved by using the "repeat_rows()" method. The parameters $first_row
3203 and $last_row are zero based. The $last_row parameter is optional if
3204 you only wish to specify one row:
3205 $worksheet1->repeat_rows( 0 ); # Repeat the first row
3207 $worksheet2->repeat_rows( 0, 1 ); # Repeat the first two rows
3208 repeat_columns( $first_col, $last_col )
3210 Set the columns to repeat at the left hand side of each printed page.
3211 For large Excel documents it is often desirable to have the first
3213 column or columns of the worksheet print out at the left hand side of
3214 each page. This can be achieved by using the "repeat_columns()" method.
3215 The parameters $first_column and $last_column are zero based. The
3216 $last_column parameter is optional if you only wish to specify one
3217 column. You can also specify the columns using A1 column notation, see
3218 the note about "Cell notation".
3219 $worksheet1->repeat_columns( 0 ); # Repeat the first column
3221 $worksheet2->repeat_columns( 0, 1 ); # Repeat the first two columns
3222 $worksheet3->repeat_columns( 'A:A' ); # Repeat the first column
3223 $worksheet4->repeat_columns( 'A:B' ); # Repeat the first two columns
3224 hide_gridlines( $option )
3226 This method is used to hide the gridlines on the screen and printed
3227 page. Gridlines are the lines that divide the cells on a worksheet.
3228 Screen and printed gridlines are turned on by default in an Excel
3229 worksheet. If you have defined your own cell borders you may wish to
3230 hide the default gridlines.
3231 $worksheet->hide_gridlines();
3233 The following values of $option are valid:
3235 0 : Don't hide gridlines
3237 1 : Hide printed gridlines only
3238 2 : Hide screen and printed gridlines
3239 If you don't supply an argument or use "undef" the default option is 1,
3241 i.e. only the printed gridlines are hidden.
3242 print_row_col_headers()
3244 Set the option to print the row and column headers on the printed page.
3245 An Excel worksheet looks something like the following;
3247 ------------------------------------------
3249 | | A | B | C | D | ...
3250 ------------------------------------------
3251 | 1 | | | | | ...
3252 | 2 | | | | | ...
3253 | 3 | | | | | ...
3254 | 4 | | | | | ...
3255 |...| ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
3256 The headers are the letters and numbers at the top and the left of the
3258 worksheet. Since these headers serve mainly as a indication of position
3259 on the worksheet they generally do not appear on the printed page. If
3260 you wish to have them printed you can use the "print_row_col_headers()"
3261 method:
3262 $worksheet->print_row_col_headers();
3264 Do not confuse these headers with page headers as described in the
3266 "set_header()" section above.
3267 hide_row_col_headers()
3269 Similar to "print_row_col_headers()" above but set the option to hide
3270 the row and column headers within Excel so that they aren't visible to
3271 the user:
3272 $worksheet->hide_row_col_headers();
3274 print_area( $first_row, $first_col, $last_row, $last_col )
3276 This method is used to specify the area of the worksheet that will be
3277 printed. All four parameters must be specified. You can also use A1
3278 notation, see the note about "Cell notation".
3279 $worksheet1->print_area( 'A1:H20' ); # Cells A1 to H20
3281 $worksheet2->print_area( 0, 0, 19, 7 ); # The same
3282 $worksheet2->print_area( 'A:H' ); # Columns A to H if rows have data
3283 print_across()
3285 The "print_across" method is used to change the default print
3286 direction. This is referred to by Excel as the sheet "page order".
3287 $worksheet->print_across();
3289 The default page order is shown below for a worksheet that extends over
3291 4 pages. The order is called "down then across":
3292 [1] [3]
3294 [2] [4]
3295 However, by using the "print_across" method the print order will be
3297 changed to "across then down":
3298 [1] [2]
3300 [3] [4]
3301 fit_to_pages( $width, $height )
3303 The "fit_to_pages()" method is used to fit the printed area to a
3304 specific number of pages both vertically and horizontally. If the
3305 printed area exceeds the specified number of pages it will be scaled
3306 down to fit. This guarantees that the printed area will always appear
3307 on the specified number of pages even if the page size or margins
3308 change.
3309 $worksheet1->fit_to_pages( 1, 1 ); # Fit to 1x1 pages
3311 $worksheet2->fit_to_pages( 2, 1 ); # Fit to 2x1 pages
3312 $worksheet3->fit_to_pages( 1, 2 ); # Fit to 1x2 pages
3313 The print area can be defined using the "print_area()" method as
3315 described above.
3316 A common requirement is to fit the printed output to n pages wide but
3318 have the height be as long as necessary. To achieve this set the
3319 $height to zero:
3320 $worksheet1->fit_to_pages( 1, 0 ); # 1 page wide and as long as necessary
3322 Note that although it is valid to use both "fit_to_pages()" and
3324 "set_print_scale()" on the same worksheet only one of these options can
3325 be active at a time. The last method call made will set the active
3326 option.
3327 Note that "fit_to_pages()" will override any manual page breaks that
3329 are defined in the worksheet.
3330 Note: When using "fit_to_pages()" it may also be required to set the
3332 printer paper size using "set_paper()" or else Excel will default to
3333 "US Letter".
3334 set_start_page( $start_page )
3336 The "set_start_page()" method is used to set the number of the starting
3337 page when the worksheet is printed out. The default value is 1.
3338 $worksheet->set_start_page( 2 );
3340 set_print_scale( $scale )
3342 Set the scale factor of the printed page. Scale factors in the range
3343 "10 <= $scale <= 400" are valid:
3344 $worksheet1->set_print_scale( 50 );
3346 $worksheet2->set_print_scale( 75 );
3347 $worksheet3->set_print_scale( 300 );
3348 $worksheet4->set_print_scale( 400 );
3349 The default scale factor is 100. Note, "set_print_scale()" does not
3351 affect the scale of the visible page in Excel. For that you should use
3352 "set_zoom()".
3353 Note also that although it is valid to use both "fit_to_pages()" and
3355 "set_print_scale()" on the same worksheet only one of these options can
3356 be active at a time. The last method call made will set the active
3357 option.
3358 print_black_and_white()
3360 Set the option to print the worksheet in black and white:
3361 $worksheet->print_black_and_white();
3363 set_h_pagebreaks( @breaks )
3365 Add horizontal page breaks to a worksheet. A page break causes all the
3366 data that follows it to be printed on the next page. Horizontal page
3367 breaks act between rows. To create a page break between rows 20 and 21
3368 you must specify the break at row 21. However in zero index notation
3369 this is actually row 20. So you can pretend for a small while that you
3370 are using 1 index notation:
3371 $worksheet1->set_h_pagebreaks( 20 ); # Break between row 20 and 21
3373 The "set_h_pagebreaks()" method will accept a list of page breaks and
3375 you can call it more than once:
3376 $worksheet2->set_h_pagebreaks( 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 ); # Add breaks
3378 $worksheet2->set_h_pagebreaks( 120, 140, 160, 180, 200 ); # Add some more
3379 Note: If you specify the "fit to page" option via the "fit_to_pages()"
3381 method it will override all manual page breaks.
3382 There is a silent limitation of about 1000 horizontal page breaks per
3384 worksheet in line with an Excel internal limitation.
3385 set_v_pagebreaks( @breaks )
3387 Add vertical page breaks to a worksheet. A page break causes all the
3388 data that follows it to be printed on the next page. Vertical page
3389 breaks act between columns. To create a page break between columns 20
3390 and 21 you must specify the break at column 21. However in zero index
3391 notation this is actually column 20. So you can pretend for a small
3392 while that you are using 1 index notation:
3393 $worksheet1->set_v_pagebreaks(20); # Break between column 20 and 21
3395 The "set_v_pagebreaks()" method will accept a list of page breaks and
3397 you can call it more than once:
3398 $worksheet2->set_v_pagebreaks( 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 ); # Add breaks
3400 $worksheet2->set_v_pagebreaks( 120, 140, 160, 180, 200 ); # Add some more
3401 Note: If you specify the "fit to page" option via the "fit_to_pages()"
3403 method it will override all manual page breaks.
3404
3406 This section describes the methods and properties that are available
3407 for formatting cells in Excel. The properties of a cell that can be
3408 formatted include: fonts, colours, patterns, borders, alignment and
3409 number formatting.
3410 Creating and using a Format object
3412 Cell formatting is defined through a Format object. Format objects are
3413 created by calling the workbook "add_format()" method as follows:
3414 my $format1 = $workbook->add_format(); # Set properties later
3416 my $format2 = $workbook->add_format( %props ); # Set at creation
3417 The format object holds all the formatting properties that can be
3419 applied to a cell, a row or a column. The process of setting these
3420 properties is discussed in the next section.
3421 Once a Format object has been constructed and its properties have been
3423 set it can be passed as an argument to the worksheet "write" methods as
3424 follows:
3425 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'One', $format );
3427 $worksheet->write_string( 1, 0, 'Two', $format );
3428 $worksheet->write_number( 2, 0, 3, $format );
3429 $worksheet->write_blank( 3, 0, $format );
3430 Formats can also be passed to the worksheet "set_row()" and
3432 "set_column()" methods to define the default property for a row or
3433 column.
3434 $worksheet->set_row( 0, 15, $format );
3436 $worksheet->set_column( 0, 0, 15, $format );
3437 Format methods and Format properties
3439 The following table shows the Excel format categories, the formatting
3440 properties that can be applied and the equivalent object method:
3441 Category Description Property Method Name
3443 -------- ----------- -------- -----------
3444 Font Font type font set_font()
3445 Font size size set_size()
3446 Font color color set_color()
3447 Bold bold set_bold()
3448 Italic italic set_italic()
3449 Underline underline set_underline()
3450 Strikeout font_strikeout set_font_strikeout()
3451 Super/Subscript font_script set_font_script()
3452 Outline font_outline set_font_outline()
3453 Shadow font_shadow set_font_shadow()
3454 Number Numeric format num_format set_num_format()
3456 Protection Lock cells locked set_locked()
3458 Hide formulas hidden set_hidden()
3459 Alignment Horizontal align align set_align()
3461 Vertical align valign set_align()
3462 Rotation rotation set_rotation()
3463 Text wrap text_wrap set_text_wrap()
3464 Justify last text_justlast set_text_justlast()
3465 Center across center_across set_center_across()
3466 Indentation indent set_indent()
3467 Shrink to fit shrink set_shrink()
3468 Pattern Cell pattern pattern set_pattern()
3470 Background color bg_color set_bg_color()
3471 Foreground color fg_color set_fg_color()
3472 Border Cell border border set_border()
3474 Bottom border bottom set_bottom()
3475 Top border top set_top()
3476 Left border left set_left()
3477 Right border right set_right()
3478 Border color border_color set_border_color()
3479 Bottom color bottom_color set_bottom_color()
3480 Top color top_color set_top_color()
3481 Left color left_color set_left_color()
3482 Right color right_color set_right_color()
3483 Diagonal type diag_type set_diag_type()
3484 Diagonal border diag_border set_diag_border()
3485 Diagonal color diag_color set_diag_color()
3486 There are two ways of setting Format properties: by using the object
3488 method interface or by setting the property directly. For example, a
3489 typical use of the method interface would be as follows:
3490 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
3492 $format->set_bold();
3493 $format->set_color( 'red' );
3494 By comparison the properties can be set directly by passing a hash of
3496 properties to the Format constructor:
3497 my $format = $workbook->add_format( bold => 1, color => 'red' );
3499 or after the Format has been constructed by means of the
3501 "set_format_properties()" method as follows:
3502 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
3504 $format->set_format_properties( bold => 1, color => 'red' );
3505 You can also store the properties in one or more named hashes and pass
3507 them to the required method:
3508 my %font = (
3510 font => 'Calibri',
3511 size => 12,
3512 color => 'blue',
3513 bold => 1,
3514 );
3515 my %shading = (
3517 bg_color => 'green',
3518 pattern => 1,
3519 );
3520 my $format1 = $workbook->add_format( %font ); # Font only
3523 my $format2 = $workbook->add_format( %font, %shading ); # Font and shading
3524 The provision of two ways of setting properties might lead you to
3526 wonder which is the best way. The method mechanism may be better if you
3527 prefer setting properties via method calls (which the author did when
3528 the code was first written) otherwise passing properties to the
3529 constructor has proved to be a little more flexible and self
3530 documenting in practice. An additional advantage of working with
3531 property hashes is that it allows you to share formatting between
3532 workbook objects as shown in the example above.
3533 The Perl/Tk style of adding properties is also supported:
3535 my %font = (
3537 -font => 'Calibri',
3538 -size => 12,
3539 -color => 'blue',
3540 -bold => 1,
3541 );
3542 Working with formats
3544 The default format is Calibri 11 with all other properties off.
3545 Each unique format in Excel::Writer::XLSX must have a corresponding
3547 Format object. It isn't possible to use a Format with a write() method
3548 and then redefine the Format for use at a later stage. This is because
3549 a Format is applied to a cell not in its current state but in its final
3550 state. Consider the following example:
3551 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
3553 $format->set_bold();
3554 $format->set_color( 'red' );
3555 $worksheet->write( 'A1', 'Cell A1', $format );
3556 $format->set_color( 'green' );
3557 $worksheet->write( 'B1', 'Cell B1', $format );
3558 Cell A1 is assigned the Format $format which is initially set to the
3560 colour red. However, the colour is subsequently set to green. When
3561 Excel displays Cell A1 it will display the final state of the Format
3562 which in this case will be the colour green.
3563 In general a method call without an argument will turn a property on,
3565 for example:
3566 my $format1 = $workbook->add_format();
3568 $format1->set_bold(); # Turns bold on
3569 $format1->set_bold( 1 ); # Also turns bold on
3570 $format1->set_bold( 0 ); # Turns bold off
3571
3573 The Format object methods are described in more detail in the following
3574 sections. In addition, there is a Perl program called "formats.pl" in
3575 the "examples" directory of the WriteExcel distribution. This program
3576 creates an Excel workbook called "formats.xlsx" which contains examples
3577 of almost all the format types.
3578 The following Format methods are available:
3580 set_font()
3582 set_size()
3583 set_color()
3584 set_bold()
3585 set_italic()
3586 set_underline()
3587 set_font_strikeout()
3588 set_font_script()
3589 set_font_outline()
3590 set_font_shadow()
3591 set_num_format()
3592 set_locked()
3593 set_hidden()
3594 set_align()
3595 set_rotation()
3596 set_text_wrap()
3597 set_text_justlast()
3598 set_center_across()
3599 set_indent()
3600 set_shrink()
3601 set_pattern()
3602 set_bg_color()
3603 set_fg_color()
3604 set_border()
3605 set_bottom()
3606 set_top()
3607 set_left()
3608 set_right()
3609 set_border_color()
3610 set_bottom_color()
3611 set_top_color()
3612 set_left_color()
3613 set_right_color()
3614 set_diag_type()
3615 set_diag_border()
3616 set_diag_color()
3617 The above methods can also be applied directly as properties. For
3619 example "$format->set_bold()" is equivalent to
3620 "$workbook->add_format(bold => 1)".
3621 set_format_properties( %properties )
3623 The properties of an existing Format object can be also be set by means
3624 of "set_format_properties()":
3625 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
3627 $format->set_format_properties( bold => 1, color => 'red' );
3628 However, this method is here mainly for legacy reasons. It is
3630 preferable to set the properties in the format constructor:
3631 my $format = $workbook->add_format( bold => 1, color => 'red' );
3633 set_font( $fontname )
3635 Default state: Font is Calibri
3636 Default action: None
3637 Valid args: Any valid font name
3638 Specify the font used:
3640 $format->set_font('Times New Roman');
3642 Excel can only display fonts that are installed on the system that it
3644 is running on. Therefore it is best to use the fonts that come as
3645 standard such as 'Calibri', 'Times New Roman' and 'Courier New'. See
3646 also the Fonts worksheet created by formats.pl
3647 set_size()
3649 Default state: Font size is 10
3650 Default action: Set font size to 1
3651 Valid args: Integer values from 1 to as big as your screen.
3652 Set the font size. Excel adjusts the height of a row to accommodate the
3654 largest font size in the row. You can also explicitly specify the
3655 height of a row using the set_row() worksheet method.
3656 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
3658 $format->set_size( 30 );
3659 set_color()
3661 Default state: Excels default color, usually black
3662 Default action: Set the default color
3663 Valid args: Integers from 8..63 or the following strings:
3664 'black'
3665 'blue'
3666 'brown'
3667 'cyan'
3668 'gray'
3669 'green'
3670 'lime'
3671 'magenta'
3672 'navy'
3673 'orange'
3674 'pink'
3675 'purple'
3676 'red'
3677 'silver'
3678 'white'
3679 'yellow'
3680 Set the font colour. The "set_color()" method is used as follows:
3682 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
3684 $format->set_color( 'red' );
3685 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'wheelbarrow', $format );
3686 Note: The "set_color()" method is used to set the colour of the font in
3688 a cell. To set the colour of a cell use the "set_bg_color()" and
3689 "set_pattern()" methods.
3690 For additional examples see the 'Named colors' and 'Standard colors'
3692 worksheets created by formats.pl in the examples directory.
3693 See also "WORKING WITH COLOURS".
3695 set_bold()
3697 Default state: bold is off
3698 Default action: Turn bold on
3699 Valid args: 0, 1
3700 Set the bold property of the font:
3702 $format->set_bold(); # Turn bold on
3704 set_italic()
3706 Default state: Italic is off
3707 Default action: Turn italic on
3708 Valid args: 0, 1
3709 Set the italic property of the font:
3711 $format->set_italic(); # Turn italic on
3713 set_underline()
3715 Default state: Underline is off
3716 Default action: Turn on single underline
3717 Valid args: 0 = No underline
3718 1 = Single underline
3719 2 = Double underline
3720 33 = Single accounting underline
3721 34 = Double accounting underline
3722 Set the underline property of the font.
3724 $format->set_underline(); # Single underline
3726 set_font_strikeout()
3728 Default state: Strikeout is off
3729 Default action: Turn strikeout on
3730 Valid args: 0, 1
3731 Set the strikeout property of the font.
3733 set_font_script()
3735 Default state: Super/Subscript is off
3736 Default action: Turn Superscript on
3737 Valid args: 0 = Normal
3738 1 = Superscript
3739 2 = Subscript
3740 Set the superscript/subscript property of the font.
3742 set_font_outline()
3744 Default state: Outline is off
3745 Default action: Turn outline on
3746 Valid args: 0, 1
3747 Macintosh only.
3749 set_font_shadow()
3751 Default state: Shadow is off
3752 Default action: Turn shadow on
3753 Valid args: 0, 1
3754 Macintosh only.
3756 set_num_format()
3758 Default state: General format
3759 Default action: Format index 1
3760 Valid args: See the following table
3761 This method is used to define the numerical format of a number in
3763 Excel. It controls whether a number is displayed as an integer, a
3764 floating point number, a date, a currency value or some other user
3765 defined format.
3766 The numerical format of a cell can be specified by using a format
3768 string or an index to one of Excel's built-in formats:
3769 my $format1 = $workbook->add_format();
3771 my $format2 = $workbook->add_format();
3772 $format1->set_num_format( 'd mmm yyyy' ); # Format string
3773 $format2->set_num_format( 0x0f ); # Format index
3774 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 36892.521, $format1 ); # 1 Jan 2001
3776 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 36892.521, $format2 ); # 1-Jan-01
3777 Using format strings you can define very sophisticated formatting of
3779 numbers.
3780 $format01->set_num_format( '0.000' );
3782 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 3.1415926, $format01 ); # 3.142
3783 $format02->set_num_format( '#,##0' );
3785 $worksheet->write( 1, 0, 1234.56, $format02 ); # 1,235
3786 $format03->set_num_format( '#,##0.00' );
3788 $worksheet->write( 2, 0, 1234.56, $format03 ); # 1,234.56
3789 $format04->set_num_format( '$0.00' );
3791 $worksheet->write( 3, 0, 49.99, $format04 ); # $49.99
3792 # Note you can use other currency symbols such as the pound or yen as well.
3794 # Other currencies may require the use of Unicode.
3795 $format07->set_num_format( 'mm/dd/yy' );
3797 $worksheet->write( 6, 0, 36892.521, $format07 ); # 01/01/01
3798 $format08->set_num_format( 'mmm d yyyy' );
3800 $worksheet->write( 7, 0, 36892.521, $format08 ); # Jan 1 2001
3801 $format09->set_num_format( 'd mmmm yyyy' );
3803 $worksheet->write( 8, 0, 36892.521, $format09 ); # 1 January 2001
3804 $format10->set_num_format( 'dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM' );
3806 $worksheet->write( 9, 0, 36892.521, $format10 ); # 01/01/2001 12:30 AM
3807 $format11->set_num_format( '0 "dollar and" .00 "cents"' );
3809 $worksheet->write( 10, 0, 1.87, $format11 ); # 1 dollar and .87 cents
3810 # Conditional numerical formatting.
3812 $format12->set_num_format( '[Green]General;[Red]-General;General' );
3813 $worksheet->write( 11, 0, 123, $format12 ); # > 0 Green
3814 $worksheet->write( 12, 0, -45, $format12 ); # < 0 Red
3815 $worksheet->write( 13, 0, 0, $format12 ); # = 0 Default colour
3816 # Zip code
3818 $format13->set_num_format( '00000' );
3819 $worksheet->write( 14, 0, '01209', $format13 );
3820 The number system used for dates is described in "DATES AND TIME IN
3822 EXCEL".
3823 The colour format should have one of the following values:
3825 [Black] [Blue] [Cyan] [Green] [Magenta] [Red] [White] [Yellow]
3827 Alternatively you can specify the colour based on a colour index as
3829 follows: "[Color n]", where n is a standard Excel colour index - 7. See
3830 the 'Standard colors' worksheet created by formats.pl.
3831 For more information refer to the documentation on formatting in the
3833 "docs" directory of the Excel::Writer::XLSX distro, the Excel on-line
3834 help or
3835 <http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/assistance/HP051995001033.aspx>.
3836 You should ensure that the format string is valid in Excel prior to
3838 using it in WriteExcel.
3839 Excel's built-in formats are shown in the following table:
3841 Index Index Format String
3843 0 0x00 General
3844 1 0x01 0
3845 2 0x02 0.00
3846 3 0x03 #,##0
3847 4 0x04 #,##0.00
3848 5 0x05 ($#,##0_);($#,##0)
3849 6 0x06 ($#,##0_);[Red]($#,##0)
3850 7 0x07 ($#,##0.00_);($#,##0.00)
3851 8 0x08 ($#,##0.00_);[Red]($#,##0.00)
3852 9 0x09 0%
3853 10 0x0a 0.00%
3854 11 0x0b 0.00E+00
3855 12 0x0c # ?/?
3856 13 0x0d # ??/??
3857 14 0x0e m/d/yy
3858 15 0x0f d-mmm-yy
3859 16 0x10 d-mmm
3860 17 0x11 mmm-yy
3861 18 0x12 h:mm AM/PM
3862 19 0x13 h:mm:ss AM/PM
3863 20 0x14 h:mm
3864 21 0x15 h:mm:ss
3865 22 0x16 m/d/yy h:mm
3866 .. .... ...........
3867 37 0x25 (#,##0_);(#,##0)
3868 38 0x26 (#,##0_);[Red](#,##0)
3869 39 0x27 (#,##0.00_);(#,##0.00)
3870 40 0x28 (#,##0.00_);[Red](#,##0.00)
3871 41 0x29 _(* #,##0_);_(* (#,##0);_(* "-"_);_(@_)
3872 42 0x2a _($* #,##0_);_($* (#,##0);_($* "-"_);_(@_)
3873 43 0x2b _(* #,##0.00_);_(* (#,##0.00);_(* "-"??_);_(@_)
3874 44 0x2c _($* #,##0.00_);_($* (#,##0.00);_($* "-"??_);_(@_)
3875 45 0x2d mm:ss
3876 46 0x2e [h]:mm:ss
3877 47 0x2f mm:ss.0
3878 48 0x30 ##0.0E+0
3879 49 0x31 @
3880 For examples of these formatting codes see the 'Numerical formats'
3882 worksheet created by formats.pl. See also the number_formats1.html and
3883 the number_formats2.html documents in the "docs" directory of the
3884 distro.
3885 Note 1. Numeric formats 23 to 36 are not documented by Microsoft and
3887 may differ in international versions.
3888 Note 2. The dollar sign appears as the defined local currency symbol.
3890 set_locked()
3892 Default state: Cell locking is on
3893 Default action: Turn locking on
3894 Valid args: 0, 1
3895 This property can be used to prevent modification of a cells contents.
3897 Following Excel's convention, cell locking is turned on by default.
3898 However, it only has an effect if the worksheet has been protected, see
3899 the worksheet "protect()" method.
3900 my $locked = $workbook->add_format();
3902 $locked->set_locked( 1 ); # A non-op
3903 my $unlocked = $workbook->add_format();
3905 $locked->set_locked( 0 );
3906 # Enable worksheet protection
3908 $worksheet->protect();
3909 # This cell cannot be edited.
3911 $worksheet->write( 'A1', '=1+2', $locked );
3912 # This cell can be edited.
3914 $worksheet->write( 'A2', '=1+2', $unlocked );
3915 Note: This offers weak protection even with a password, see the note in
3917 relation to the "protect()" method.
3918 set_hidden()
3920 Default state: Formula hiding is off
3921 Default action: Turn hiding on
3922 Valid args: 0, 1
3923 This property is used to hide a formula while still displaying its
3925 result. This is generally used to hide complex calculations from end
3926 users who are only interested in the result. It only has an effect if
3927 the worksheet has been protected, see the worksheet "protect()" method.
3928 my $hidden = $workbook->add_format();
3930 $hidden->set_hidden();
3931 # Enable worksheet protection
3933 $worksheet->protect();
3934 # The formula in this cell isn't visible
3936 $worksheet->write( 'A1', '=1+2', $hidden );
3937 Note: This offers weak protection even with a password, see the note in
3939 relation to the "protect()" method.
3940 set_align()
3942 Default state: Alignment is off
3943 Default action: Left alignment
3944 Valid args: 'left' Horizontal
3945 'center'
3946 'right'
3947 'fill'
3948 'justify'
3949 'center_across'
3950 'top' Vertical
3952 'vcenter'
3953 'bottom'
3954 'vjustify'
3955 This method is used to set the horizontal and vertical text alignment
3957 within a cell. Vertical and horizontal alignments can be combined. The
3958 method is used as follows:
3959 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
3961 $format->set_align( 'center' );
3962 $format->set_align( 'vcenter' );
3963 $worksheet->set_row( 0, 30 );
3964 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'X', $format );
3965 Text can be aligned across two or more adjacent cells using the
3967 "center_across" property. However, for genuine merged cells it is
3968 better to use the "merge_range()" worksheet method.
3969 The "vjustify" (vertical justify) option can be used to provide
3971 automatic text wrapping in a cell. The height of the cell will be
3972 adjusted to accommodate the wrapped text. To specify where the text
3973 wraps use the "set_text_wrap()" method.
3974 For further examples see the 'Alignment' worksheet created by
3976 formats.pl.
3977 set_center_across()
3979 Default state: Center across selection is off
3980 Default action: Turn center across on
3981 Valid args: 1
3982 Text can be aligned across two or more adjacent cells using the
3984 "set_center_across()" method. This is an alias for the
3985 "set_align('center_across')" method call.
3986 Only one cell should contain the text, the other cells should be blank:
3988 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
3990 $format->set_center_across();
3991 $worksheet->write( 1, 1, 'Center across selection', $format );
3993 $worksheet->write_blank( 1, 2, $format );
3994 See also the "merge1.pl" to "merge6.pl" programs in the "examples"
3996 directory and the "merge_range()" method.
3997 set_text_wrap()
3999 Default state: Text wrap is off
4000 Default action: Turn text wrap on
4001 Valid args: 0, 1
4002 Here is an example using the text wrap property, the escape character
4004 "\n" is used to indicate the end of line:
4005 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
4007 $format->set_text_wrap();
4008 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, "It's\na bum\nwrap", $format );
4009 Excel will adjust the height of the row to accommodate the wrapped
4011 text. A similar effect can be obtained without newlines using the
4012 "set_align('vjustify')" method. See the "textwrap.pl" program in the
4013 "examples" directory.
4014 set_rotation()
4016 Default state: Text rotation is off
4017 Default action: None
4018 Valid args: Integers in the range -90 to 90 and 270
4019 Set the rotation of the text in a cell. The rotation can be any angle
4021 in the range -90 to 90 degrees.
4022 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
4024 $format->set_rotation( 30 );
4025 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'This text is rotated', $format );
4026 The angle 270 is also supported. This indicates text where the letters
4028 run from top to bottom.
4029 set_indent()
4031 Default state: Text indentation is off
4032 Default action: Indent text 1 level
4033 Valid args: Positive integers
4034 This method can be used to indent text. The argument, which should be
4036 an integer, is taken as the level of indentation:
4037 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
4039 $format->set_indent( 2 );
4040 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'This text is indented', $format );
4041 Indentation is a horizontal alignment property. It will override any
4043 other horizontal properties but it can be used in conjunction with
4044 vertical properties.
4045 set_shrink()
4047 Default state: Text shrinking is off
4048 Default action: Turn "shrink to fit" on
4049 Valid args: 1
4050 This method can be used to shrink text so that it fits in a cell.
4052 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
4054 $format->set_shrink();
4055 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'Honey, I shrunk the text!', $format );
4056 set_text_justlast()
4058 Default state: Justify last is off
4059 Default action: Turn justify last on
4060 Valid args: 0, 1
4061 Only applies to Far Eastern versions of Excel.
4063 set_pattern()
4065 Default state: Pattern is off
4066 Default action: Solid fill is on
4067 Valid args: 0 .. 18
4068 Set the background pattern of a cell.
4070 Examples of the available patterns are shown in the 'Patterns'
4072 worksheet created by formats.pl. However, it is unlikely that you will
4073 ever need anything other than Pattern 1 which is a solid fill of the
4074 background color.
4075 set_bg_color()
4077 Default state: Color is off
4078 Default action: Solid fill.
4079 Valid args: See set_color()
4080 The "set_bg_color()" method can be used to set the background colour of
4082 a pattern. Patterns are defined via the "set_pattern()" method. If a
4083 pattern hasn't been defined then a solid fill pattern is used as the
4084 default.
4085 Here is an example of how to set up a solid fill in a cell:
4087 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
4089 $format->set_pattern(); # This is optional when using a solid fill
4091 $format->set_bg_color( 'green' );
4093 $worksheet->write( 'A1', 'Ray', $format );
4094 For further examples see the 'Patterns' worksheet created by
4096 formats.pl.
4097 set_fg_color()
4099 Default state: Color is off
4100 Default action: Solid fill.
4101 Valid args: See set_color()
4102 The "set_fg_color()" method can be used to set the foreground colour of
4104 a pattern.
4105 For further examples see the 'Patterns' worksheet created by
4107 formats.pl.
4108 set_border()
4110 Also applies to: set_bottom()
4111 set_top()
4112 set_left()
4113 set_right()
4114 Default state: Border is off
4116 Default action: Set border type 1
4117 Valid args: 0-13, See below.
4118 A cell border is comprised of a border on the bottom, top, left and
4120 right. These can be set to the same value using "set_border()" or
4121 individually using the relevant method calls shown above.
4122 The following shows the border styles sorted by Excel::Writer::XLSX
4124 index number:
4125 Index Name Weight Style
4127 ===== ============= ====== ===========
4128 0 None 0
4129 1 Continuous 1 -----------
4130 2 Continuous 2 -----------
4131 3 Dash 1 - - - - - -
4132 4 Dot 1 . . . . . .
4133 5 Continuous 3 -----------
4134 6 Double 3 ===========
4135 7 Continuous 0 -----------
4136 8 Dash 2 - - - - - -
4137 9 Dash Dot 1 - . - . - .
4138 10 Dash Dot 2 - . - . - .
4139 11 Dash Dot Dot 1 - . . - . .
4140 12 Dash Dot Dot 2 - . . - . .
4141 13 SlantDash Dot 2 / - . / - .
4142 The following shows the borders sorted by style:
4144 Name Weight Style Index
4146 ============= ====== =========== =====
4147 Continuous 0 ----------- 7
4148 Continuous 1 ----------- 1
4149 Continuous 2 ----------- 2
4150 Continuous 3 ----------- 5
4151 Dash 1 - - - - - - 3
4152 Dash 2 - - - - - - 8
4153 Dash Dot 1 - . - . - . 9
4154 Dash Dot 2 - . - . - . 10
4155 Dash Dot Dot 1 - . . - . . 11
4156 Dash Dot Dot 2 - . . - . . 12
4157 Dot 1 . . . . . . 4
4158 Double 3 =========== 6
4159 None 0 0
4160 SlantDash Dot 2 / - . / - . 13
4161 The following shows the borders in the order shown in the Excel Dialog.
4163 Index Style Index Style
4165 ===== ===== ===== =====
4166 0 None 12 - . . - . .
4167 7 ----------- 13 / - . / - .
4168 4 . . . . . . 10 - . - . - .
4169 11 - . . - . . 8 - - - - - -
4170 9 - . - . - . 2 -----------
4171 3 - - - - - - 5 -----------
4172 1 ----------- 6 ===========
4173 Examples of the available border styles are shown in the 'Borders'
4175 worksheet created by formats.pl.
4176 set_border_color()
4178 Also applies to: set_bottom_color()
4179 set_top_color()
4180 set_left_color()
4181 set_right_color()
4182 Default state: Color is off
4184 Default action: Undefined
4185 Valid args: See set_color()
4186 Set the colour of the cell borders. A cell border is comprised of a
4188 border on the bottom, top, left and right. These can be set to the same
4189 colour using "set_border_color()" or individually using the relevant
4190 method calls shown above. Examples of the border styles and colours are
4191 shown in the 'Borders' worksheet created by formats.pl.
4192 set_diag_type()
4194 Default state: Diagonal border is off.
4195 Default action: None.
4196 Valid args: 1-3, See below.
4197 Set the diagonal border type for the cell. Three types of diagonal
4199 borders are available in Excel:
4200 1: From bottom left to top right.
4202 2: From top left to bottom right.
4203 3: Same as 1 and 2 combined.
4204 For example:
4206 $format->set_diag_type( 3 );
4208 set_diag_border()
4210 Default state: Border is off
4211 Default action: Set border type 1
4212 Valid args: 0-13, See below.
4213 Set the diagonal border style. Same as the parameter to "set_border()"
4215 above.
4216 set_diag_color()
4218 Default state: Color is off
4219 Default action: Undefined
4220 Valid args: See set_color()
4221 Set the colour of the diagonal cell border:
4223 $format->set_diag_type( 3 );
4225 $format->set_diag_border( 7 );
4226 $format->set_diag_color( 'red' );
4227 copy( $format )
4229 This method is used to copy all of the properties from one Format
4230 object to another:
4231 my $lorry1 = $workbook->add_format();
4233 $lorry1->set_bold();
4234 $lorry1->set_italic();
4235 $lorry1->set_color( 'red' ); # lorry1 is bold, italic and red
4236 my $lorry2 = $workbook->add_format();
4238 $lorry2->copy( $lorry1 );
4239 $lorry2->set_color( 'yellow' ); # lorry2 is bold, italic and yellow
4240 The "copy()" method is only useful if you are using the method
4242 interface to Format properties. It generally isn't required if you are
4243 setting Format properties directly using hashes.
4244 Note: this is not a copy constructor, both objects must exist prior to
4246 copying.
4247
4249 The following is a brief introduction to handling Unicode in
4250 "Excel::Writer::XLSX".
4251 For a more general introduction to Unicode handling in Perl see
4253 perlunitut and perluniintro.
4254 Excel::Writer::XLSX writer differs from Spreadsheet::WriteExcel in that
4256 it only handles Unicode data in "UTF-8" format and doesn't try to
4257 handle legacy UTF-16 Excel formats.
4258 If the data is in "UTF-8" format then Excel::Writer::XLSX will handle
4260 it automatically.
4261 If you are dealing with non-ASCII characters that aren't in "UTF-8"
4263 then perl provides useful tools in the guise of the "Encode" module to
4264 help you to convert to the required format. For example:
4265 use Encode 'decode';
4267 my $string = 'some string with koi8-r characters';
4269 $string = decode('koi8-r', $string); # koi8-r to utf8
4270 Alternatively you can read data from an encoded file and convert it to
4272 "UTF-8" as you read it in:
4273 my $file = 'unicode_koi8r.txt';
4275 open FH, '<:encoding(koi8-r)', $file or die "Couldn't open $file: $!\n";
4276 my $row = 0;
4278 while ( <FH> ) {
4279 # Data read in is now in utf8 format.
4280 chomp;
4281 $worksheet->write( $row++, 0, $_ );
4282 }
4283 These methodologies are explained in more detail in perlunitut,
4285 perluniintro and perlunicode.
4286 If the program contains UTF-8 text then you will also need to add "use
4288 utf8" to the includes:
4289 use utf8;
4291 ...
4293 $worksheet->write( 'A1', 'Some UTF-8 string' );
4295 See also the "unicode_*.pl" programs in the examples directory of the
4297 distro.
4298
4300 Throughout Excel::Writer::XLSX colours can be specified using a Html
4301 style "#RRGGBB" value. For example with a Format object:
4302 $format->set_font_color( '#FF0000' );
4304 For backward compatibility a limited number of color names are
4306 supported:
4307 $format->set_font_color( 'red' );
4309 The color names supported are:
4311 black
4313 blue
4314 brown
4315 cyan
4316 gray
4317 green
4318 lime
4319 magenta
4320 navy
4321 orange
4322 pink
4323 purple
4324 red
4325 silver
4326 white
4327 yellow
4328 See also "colors.pl" in the "examples" directory.
4330
4332 There are two important things to understand about dates and times in
4333 Excel:
4334 1 A date/time in Excel is a real number plus an Excel number format.
4336 2 Excel::Writer::XLSX doesn't automatically convert date/time strings
4337 in "write()" to an Excel date/time.
4338 These two points are explained in more detail below along with some
4340 suggestions on how to convert times and dates to the required format.
4341 An Excel date/time is a number plus a format
4343 If you write a date string with "write()" then all you will get is a
4344 string:
4345 $worksheet->write( 'A1', '02/03/04' ); # !! Writes a string not a date. !!
4347 Dates and times in Excel are represented by real numbers, for example
4349 "Jan 1 2001 12:30 AM" is represented by the number 36892.521.
4350 The integer part of the number stores the number of days since the
4352 epoch and the fractional part stores the percentage of the day.
4353 A date or time in Excel is just like any other number. To have the
4355 number display as a date you must apply an Excel number format to it.
4356 Here are some examples.
4357 #!/usr/bin/perl -w
4359 use strict;
4361 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
4362 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'date_examples.xlsx' );
4364 my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
4365 $worksheet->set_column( 'A:A', 30 ); # For extra visibility.
4367 my $number = 39506.5;
4369 $worksheet->write( 'A1', $number ); # 39506.5
4371 my $format2 = $workbook->add_format( num_format => 'dd/mm/yy' );
4373 $worksheet->write( 'A2', $number, $format2 ); # 28/02/08
4374 my $format3 = $workbook->add_format( num_format => 'mm/dd/yy' );
4376 $worksheet->write( 'A3', $number, $format3 ); # 02/28/08
4377 my $format4 = $workbook->add_format( num_format => 'd-m-yyyy' );
4379 $worksheet->write( 'A4', $number, $format4 ); # 28-2-2008
4380 my $format5 = $workbook->add_format( num_format => 'dd/mm/yy hh:mm' );
4382 $worksheet->write( 'A5', $number, $format5 ); # 28/02/08 12:00
4383 my $format6 = $workbook->add_format( num_format => 'd mmm yyyy' );
4385 $worksheet->write( 'A6', $number, $format6 ); # 28 Feb 2008
4386 my $format7 = $workbook->add_format( num_format => 'mmm d yyyy hh:mm AM/PM' );
4388 $worksheet->write('A7', $number , $format7); # Feb 28 2008 12:00 PM
4389 $workbook->close();
4391 Excel::Writer::XLSX doesn't automatically convert date/time strings
4393 Excel::Writer::XLSX doesn't automatically convert input date strings
4394 into Excel's formatted date numbers due to the large number of possible
4395 date formats and also due to the possibility of misinterpretation.
4396 For example, does "02/03/04" mean March 2 2004, February 3 2004 or even
4398 March 4 2002.
4399 Therefore, in order to handle dates you will have to convert them to
4401 numbers and apply an Excel format. Some methods for converting dates
4402 are listed in the next section.
4403 The most direct way is to convert your dates to the ISO8601
4405 "yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.sss" date format and use the "write_date_time()"
4406 worksheet method:
4407 $worksheet->write_date_time( 'A2', '2001-01-01T12:20', $format );
4409 See the "write_date_time()" section of the documentation for more
4411 details.
4412 A general methodology for handling date strings with
4414 "write_date_time()" is:
4415 1. Identify incoming date/time strings with a regex.
4417 2. Extract the component parts of the date/time using the same regex.
4418 3. Convert the date/time to the ISO8601 format.
4419 4. Write the date/time using write_date_time() and a number format.
4420 Here is an example:
4422 #!/usr/bin/perl -w
4424 use strict;
4426 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
4427 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'example.xlsx' );
4429 my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
4430 # Set the default format for dates.
4432 my $date_format = $workbook->add_format( num_format => 'mmm d yyyy' );
4433 # Increase column width to improve visibility of data.
4435 $worksheet->set_column( 'A:C', 20 );
4436 # Simulate reading from a data source.
4438 my $row = 0;
4439 while ( <DATA> ) {
4441 chomp;
4442 my $col = 0;
4444 my @data = split ' ';
4445 for my $item ( @data ) {
4447 # Match dates in the following formats: d/m/yy, d/m/yyyy
4449 if ( $item =~ qr[^(\d{1,2})/(\d{1,2})/(\d{4})$] ) {
4450 # Change to the date format required by write_date_time().
4452 my $date = sprintf "%4d-%02d-%02dT", $3, $2, $1;
4453 $worksheet->write_date_time( $row, $col++, $date,
4455 $date_format );
4456 }
4457 else {
4458 # Just plain data
4460 $worksheet->write( $row, $col++, $item );
4461 }
4462 }
4463 $row++;
4464 }
4465 $workbook->close();
4467 __DATA__
4469 Item Cost Date
4470 Book 10 1/9/2007
4471 Beer 4 12/9/2007
4472 Bed 500 5/10/2007
4473 For a slightly more advanced solution you can modify the "write()"
4475 method to handle date formats of your choice via the
4476 "add_write_handler()" method. See the "add_write_handler()" section of
4477 the docs and the write_handler3.pl and write_handler4.pl programs in
4478 the examples directory of the distro.
4479 Converting dates and times to an Excel date or time
4481 The "write_date_time()" method above is just one way of handling dates
4482 and times.
4483 You can also use the "convert_date_time()" worksheet method to convert
4485 from an ISO8601 style date string to an Excel date and time number.
4486 The Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility module which is included in the distro
4488 has date/time handling functions:
4489 use Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility;
4491 $date = xl_date_list(2002, 1, 1); # 37257
4493 $date = xl_parse_date("11 July 1997"); # 35622
4494 $time = xl_parse_time('3:21:36 PM'); # 0.64
4495 $date = xl_decode_date_EU("13 May 2002"); # 37389
4496 Note: some of these functions require additional CPAN modules.
4498 For date conversions using the CPAN "DateTime" framework see
4500 DateTime::Format::Excel
4501 <http://search.cpan.org/search?dist=DateTime-Format-Excel>.
4502
4504 Excel allows you to group rows or columns so that they can be hidden or
4505 displayed with a single mouse click. This feature is referred to as
4506 outlines.
4507 Outlines can reduce complex data down to a few salient sub-totals or
4509 summaries.
4510 This feature is best viewed in Excel but the following is an ASCII
4512 representation of what a worksheet with three outlines might look like.
4513 Rows 3-4 and rows 7-8 are grouped at level 2. Rows 2-9 are grouped at
4514 level 1. The lines at the left hand side are called outline level bars.
4515 ------------------------------------------
4517 1 2 3 | | A | B | C | D | ...
4518 ------------------------------------------
4519 _ | 1 | A | | | | ...
4520 | _ | 2 | B | | | | ...
4521 | | | 3 | (C) | | | | ...
4522 | | | 4 | (D) | | | | ...
4523 | - | 5 | E | | | | ...
4524 | _ | 6 | F | | | | ...
4525 | | | 7 | (G) | | | | ...
4526 | | | 8 | (H) | | | | ...
4527 | - | 9 | I | | | | ...
4528 - | . | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
4529 Clicking the minus sign on each of the level 2 outlines will collapse
4531 and hide the data as shown in the next figure. The minus sign changes
4532 to a plus sign to indicate that the data in the outline is hidden.
4533 ------------------------------------------
4535 1 2 3 | | A | B | C | D | ...
4536 ------------------------------------------
4537 _ | 1 | A | | | | ...
4538 | | 2 | B | | | | ...
4539 | + | 5 | E | | | | ...
4540 | | 6 | F | | | | ...
4541 | + | 9 | I | | | | ...
4542 - | . | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
4543 Clicking on the minus sign on the level 1 outline will collapse the
4545 remaining rows as follows:
4546 ------------------------------------------
4548 1 2 3 | | A | B | C | D | ...
4549 ------------------------------------------
4550 | 1 | A | | | | ...
4551 + | . | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
4552 Grouping in "Excel::Writer::XLSX" is achieved by setting the outline
4554 level via the "set_row()" and "set_column()" worksheet methods:
4555 set_row( $row, $height, $format, $hidden, $level, $collapsed )
4557 set_column( $first_col, $last_col, $width, $format, $hidden, $level, $collapsed )
4558 The following example sets an outline level of 1 for rows 2 and 3
4560 (zero-indexed) and columns B to G. The parameters $height and $XF are
4561 assigned default values since they are undefined:
4562 $worksheet->set_row( 1, undef, undef, 0, 1 );
4564 $worksheet->set_row( 2, undef, undef, 0, 1 );
4565 $worksheet->set_column( 'B:G', undef, undef, 0, 1 );
4566 Excel allows up to 7 outline levels. Therefore the $level parameter
4568 should be in the range "0 <= $level <= 7".
4569 Rows and columns can be collapsed by setting the $hidden flag for the
4571 hidden rows/columns and setting the $collapsed flag for the row/column
4572 that has the collapsed "+" symbol:
4573 $worksheet->set_row( 1, undef, undef, 1, 1 );
4575 $worksheet->set_row( 2, undef, undef, 1, 1 );
4576 $worksheet->set_row( 3, undef, undef, 0, 0, 1 ); # Collapsed flag.
4577 $worksheet->set_column( 'B:G', undef, undef, 1, 1 );
4579 $worksheet->set_column( 'H:H', undef, undef, 0, 0, 1 ); # Collapsed flag.
4580 Note: Setting the $collapsed flag is particularly important for
4582 compatibility with OpenOffice.org and Gnumeric.
4583 For a more complete example see the "outline.pl" and
4585 "outline_collapsed.pl" programs in the examples directory of the
4586 distro.
4587 Some additional outline properties can be set via the
4589 "outline_settings()" worksheet method, see above.
4590
4592 Data validation is a feature of Excel which allows you to restrict the
4593 data that a users enters in a cell and to display help and warning
4594 messages. It also allows you to restrict input to values in a drop down
4595 list.
4596 A typical use case might be to restrict data in a cell to integer
4598 values in a certain range, to provide a help message to indicate the
4599 required value and to issue a warning if the input data doesn't meet
4600 the stated criteria. In Excel::Writer::XLSX we could do that as
4601 follows:
4602 $worksheet->data_validation('B3',
4604 {
4605 validate => 'integer',
4606 criteria => 'between',
4607 minimum => 1,
4608 maximum => 100,
4609 input_title => 'Input an integer:',
4610 input_message => 'Between 1 and 100',
4611 error_message => 'Sorry, try again.',
4612 });
4613 For more information on data validation see the following Microsoft
4615 support article "Description and examples of data validation in Excel":
4616 <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/211485>.
4617 The following sections describe how to use the "data_validation()"
4619 method and its various options.
4620 data_validation( $row, $col, { parameter => 'value', ... } )
4622 The "data_validation()" method is used to construct an Excel data
4623 validation.
4624 It can be applied to a single cell or a range of cells. You can pass 3
4626 parameters such as "($row, $col, {...})" or 5 parameters such as
4627 "($first_row, $first_col, $last_row, $last_col, {...})". You can also
4628 use "A1" style notation. For example:
4629 $worksheet->data_validation( 0, 0, {...} );
4631 $worksheet->data_validation( 0, 0, 4, 1, {...} );
4632 # Which are the same as:
4634 $worksheet->data_validation( 'A1', {...} );
4636 $worksheet->data_validation( 'A1:B5', {...} );
4637 See also the note about "Cell notation" for more information.
4639 The last parameter in "data_validation()" must be a hash ref containing
4641 the parameters that describe the type and style of the data validation.
4642 The allowable parameters are:
4643 validate
4645 criteria
4646 value | minimum | source
4647 maximum
4648 ignore_blank
4649 dropdown
4650 input_title
4652 input_message
4653 show_input
4654 error_title
4656 error_message
4657 error_type
4658 show_error
4659 These parameters are explained in the following sections. Most of the
4661 parameters are optional, however, you will generally require the three
4662 main options "validate", "criteria" and "value".
4663 $worksheet->data_validation('B3',
4665 {
4666 validate => 'integer',
4667 criteria => '>',
4668 value => 100,
4669 });
4670 The "data_validation" method returns:
4672 0 for success.
4674 -1 for insufficient number of arguments.
4675 -2 for row or column out of bounds.
4676 -3 for incorrect parameter or value.
4677 validate
4679 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4680 The "validate" parameter is used to set the type of data that you wish
4682 to validate. It is always required and it has no default value.
4683 Allowable values are:
4684 any
4686 integer
4687 decimal
4688 list
4689 date
4690 time
4691 length
4692 custom
4693 · any is used to specify that the type of data is unrestricted. This
4695 is useful to display an input message without restricting the data
4696 that can be entered.
4697 · integer restricts the cell to integer values. Excel refers to this
4699 as 'whole number'.
4700 validate => 'integer',
4702 criteria => '>',
4703 value => 100,
4704 · decimal restricts the cell to decimal values.
4706 validate => 'decimal',
4708 criteria => '>',
4709 value => 38.6,
4710 · list restricts the cell to a set of user specified values. These
4712 can be passed in an array ref or as a cell range (named ranges
4713 aren't currently supported):
4714 validate => 'list',
4716 value => ['open', 'high', 'close'],
4717 # Or like this:
4718 value => 'B1:B3',
4719 Excel requires that range references are only to cells on the same
4721 worksheet.
4722 · date restricts the cell to date values. Dates in Excel are
4724 expressed as integer values but you can also pass an ISO8601 style
4725 string as used in "write_date_time()". See also "DATES AND TIME IN
4726 EXCEL" for more information about working with Excel's dates.
4727 validate => 'date',
4729 criteria => '>',
4730 value => 39653, # 24 July 2008
4731 # Or like this:
4732 value => '2008-07-24T',
4733 · time restricts the cell to time values. Times in Excel are
4735 expressed as decimal values but you can also pass an ISO8601 style
4736 string as used in "write_date_time()". See also "DATES AND TIME IN
4737 EXCEL" for more information about working with Excel's times.
4738 validate => 'time',
4740 criteria => '>',
4741 value => 0.5, # Noon
4742 # Or like this:
4743 value => 'T12:00:00',
4744 · length restricts the cell data based on an integer string length.
4746 Excel refers to this as 'Text length'.
4747 validate => 'length',
4749 criteria => '>',
4750 value => 10,
4751 · custom restricts the cell based on an external Excel formula that
4753 returns a "TRUE/FALSE" value.
4754 validate => 'custom',
4756 value => '=IF(A10>B10,TRUE,FALSE)',
4757 criteria
4759 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4760 The "criteria" parameter is used to set the criteria by which the data
4762 in the cell is validated. It is almost always required except for the
4763 "list" and "custom" validate options. It has no default value.
4764 Allowable values are:
4765 'between'
4767 'not between'
4768 'equal to' | '==' | '='
4769 'not equal to' | '!=' | '<>'
4770 'greater than' | '>'
4771 'less than' | '<'
4772 'greater than or equal to' | '>='
4773 'less than or equal to' | '<='
4774 You can either use Excel's textual description strings, in the first
4776 column above, or the more common symbolic alternatives. The following
4777 are equivalent:
4778 validate => 'integer',
4780 criteria => 'greater than',
4781 value => 100,
4782 validate => 'integer',
4784 criteria => '>',
4785 value => 100,
4786 The "list" and "custom" validate options don't require a "criteria". If
4788 you specify one it will be ignored.
4789 validate => 'list',
4791 value => ['open', 'high', 'close'],
4792 validate => 'custom',
4794 value => '=IF(A10>B10,TRUE,FALSE)',
4795 value | minimum | source
4797 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4798 The "value" parameter is used to set the limiting value to which the
4800 "criteria" is applied. It is always required and it has no default
4801 value. You can also use the synonyms "minimum" or "source" to make the
4802 validation a little clearer and closer to Excel's description of the
4803 parameter:
4804 # Use 'value'
4806 validate => 'integer',
4807 criteria => '>',
4808 value => 100,
4809 # Use 'minimum'
4811 validate => 'integer',
4812 criteria => 'between',
4813 minimum => 1,
4814 maximum => 100,
4815 # Use 'source'
4817 validate => 'list',
4818 source => '$B$1:$B$3',
4819 maximum
4821 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4822 The "maximum" parameter is used to set the upper limiting value when
4824 the "criteria" is either 'between' or 'not between':
4825 validate => 'integer',
4827 criteria => 'between',
4828 minimum => 1,
4829 maximum => 100,
4830 ignore_blank
4832 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4833 The "ignore_blank" parameter is used to toggle on and off the 'Ignore
4835 blank' option in the Excel data validation dialog. When the option is
4836 on the data validation is not applied to blank data in the cell. It is
4837 on by default.
4838 ignore_blank => 0, # Turn the option off
4840 dropdown
4842 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4843 The "dropdown" parameter is used to toggle on and off the 'In-cell
4845 dropdown' option in the Excel data validation dialog. When the option
4846 is on a dropdown list will be shown for "list" validations. It is on by
4847 default.
4848 dropdown => 0, # Turn the option off
4850 input_title
4852 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4853 The "input_title" parameter is used to set the title of the input
4855 message that is displayed when a cell is entered. It has no default
4856 value and is only displayed if the input message is displayed. See the
4857 "input_message" parameter below.
4858 input_title => 'This is the input title',
4860 The maximum title length is 32 characters.
4862 input_message
4864 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4865 The "input_message" parameter is used to set the input message that is
4867 displayed when a cell is entered. It has no default value.
4868 validate => 'integer',
4870 criteria => 'between',
4871 minimum => 1,
4872 maximum => 100,
4873 input_title => 'Enter the applied discount:',
4874 input_message => 'between 1 and 100',
4875 The message can be split over several lines using newlines, "\n" in
4877 double quoted strings.
4878 input_message => "This is\na test.",
4880 The maximum message length is 255 characters.
4882 show_input
4884 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4885 The "show_input" parameter is used to toggle on and off the 'Show input
4887 message when cell is selected' option in the Excel data validation
4888 dialog. When the option is off an input message is not displayed even
4889 if it has been set using "input_message". It is on by default.
4890 show_input => 0, # Turn the option off
4892 error_title
4894 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4895 The "error_title" parameter is used to set the title of the error
4897 message that is displayed when the data validation criteria is not met.
4898 The default error title is 'Microsoft Excel'.
4899 error_title => 'Input value is not valid',
4901 The maximum title length is 32 characters.
4903 error_message
4905 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4906 The "error_message" parameter is used to set the error message that is
4908 displayed when a cell is entered. The default error message is "The
4909 value you entered is not valid.\nA user has restricted values that can
4910 be entered into the cell.".
4911 validate => 'integer',
4913 criteria => 'between',
4914 minimum => 1,
4915 maximum => 100,
4916 error_title => 'Input value is not valid',
4917 error_message => 'It should be an integer between 1 and 100',
4918 The message can be split over several lines using newlines, "\n" in
4920 double quoted strings.
4921 input_message => "This is\na test.",
4923 The maximum message length is 255 characters.
4925 error_type
4927 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4928 The "error_type" parameter is used to specify the type of error dialog
4930 that is displayed. There are 3 options:
4931 'stop'
4933 'warning'
4934 'information'
4935 The default is 'stop'.
4937 show_error
4939 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "data_validation()".
4940 The "show_error" parameter is used to toggle on and off the 'Show error
4942 alert after invalid data is entered' option in the Excel data
4943 validation dialog. When the option is off an error message is not
4944 displayed even if it has been set using "error_message". It is on by
4945 default.
4946 show_error => 0, # Turn the option off
4948 Data Validation Examples
4950 Example 1. Limiting input to an integer greater than a fixed value.
4951 $worksheet->data_validation('A1',
4953 {
4954 validate => 'integer',
4955 criteria => '>',
4956 value => 0,
4957 });
4958 Example 2. Limiting input to an integer greater than a fixed value
4960 where the value is referenced from a cell.
4961 $worksheet->data_validation('A2',
4963 {
4964 validate => 'integer',
4965 criteria => '>',
4966 value => '=E3',
4967 });
4968 Example 3. Limiting input to a decimal in a fixed range.
4970 $worksheet->data_validation('A3',
4972 {
4973 validate => 'decimal',
4974 criteria => 'between',
4975 minimum => 0.1,
4976 maximum => 0.5,
4977 });
4978 Example 4. Limiting input to a value in a dropdown list.
4980 $worksheet->data_validation('A4',
4982 {
4983 validate => 'list',
4984 source => ['open', 'high', 'close'],
4985 });
4986 Example 5. Limiting input to a value in a dropdown list where the list
4988 is specified as a cell range.
4989 $worksheet->data_validation('A5',
4991 {
4992 validate => 'list',
4993 source => '=$E$4:$G$4',
4994 });
4995 Example 6. Limiting input to a date in a fixed range.
4997 $worksheet->data_validation('A6',
4999 {
5000 validate => 'date',
5001 criteria => 'between',
5002 minimum => '2008-01-01T',
5003 maximum => '2008-12-12T',
5004 });
5005 Example 7. Displaying a message when the cell is selected.
5007 $worksheet->data_validation('A7',
5009 {
5010 validate => 'integer',
5011 criteria => 'between',
5012 minimum => 1,
5013 maximum => 100,
5014 input_title => 'Enter an integer:',
5015 input_message => 'between 1 and 100',
5016 });
5017 See also the "data_validate.pl" program in the examples directory of
5019 the distro.
5020
5022 Conditional formatting is a feature of Excel which allows you to apply
5023 a format to a cell or a range of cells based on a certain criteria.
5024 For example the following criteria is used to highlight cells >= 50 in
5026 red in the "conditional_format.pl" example from the distro:
5027 # Write a conditional format over a range.
5029 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'B3:K12',
5030 {
5031 type => 'cell',
5032 criteria => '>=',
5033 value => 50,
5034 format => $format1,
5035 }
5036 );
5037 conditional_formatting( $row, $col, { parameter => 'value', ... } )
5039 The "conditional_formatting()" method is used to apply formatting
5040 based on user defined criteria to an Excel::Writer::XLSX file.
5041 It can be applied to a single cell or a range of cells. You can pass 3
5043 parameters such as "($row, $col, {...})" or 5 parameters such as
5044 "($first_row, $first_col, $last_row, $last_col, {...})". You can also
5045 use "A1" style notation. For example:
5046 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 0, 0, {...} );
5048 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 0, 0, 4, 1, {...} );
5049 # Which are the same as:
5051 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1', {...} );
5053 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:B5', {...} );
5054 See also the note about "Cell notation" for more information.
5056 Using "A1" style notation is also possible to specify non-contiguous
5058 ranges, separated by a comma. For example:
5059 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:D5,A8:D12', {...} );
5061 The last parameter in "conditional_formatting()" must be a hash ref
5063 containing the parameters that describe the type and style of the data
5064 validation. The main parameters are:
5065 type
5067 format
5068 criteria
5069 value
5070 minimum
5071 maximum
5072 Other, less commonly used parameters are:
5074 min_type
5076 mid_type
5077 max_type
5078 min_value
5079 mid_value
5080 max_value
5081 min_color
5082 mid_color
5083 max_color
5084 bar_color
5085 bar_only
5086 bar_solid
5087 bar_negative_color
5088 bar_border_color
5089 bar_negative_border_color
5090 bar_negative_color_same
5091 bar_negative_border_color_same
5092 bar_no_border
5093 bar_direction
5094 bar_axis_position
5095 bar_axis_color
5096 data_bar_2010
5097 icon_style
5098 icons
5099 reverse_icons
5100 icons_only
5101 stop_if_true
5102 multi_range
5103 Additional parameters which are used for specific conditional format
5105 types are shown in the relevant sections below.
5106 type
5108 This parameter is passed in a hash ref to "conditional_formatting()".
5109 The "type" parameter is used to set the type of conditional formatting
5111 that you wish to apply. It is always required and it has no default
5112 value. Allowable "type" values and their associated parameters are:
5113 Type Parameters
5115 ==== ==========
5116 cell criteria
5117 value
5118 minimum
5119 maximum
5120 format
5121 date criteria
5123 value
5124 minimum
5125 maximum
5126 format
5127 time_period criteria
5129 format
5130 text criteria
5132 value
5133 format
5134 average criteria
5136 format
5137 duplicate format
5139 unique format
5141 top criteria
5143 value
5144 format
5145 bottom criteria
5147 value
5148 format
5149 blanks format
5151 no_blanks format
5153 errors format
5155 no_errors format
5157 formula criteria
5159 format
5160 2_color_scale min_type
5162 max_type
5163 min_value
5164 max_value
5165 min_color
5166 max_color
5167 3_color_scale min_type
5169 mid_type
5170 max_type
5171 min_value
5172 mid_value
5173 max_value
5174 min_color
5175 mid_color
5176 max_color
5177 data_bar min_type
5179 max_type
5180 min_value
5181 max_value
5182 bar_only
5183 bar_color
5184 bar_solid*
5185 bar_negative_color*
5186 bar_border_color*
5187 bar_negative_border_color*
5188 bar_negative_color_same*
5189 bar_negative_border_color_same*
5190 bar_no_border*
5191 bar_direction*
5192 bar_axis_position*
5193 bar_axis_color*
5194 data_bar_2010*
5195 icon_set icon_style
5197 reverse_icons
5198 icons
5199 icons_only
5200 Data bar parameters marked with (*) are only available in Excel 2010
5202 and later. Files that use these properties can still be opened in Excel
5203 2007 but the data bars will be displayed without them.
5204 type => 'cell'
5206 This is the most common conditional formatting type. It is used when a
5207 format is applied to a cell based on a simple criterion. For example:
5208 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1',
5210 {
5211 type => 'cell',
5212 criteria => 'greater than',
5213 value => 5,
5214 format => $red_format,
5215 }
5216 );
5217 Or, using the "between" criteria:
5219 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'C1:C4',
5221 {
5222 type => 'cell',
5223 criteria => 'between',
5224 minimum => 20,
5225 maximum => 30,
5226 format => $green_format,
5227 }
5228 );
5229 criteria
5231 The "criteria" parameter is used to set the criteria by which the cell
5232 data will be evaluated. It has no default value. The most common
5233 criteria as applied to "{ type => 'cell' }" are:
5234 'between'
5236 'not between'
5237 'equal to' | '==' | '='
5238 'not equal to' | '!=' | '<>'
5239 'greater than' | '>'
5240 'less than' | '<'
5241 'greater than or equal to' | '>='
5242 'less than or equal to' | '<='
5243 You can either use Excel's textual description strings, in the first
5245 column above, or the more common symbolic alternatives.
5246 Additional criteria which are specific to other conditional format
5248 types are shown in the relevant sections below.
5249 value
5251 The "value" is generally used along with the "criteria" parameter to
5252 set the rule by which the cell data will be evaluated.
5253 type => 'cell',
5255 criteria => '>',
5256 value => 5
5257 format => $format,
5258 The "value" property can also be an cell reference.
5260 type => 'cell',
5262 criteria => '>',
5263 value => '$C$1',
5264 format => $format,
5265 format
5267 The "format" parameter is used to specify the format that will be
5268 applied to the cell when the conditional formatting criterion is met.
5269 The format is created using the "add_format()" method in the same way
5270 as cell formats:
5271 $format = $workbook->add_format( bold => 1, italic => 1 );
5273 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1',
5275 {
5276 type => 'cell',
5277 criteria => '>',
5278 value => 5
5279 format => $format,
5280 }
5281 );
5282 The conditional format follows the same rules as in Excel: it is
5284 superimposed over the existing cell format and not all font and border
5285 properties can be modified. Font properties that can't be modified are
5286 font name, font size, superscript and subscript. The border property
5287 that cannot be modified is diagonal borders.
5288 Excel specifies some default formats to be used with conditional
5290 formatting. You can replicate them using the following
5291 Excel::Writer::XLSX formats:
5292 # Light red fill with dark red text.
5294 my $format1 = $workbook->add_format(
5296 bg_color => '#FFC7CE',
5297 color => '#9C0006',
5298 );
5299 # Light yellow fill with dark yellow text.
5301 my $format2 = $workbook->add_format(
5303 bg_color => '#FFEB9C',
5304 color => '#9C6500',
5305 );
5306 # Green fill with dark green text.
5308 my $format3 = $workbook->add_format(
5310 bg_color => '#C6EFCE',
5311 color => '#006100',
5312 );
5313 minimum
5315 The "minimum" parameter is used to set the lower limiting value when
5316 the "criteria" is either 'between' or 'not between':
5317 validate => 'integer',
5319 criteria => 'between',
5320 minimum => 1,
5321 maximum => 100,
5322 maximum
5324 The "maximum" parameter is used to set the upper limiting value when
5325 the "criteria" is either 'between' or 'not between'. See the previous
5326 example.
5327 type => 'date'
5329 The "date" type is the same as the "cell" type and uses the same
5330 criteria and values. However it allows the "value", "minimum" and
5331 "maximum" properties to be specified in the ISO8601
5332 "yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.sss" date format which is detailed in the
5333 "write_date_time()" method.
5334 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5336 {
5337 type => 'date',
5338 criteria => 'greater than',
5339 value => '2011-01-01T',
5340 format => $format,
5341 }
5342 );
5343 type => 'time_period'
5345 The "time_period" type is used to specify Excel's "Dates Occurring"
5346 style conditional format.
5347 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5349 {
5350 type => 'time_period',
5351 criteria => 'yesterday',
5352 format => $format,
5353 }
5354 );
5355 The period is set in the "criteria" and can have one of the following
5357 values:
5358 criteria => 'yesterday',
5360 criteria => 'today',
5361 criteria => 'last 7 days',
5362 criteria => 'last week',
5363 criteria => 'this week',
5364 criteria => 'next week',
5365 criteria => 'last month',
5366 criteria => 'this month',
5367 criteria => 'next month'
5368 type => 'text'
5370 The "text" type is used to specify Excel's "Specific Text" style
5371 conditional format. It is used to do simple string matching using the
5372 "criteria" and "value" parameters:
5373 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5375 {
5376 type => 'text',
5377 criteria => 'containing',
5378 value => 'foo',
5379 format => $format,
5380 }
5381 );
5382 The "criteria" can have one of the following values:
5384 criteria => 'containing',
5386 criteria => 'not containing',
5387 criteria => 'begins with',
5388 criteria => 'ends with',
5389 The "value" parameter should be a string or single character.
5391 type => 'average'
5393 The "average" type is used to specify Excel's "Average" style
5394 conditional format.
5395 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5397 {
5398 type => 'average',
5399 criteria => 'above',
5400 format => $format,
5401 }
5402 );
5403 The type of average for the conditional format range is specified by
5405 the "criteria":
5406 criteria => 'above',
5408 criteria => 'below',
5409 criteria => 'equal or above',
5410 criteria => 'equal or below',
5411 criteria => '1 std dev above',
5412 criteria => '1 std dev below',
5413 criteria => '2 std dev above',
5414 criteria => '2 std dev below',
5415 criteria => '3 std dev above',
5416 criteria => '3 std dev below',
5417 type => 'duplicate'
5419 The "duplicate" type is used to highlight duplicate cells in a range:
5420 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5422 {
5423 type => 'duplicate',
5424 format => $format,
5425 }
5426 );
5427 type => 'unique'
5429 The "unique" type is used to highlight unique cells in a range:
5430 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5432 {
5433 type => 'unique',
5434 format => $format,
5435 }
5436 );
5437 type => 'top'
5439 The "top" type is used to specify the top "n" values by number or
5440 percentage in a range:
5441 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5443 {
5444 type => 'top',
5445 value => 10,
5446 format => $format,
5447 }
5448 );
5449 The "criteria" can be used to indicate that a percentage condition is
5451 required:
5452 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5454 {
5455 type => 'top',
5456 value => 10,
5457 criteria => '%',
5458 format => $format,
5459 }
5460 );
5461 type => 'bottom'
5463 The "bottom" type is used to specify the bottom "n" values by number or
5464 percentage in a range.
5465 It takes the same parameters as "top", see above.
5467 type => 'blanks'
5469 The "blanks" type is used to highlight blank cells in a range:
5470 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5472 {
5473 type => 'blanks',
5474 format => $format,
5475 }
5476 );
5477 type => 'no_blanks'
5479 The "no_blanks" type is used to highlight non blank cells in a range:
5480 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5482 {
5483 type => 'no_blanks',
5484 format => $format,
5485 }
5486 );
5487 type => 'errors'
5489 The "errors" type is used to highlight error cells in a range:
5490 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5492 {
5493 type => 'errors',
5494 format => $format,
5495 }
5496 );
5497 type => 'no_errors'
5499 The "no_errors" type is used to highlight non error cells in a range:
5500 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5502 {
5503 type => 'no_errors',
5504 format => $format,
5505 }
5506 );
5507 type => 'formula'
5509 The "formula" type is used to specify a conditional format based on a
5510 user defined formula:
5511 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A4',
5513 {
5514 type => 'formula',
5515 criteria => '=$A$1 > 5',
5516 format => $format,
5517 }
5518 );
5519 The formula is specified in the "criteria".
5521 type => '2_color_scale'
5523 The "2_color_scale" type is used to specify Excel's "2 Color Scale"
5524 style conditional format.
5525 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A12',
5527 {
5528 type => '2_color_scale',
5529 }
5530 );
5531 This conditional type can be modified with "min_type", "max_type",
5533 "min_value", "max_value", "min_color" and "max_color", see below.
5534 type => '3_color_scale'
5536 The "3_color_scale" type is used to specify Excel's "3 Color Scale"
5537 style conditional format.
5538 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A12',
5540 {
5541 type => '3_color_scale',
5542 }
5543 );
5544 This conditional type can be modified with "min_type", "mid_type",
5546 "max_type", "min_value", "mid_value", "max_value", "min_color",
5547 "mid_color" and "max_color", see below.
5548 type => 'data_bar'
5550 The "data_bar" type is used to specify Excel's "Data Bar" style
5551 conditional format.
5552 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A12',
5554 {
5555 type => 'data_bar',
5556 }
5557 );
5558 This data bar conditional type can be modified with the following
5560 parameters, which are explained in the sections below. These properties
5561 were available in the original xlsx file specification used in Excel
5562 2007::
5563 min_type
5565 max_type
5566 min_value
5567 max_value
5568 bar_color
5569 bar_only
5570 In Excel 2010 additional data bar properties were added such as solid
5572 (non-gradient) bars and control over how negative values are displayed.
5573 These properties can be set using the following parameters:
5574 bar_solid
5576 bar_negative_color
5577 bar_border_color
5578 bar_negative_border_color
5579 bar_negative_color_same
5580 bar_negative_border_color_same
5581 bar_no_border
5582 bar_direction
5583 bar_axis_position
5584 bar_axis_color
5585 data_bar_2010
5586 Files that use these Excel 2010 properties can still be opened in Excel
5588 2007 but the data bars will be displayed without them.
5589 type => 'icon_set'
5591 The "icon_set" type is used to specify a conditional format with a set
5592 of icons such as traffic lights or arrows:
5593 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:C1',
5595 {
5596 type => 'icon_set',
5597 icon_style => '3_traffic_lights',
5598 }
5599 );
5600 The icon set style is specified by the "icon_style" parameter. Valid
5602 options are:
5603 3_arrows
5605 3_arrows_gray
5606 3_flags
5607 3_signs
5608 3_symbols
5609 3_symbols_circled
5610 3_traffic_lights
5611 3_traffic_lights_rimmed
5612 4_arrows
5614 4_arrows_gray
5615 4_ratings
5616 4_red_to_black
5617 4_traffic_lights
5618 5_arrows
5620 5_arrows_gray
5621 5_quarters
5622 5_ratings
5623 The criteria, type and value of each icon can be specified using the
5625 "icon" array of hash refs with optional "criteria", "type" and "value"
5626 parameters:
5627 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:D1',
5629 {
5630 type => 'icon_set',
5631 icon_style => '4_red_to_black',
5632 icons => [ {criteria => '>', type => 'number', value => 90},
5633 {criteria => '>=', type => 'percentile', value => 50},
5634 {criteria => '>', type => 'percent', value => 25},
5635 ],
5636 }
5637 );
5638 The "icons criteria" parameter should be either ">=" or ">". The
5640 default "criteria" is ">=".
5641 The "icons type" parameter should be one of the following values:
5643 number
5645 percentile
5646 percent
5647 formula
5648 The default "type" is "percent".
5650 The "icons value" parameter can be a value or formula:
5652 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:D1',
5654 {
5655 type => 'icon_set',
5656 icon_style => '4_red_to_black',
5657 icons => [ {value => 90},
5658 {value => 50},
5659 {value => 25},
5660 ],
5661 }
5662 );
5663 Note: The "icons" parameters should start with the highest value and
5665 with each subsequent one being lower. The default "value" is "(n * 100)
5666 / number_of_icons". The lowest number icon in an icon set has
5667 properties defined by Excel. Therefore in a "n" icon set, there is no
5668 "n-1" hash of parameters.
5669 The order of the icons can be reversed using the "reverse_icons"
5671 parameter:
5672 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:C1',
5674 {
5675 type => 'icon_set',
5676 icon_style => '3_arrows',
5677 reverse_icons => 1,
5678 }
5679 );
5680 The icons can be displayed without the cell value using the
5682 "icons_only" parameter:
5683 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:C1',
5685 {
5686 type => 'icon_set',
5687 icon_style => '3_flags',
5688 icons_only => 1,
5689 }
5690 );
5691 min_type, mid_type, max_type
5693 The "min_type" and "max_type" properties are available when the
5694 conditional formatting type is "2_color_scale", "3_color_scale" or
5695 "data_bar". The "mid_type" is available for "3_color_scale". The
5696 properties are used as follows:
5697 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A12',
5699 {
5700 type => '2_color_scale',
5701 min_type => 'percent',
5702 max_type => 'percent',
5703 }
5704 );
5705 The available min/mid/max types are:
5707 min (for min_type only)
5709 num
5710 percent
5711 percentile
5712 formula
5713 max (for max_type only)
5714 min_value, mid_value, max_value
5716 The "min_value" and "max_value" properties are available when the
5717 conditional formatting type is "2_color_scale", "3_color_scale" or
5718 "data_bar". The "mid_value" is available for "3_color_scale". The
5719 properties are used as follows:
5720 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A12',
5722 {
5723 type => '2_color_scale',
5724 min_value => 10,
5725 max_value => 90,
5726 }
5727 );
5728 min_color, mid_color, max_color, bar_color
5730 The "min_color" and "max_color" properties are available when the
5731 conditional formatting type is "2_color_scale", "3_color_scale" or
5732 "data_bar". The "mid_color" is available for "3_color_scale". The
5733 properties are used as follows:
5734 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:A12',
5736 {
5737 type => '2_color_scale',
5738 min_color => "#C5D9F1",
5739 max_color => "#538ED5",
5740 }
5741 );
5742 The color can be specified as an Excel::Writer::XLSX color index or,
5744 more usefully, as a HTML style RGB hex number, as shown above.
5745 bar_only
5747 The "bar_only" parameter property displays a bar data but not the data
5748 in the cells:
5749 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'D3:D14',
5751 {
5752 type => 'data_bar',
5753 bar_only => 1
5754 }
5755 );
5756 bar_solid
5758 The "bar_solid" parameter turns on a solid (non-gradient) fill for data
5759 bars:
5760 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'H3:H14',
5762 {
5763 type => 'data_bar',
5764 bar_solid => 1
5765 }
5766 );
5767 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5769 bar_negative_color
5771 The "bar_negative_color" parameter is used to set the color fill for
5772 the negative portion of a data bar.
5773 The color can be specified as an Excel::Writer::XLSX color index or as
5775 a HTML style RGB hex number, as shown in the other examples.
5776 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5778 bar_border_color
5780 The "bar_border_color" parameter is used to set the border color of a
5781 data bar.
5782 The color can be specified as an Excel::Writer::XLSX color index or as
5784 a HTML style RGB hex number, as shown in the other examples.
5785 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5787 bar_negative_border_color
5789 The "bar_negative_border_color" parameter is used to set the border
5790 color of the negative portion of a data bar.
5791 The color can be specified as an Excel::Writer::XLSX color index or as
5793 a HTML style RGB hex number, as shown in the other examples.
5794 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5796 bar_negative_color_same
5798 The "bar_negative_color_same" parameter sets the fill color for the
5799 negative portion of a data bar to be the same as the fill color for the
5800 positive portion of the data bar:
5801 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'N3:N14',
5803 {
5804 type => 'data_bar',
5805 bar_negative_color_same => 1,
5806 bar_negative_border_color_same => 1
5807 }
5808 );
5809 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5811 bar_negative_border_color_same
5813 The "bar_negative_border_color_same" parameter sets the border color
5814 for the negative portion of a data bar to be the same as the border
5815 color for the positive portion of the data bar.
5816 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5818 bar_no_border
5820 The "bar_no_border" parameter turns off the border of a data bar.
5821 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later, however
5823 the default in Excel 2007 is not to have a border.
5824 bar_direction
5826 The "bar_direction" parameter sets the direction for data bars. This
5827 property can be either "left" for left-to-right or "right" for right-
5828 to-left. If the property isn't set then Excel will adjust the position
5829 automatically based on the context:
5830 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'J3:J14',
5832 {
5833 type => 'data_bar',
5834 bar_direction => 'right'
5835 }
5836 );
5837 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5839 bar_axis_position
5841 The "bar_axis_position" parameter sets the position within the cells
5842 for the axis that is shown in data bars when there are negative values
5843 to display. The property can be either "middle" or "none". If the
5844 property isn't set then Excel will position the axis based on the range
5845 of positive and negative values.
5846 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5848 bar_axis_color
5850 The "bar_axis_color" parameter sets the color for the axis that is
5851 shown in data bars when there are negative values to display.
5852 The color can be specified as an Excel::Writer::XLSX color index or as
5854 a HTML style RGB hex number, as shown in the other examples.
5855 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5857 data_bar_2010
5859 The "data_bar_2010" parameter sets Excel 2010 style data bars even when
5860 Excel 2010 specific properties aren't used. This can be used to create
5861 consistency across all the data bar formatting in a worksheet:
5862 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'L3:L14',
5864 {
5865 type => 'data_bar',
5866 data_bar_2010 => 1
5867 }
5868 );
5869 Note, this property is only visible in Excel 2010 and later.
5871 stop_if_true
5873 The "stop_if_true" parameter, if set to a true value, will enable the
5874 "stop if true" feature on the conditional formatting rule, so that
5875 subsequent rules are not examined for any cell on which the conditions
5876 for this rule are met.
5877 Conditional Formatting Examples
5879 Example 1. Highlight cells greater than an integer value.
5880 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5882 {
5883 type => 'cell',
5884 criteria => 'greater than',
5885 value => 5,
5886 format => $format,
5887 }
5888 );
5889 Example 2. Highlight cells greater than a value in a reference cell.
5891 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5893 {
5894 type => 'cell',
5895 criteria => 'greater than',
5896 value => '$H$1',
5897 format => $format,
5898 }
5899 );
5900 Example 3. Highlight cells greater than a certain date:
5902 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5904 {
5905 type => 'date',
5906 criteria => 'greater than',
5907 value => '2011-01-01T',
5908 format => $format,
5909 }
5910 );
5911 Example 4. Highlight cells with a date in the last seven days:
5913 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5915 {
5916 type => 'time_period',
5917 criteria => 'last 7 days',
5918 format => $format,
5919 }
5920 );
5921 Example 5. Highlight cells with strings starting with the letter "b":
5923 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5925 {
5926 type => 'text',
5927 criteria => 'begins with',
5928 value => 'b',
5929 format => $format,
5930 }
5931 );
5932 Example 6. Highlight cells that are 1 std deviation above the average
5934 for the range:
5935 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5937 {
5938 type => 'average',
5939 format => $format,
5940 }
5941 );
5942 Example 7. Highlight duplicate cells in a range:
5944 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5946 {
5947 type => 'duplicate',
5948 format => $format,
5949 }
5950 );
5951 Example 8. Highlight unique cells in a range.
5953 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5955 {
5956 type => 'unique',
5957 format => $format,
5958 }
5959 );
5960 Example 9. Highlight the top 10 cells.
5962 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5964 {
5965 type => 'top',
5966 value => 10,
5967 format => $format,
5968 }
5969 );
5970 Example 10. Highlight blank cells.
5972 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:F10',
5974 {
5975 type => 'blanks',
5976 format => $format,
5977 }
5978 );
5979 Example 11. Set traffic light icons in 3 cells:
5981 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'A1:C1',
5983 {
5984 type => 'icon_set',
5985 icon_style => '3_traffic_lights',
5986 }
5987 );
5988 See also the "conditional_format.pl" example program in "EXAMPLES".
5990
5992 Sparklines are a feature of Excel 2010+ which allows you to add small
5993 charts to worksheet cells. These are useful for showing visual trends
5994 in data in a compact format.
5995 In Excel::Writer::XLSX Sparklines can be added to cells using the
5997 "add_sparkline()" worksheet method:
5998 $worksheet->add_sparkline(
6000 {
6001 location => 'F2',
6002 range => 'Sheet1!A2:E2',
6003 type => 'column',
6004 style => 12,
6005 }
6006 );
6007 Note: Sparklines are a feature of Excel 2010+ only. You can write them
6009 to an XLSX file that can be read by Excel 2007 but they won't be
6010 displayed.
6011 add_sparkline( { parameter => 'value', ... } )
6013 The "add_sparkline()" worksheet method is used to add sparklines to a
6014 cell or a range of cells.
6015 The parameters to "add_sparkline()" must be passed in a hash ref. The
6017 main sparkline parameters are:
6018 location (required)
6020 range (required)
6021 type
6022 style
6023 markers
6025 negative_points
6026 axis
6027 reverse
6028 Other, less commonly used parameters are:
6030 high_point
6032 low_point
6033 first_point
6034 last_point
6035 max
6036 min
6037 empty_cells
6038 show_hidden
6039 date_axis
6040 weight
6041 series_color
6043 negative_color
6044 markers_color
6045 first_color
6046 last_color
6047 high_color
6048 low_color
6049 These parameters are explained in the sections below:
6051 location
6053 This is the cell where the sparkline will be displayed:
6054 location => 'F1'
6056 The "location" should be a single cell. (For multiple cells see
6058 "Grouped Sparklines" below).
6059 To specify the location in row-column notation use the
6061 "xl_rowcol_to_cell()" function from the Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility
6062 module.
6063 use Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility ':rowcol';
6065 ...
6066 location => xl_rowcol_to_cell( 0, 5 ), # F1
6067 range
6069 This specifies the cell data range that the sparkline will plot:
6070 $worksheet->add_sparkline(
6072 {
6073 location => 'F1',
6074 range => 'A1:E1',
6075 }
6076 );
6077 The "range" should be a 2D array. (For 3D arrays of cells see "Grouped
6079 Sparklines" below).
6080 If "range" is not on the same worksheet you can specify its location
6082 using the usual Excel notation:
6083 range => 'Sheet1!A1:E1',
6085 If the worksheet contains spaces or special characters you should quote
6087 the worksheet name in the same way that Excel does:
6088 range => q('Monthly Data'!A1:E1),
6090 To specify the location in row-column notation use the "xl_range()" or
6092 "xl_range_formula()" functions from the Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility
6093 module.
6094 use Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility ':rowcol';
6096 ...
6097 range => xl_range( 1, 1, 0, 4 ), # 'A1:E1'
6098 range => xl_range_formula( 'Sheet1', 0, 0, 0, 4 ), # 'Sheet1!A2:E2'
6099 type
6101 Specifies the type of sparkline. There are 3 available sparkline types:
6102 line (default)
6104 column
6105 win_loss
6106 For example:
6108 {
6110 location => 'F1',
6111 range => 'A1:E1',
6112 type => 'column',
6113 }
6114 style
6116 Excel provides 36 built-in Sparkline styles in 6 groups of 6. The
6117 "style" parameter can be used to replicate these and should be a
6118 corresponding number from 1 .. 36.
6119 {
6121 location => 'A14',
6122 range => 'Sheet2!A2:J2',
6123 style => 3,
6124 }
6125 The style number starts in the top left of the style grid and runs left
6127 to right. The default style is 1. It is possible to override colour
6128 elements of the sparklines using the *_color parameters below.
6129 markers
6131 Turn on the markers for "line" style sparklines.
6132 {
6134 location => 'A6',
6135 range => 'Sheet2!A1:J1',
6136 markers => 1,
6137 }
6138 Markers aren't shown in Excel for "column" and "win_loss" sparklines.
6140 negative_points
6142 Highlight negative values in a sparkline range. This is usually
6143 required with "win_loss" sparklines.
6144 {
6146 location => 'A21',
6147 range => 'Sheet2!A3:J3',
6148 type => 'win_loss',
6149 negative_points => 1,
6150 }
6151 axis
6153 Display a horizontal axis in the sparkline:
6154 {
6156 location => 'A10',
6157 range => 'Sheet2!A1:J1',
6158 axis => 1,
6159 }
6160 reverse
6162 Plot the data from right-to-left instead of the default left-to-right:
6163 {
6165 location => 'A24',
6166 range => 'Sheet2!A4:J4',
6167 type => 'column',
6168 reverse => 1,
6169 }
6170 weight
6172 Adjust the default line weight (thickness) for "line" style sparklines.
6173 weight => 0.25,
6175 The weight value should be one of the following values allowed by
6177 Excel:
6178 0.25 0.5 0.75
6180 1 1.25
6181 2.25
6182 3
6183 4.25
6184 6
6185 high_point, low_point, first_point, last_point
6187 Highlight points in a sparkline range.
6188 high_point => 1,
6190 low_point => 1,
6191 first_point => 1,
6192 last_point => 1,
6193 max, min
6195 Specify the maximum and minimum vertical axis values:
6196 max => 0.5,
6198 min => -0.5,
6199 As a special case you can set the maximum and minimum to be for a group
6201 of sparklines rather than one:
6202 max => 'group',
6204 See "Grouped Sparklines" below.
6206 empty_cells
6208 Define how empty cells are handled in a sparkline.
6209 empty_cells => 'zero',
6211 The available options are:
6213 gaps : show empty cells as gaps (the default).
6215 zero : plot empty cells as 0.
6216 connect: Connect points with a line ("line" type sparklines only).
6217 show_hidden
6219 Plot data in hidden rows and columns:
6220 show_hidden => 1,
6222 Note, this option is off by default.
6224 date_axis
6226 Specify an alternative date axis for the sparkline. This is useful if
6227 the data being plotted isn't at fixed width intervals:
6228 {
6230 location => 'F3',
6231 range => 'A3:E3',
6232 date_axis => 'A4:E4',
6233 }
6234 The number of cells in the date range should correspond to the number
6236 of cells in the data range.
6237 series_color
6239 It is possible to override the colour of a sparkline style using the
6240 following parameters:
6241 series_color
6243 negative_color
6244 markers_color
6245 first_color
6246 last_color
6247 high_color
6248 low_color
6249 The color should be specified as a HTML style "#rrggbb" hex value:
6251 {
6253 location => 'A18',
6254 range => 'Sheet2!A2:J2',
6255 type => 'column',
6256 series_color => '#E965E0',
6257 }
6258 Grouped Sparklines
6260 The "add_sparkline()" worksheet method can be used multiple times to
6261 write as many sparklines as are required in a worksheet.
6262 However, it is sometimes necessary to group contiguous sparklines so
6264 that changes that are applied to one are applied to all. In Excel this
6265 is achieved by selecting a 3D range of cells for the data "range" and a
6266 2D range of cells for the "location".
6267 In Excel::Writer::XLSX, you can simulate this by passing an array refs
6269 of values to "location" and "range":
6270 {
6272 location => [ 'A27', 'A28', 'A29' ],
6273 range => [ 'Sheet2!A5:J5', 'Sheet2!A6:J6', 'Sheet2!A7:J7' ],
6274 markers => 1,
6275 }
6276 Sparkline examples
6278 See the "sparklines1.pl" and "sparklines2.pl" example programs in the
6279 "examples" directory of the distro.
6280
6282 Tables in Excel are a way of grouping a range of cells into a single
6283 entity that has common formatting or that can be referenced from
6284 formulas. Tables can have column headers, autofilters, total rows,
6285 column formulas and default formatting.
6286 For more information see "An Overview of Excel Tables"
6288 <http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/overview-of-excel-tables-HA010048546.aspx>.
6289 Note, tables don't work in Excel::Writer::XLSX when
6291 "set_optimization()" mode in on.
6292 add_table( $row1, $col1, $row2, $col2, { parameter => 'value', ... })
6294 Tables are added to a worksheet using the "add_table()" method:
6295 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { %parameters } );
6297 The data range can be specified in 'A1' or 'row/col' notation (see also
6299 the note about "Cell notation" for more information):
6300 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7' );
6302 # Same as:
6303 $worksheet->add_table( 2, 1, 6, 5 );
6304 The last parameter in "add_table()" should be a hash ref containing the
6306 parameters that describe the table options and data. The available
6307 parameters are:
6308 data
6310 autofilter
6311 header_row
6312 banded_columns
6313 banded_rows
6314 first_column
6315 last_column
6316 style
6317 total_row
6318 columns
6319 name
6320 The table parameters are detailed below. There are no required
6322 parameters and the hash ref isn't required if no options are specified.
6323 data
6325 The "data" parameter can be used to specify the data in the cells of
6326 the table.
6327 my $data = [
6329 [ 'Apples', 10000, 5000, 8000, 6000 ],
6330 [ 'Pears', 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 ],
6331 [ 'Bananas', 6000, 6000, 6500, 6000 ],
6332 [ 'Oranges', 500, 300, 200, 700 ],
6333 ];
6335 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { data => $data } );
6337 Table data can also be written separately, as an array or individual
6339 cells.
6340 # These two statements are the same as the single statement above.
6342 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7' );
6343 $worksheet->write_col( 'B4', $data );
6344 Writing the cell data separately is occasionally required when you need
6346 to control the "write_*()" method used to populate the cells or if you
6347 wish to tweak the cell formatting.
6348 The "data" structure should be an array ref of array refs holding row
6350 data as shown above.
6351 header_row
6353 The "header_row" parameter can be used to turn on or off the header row
6354 in the table. It is on by default.
6355 $worksheet->add_table( 'B4:F7', { header_row => 0 } ); # Turn header off.
6357 The header row will contain default captions such as "Column 1",
6359 "Column 2", etc. These captions can be overridden using the "columns"
6360 parameter below.
6361 autofilter
6363 The "autofilter" parameter can be used to turn on or off the autofilter
6364 in the header row. It is on by default.
6365 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { autofilter => 0 } ); # Turn autofilter off.
6367 The "autofilter" is only shown if the "header_row" is on. Filters
6369 within the table are not supported.
6370 banded_rows
6372 The "banded_rows" parameter can be used to used to create rows of
6373 alternating colour in the table. It is on by default.
6374 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { banded_rows => 0 } );
6376 banded_columns
6378 The "banded_columns" parameter can be used to used to create columns of
6379 alternating colour in the table. It is off by default.
6380 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { banded_columns => 1 } );
6382 first_column
6384 The "first_column" parameter can be used to highlight the first column
6385 of the table. The type of highlighting will depend on the "style" of
6386 the table. It may be bold text or a different colour. It is off by
6387 default.
6388 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { first_column => 1 } );
6390 last_column
6392 The "last_column" parameter can be used to highlight the last column of
6393 the table. The type of highlighting will depend on the "style" of the
6394 table. It may be bold text or a different colour. It is off by default.
6395 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { last_column => 1 } );
6397 style
6399 The "style" parameter can be used to set the style of the table.
6400 Standard Excel table format names should be used (with matching
6401 capitalisation):
6402 $worksheet11->add_table(
6404 'B3:F7',
6405 {
6406 data => $data,
6407 style => 'Table Style Light 11',
6408 }
6409 );
6410 The default table style is 'Table Style Medium 9'.
6412 You can also turn the table style off by setting it to 'None':
6414 $worksheet11->add_table( 'B3:F7', { style => 'None' } );
6416 name
6418 By default tables are named "Table1", "Table2", etc. The "name"
6419 parameter can be used to set the name of the table:
6420 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { name => 'SalesData' } );
6422 If you override the table name you must ensure that it doesn't clash
6424 with an existing table name and that it follows Excel's requirements
6425 for table names
6426 <http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/excel-help/define-and-use-names-in-formulas-HA010147120.aspx#BMsyntax_rules_for_names>.
6427 If you need to know the name of the table, for example to use it in a
6429 formula, you can get it as follows:
6430 my $table = $worksheet2->add_table( 'B3:F7' );
6432 my $table_name = $table->{_name};
6433 total_row
6435 The "total_row" parameter can be used to turn on the total row in the
6436 last row of a table. It is distinguished from the other rows by a
6437 different formatting and also with dropdown "SUBTOTAL" functions.
6438 $worksheet->add_table( 'B3:F7', { total_row => 1 } );
6440 The default total row doesn't have any captions or functions. These
6442 must by specified via the "columns" parameter below.
6443 columns
6445 The "columns" parameter can be used to set properties for columns
6446 within the table.
6447 The sub-properties that can be set are:
6449 header
6451 formula
6452 total_string
6453 total_function
6454 total_value
6455 format
6456 header_format
6457 The column data must be specified as an array ref of hash refs. For
6459 example to override the default 'Column n' style table headers:
6460 $worksheet->add_table(
6462 'B3:F7',
6463 {
6464 data => $data,
6465 columns => [
6466 { header => 'Product' },
6467 { header => 'Quarter 1' },
6468 { header => 'Quarter 2' },
6469 { header => 'Quarter 3' },
6470 { header => 'Quarter 4' },
6471 ]
6472 }
6473 );
6474 If you don't wish to specify properties for a specific column you pass
6476 an empty hash ref and the defaults will be applied:
6477 ...
6479 columns => [
6480 { header => 'Product' },
6481 { header => 'Quarter 1' },
6482 { }, # Defaults to 'Column 3'.
6483 { header => 'Quarter 3' },
6484 { header => 'Quarter 4' },
6485 ]
6486 ...
6487 Column formulas can by applied using the "formula" column property:
6489 $worksheet8->add_table(
6491 'B3:G7',
6492 {
6493 data => $data,
6494 columns => [
6495 { header => 'Product' },
6496 { header => 'Quarter 1' },
6497 { header => 'Quarter 2' },
6498 { header => 'Quarter 3' },
6499 { header => 'Quarter 4' },
6500 {
6501 header => 'Year',
6502 formula => '=SUM(Table8[@[Quarter 1]:[Quarter 4]])'
6503 },
6504 ]
6505 }
6506 );
6507 The Excel 2007 "[#This Row]" and Excel 2010 "@" structural references
6509 are supported within the formula.
6510 As stated above the "total_row" table parameter turns on the "Total"
6512 row in the table but it doesn't populate it with any defaults. Total
6513 captions and functions must be specified via the "columns" property and
6514 the "total_string", "total_function" and "total_value" sub properties:
6515 $worksheet10->add_table(
6517 'B3:F8',
6518 {
6519 data => $data,
6520 total_row => 1,
6521 columns => [
6522 { header => 'Product', total_string => 'Totals' },
6523 { header => 'Quarter 1', total_function => 'sum' },
6524 { header => 'Quarter 2', total_function => 'sum' },
6525 { header => 'Quarter 3', total_function => 'sum' },
6526 { header => 'Quarter 4', total_function => 'sum' },
6527 ]
6528 }
6529 );
6530 The supported totals row "SUBTOTAL" functions are:
6532 average
6534 count_nums
6535 count
6536 max
6537 min
6538 std_dev
6539 sum
6540 var
6541 User defined functions or formulas aren't supported.
6543 It is also possible to set a calculated value for the "total_function"
6545 using the "total_value" sub property. This is only necessary when
6546 creating workbooks for applications that cannot calculate the value of
6547 formulas automatically. This is similar to setting the "value" optional
6548 property in "write_formula()":
6549 $worksheet10->add_table(
6551 'B3:F8',
6552 {
6553 data => $data,
6554 total_row => 1,
6555 columns => [
6556 { total_string => 'Totals' },
6557 { total_function => 'sum', total_value => 100 },
6558 { total_function => 'sum', total_value => 200 },
6559 { total_function => 'sum', total_value => 100 },
6560 { total_function => 'sum', total_value => 400 },
6561 ]
6562 }
6563 );
6564 Formatting can also be applied to columns, to the column data using
6566 "format" and to the header using "header_format":
6567 my $currency_format = $workbook->add_format( num_format => '$#,##0' );
6569 $worksheet->add_table(
6571 'B3:D8',
6572 {
6573 data => $data,
6574 total_row => 1,
6575 columns => [
6576 { header => 'Product', total_string => 'Totals' },
6577 {
6578 header => 'Quarter 1',
6579 total_function => 'sum',
6580 format => $currency_format,
6581 },
6582 {
6583 header => 'Quarter 2',
6584 header_format => $bold,
6585 total_function => 'sum',
6586 format => $currency_format,
6587 },
6588 ]
6589 }
6590 );
6591 Standard Excel::Writer::XLSX format objects can be used. However, they
6593 should be limited to numerical formats for the columns and simple
6594 formatting like text wrap for the headers. Overriding other table
6595 formatting may produce inconsistent results.
6596
6598 Introduction
6599 The following is a brief introduction to formulas and functions in
6600 Excel and Excel::Writer::XLSX.
6601 A formula is a string that begins with an equals sign:
6603 '=A1+B1'
6605 '=AVERAGE(1, 2, 3)'
6606 The formula can contain numbers, strings, boolean values, cell
6608 references, cell ranges and functions. Named ranges are not supported.
6609 Formulas should be written as they appear in Excel, that is cells and
6610 functions must be in uppercase.
6611 Cells in Excel are referenced using the A1 notation system where the
6613 column is designated by a letter and the row by a number. Columns range
6614 from A to XFD i.e. 0 to 16384, rows range from 1 to 1048576. The
6615 "Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility" module that is included in the distro
6616 contains helper functions for dealing with A1 notation, for example:
6617 use Excel::Writer::XLSX::Utility;
6619 ( $row, $col ) = xl_cell_to_rowcol( 'C2' ); # (1, 2)
6621 $str = xl_rowcol_to_cell( 1, 2 ); # C2
6622 The Excel "$" notation in cell references is also supported. This
6624 allows you to specify whether a row or column is relative or absolute.
6625 This only has an effect if the cell is copied. The following examples
6626 show relative and absolute values.
6627 '=A1' # Column and row are relative
6629 '=$A1' # Column is absolute and row is relative
6630 '=A$1' # Column is relative and row is absolute
6631 '=$A$1' # Column and row are absolute
6632 Formulas can also refer to cells in other worksheets of the current
6634 workbook. For example:
6635 '=Sheet2!A1'
6637 '=Sheet2!A1:A5'
6638 '=Sheet2:Sheet3!A1'
6639 '=Sheet2:Sheet3!A1:A5'
6640 q{='Test Data'!A1}
6641 q{='Test Data1:Test Data2'!A1}
6642 The sheet reference and the cell reference are separated by "!" the
6644 exclamation mark symbol. If worksheet names contain spaces, commas or
6645 parentheses then Excel requires that the name is enclosed in single
6646 quotes as shown in the last two examples above. In order to avoid using
6647 a lot of escape characters you can use the quote operator "q{}" to
6648 protect the quotes. See "perlop" in the main Perl documentation. Only
6649 valid sheet names that have been added using the "add_worksheet()"
6650 method can be used in formulas. You cannot reference external
6651 workbooks.
6652 The following table lists the operators that are available in Excel's
6654 formulas. The majority of the operators are the same as Perl's,
6655 differences are indicated:
6656 Arithmetic operators:
6658 =====================
6659 Operator Meaning Example
6660 + Addition 1+2
6661 - Subtraction 2-1
6662 * Multiplication 2*3
6663 / Division 1/4
6664 ^ Exponentiation 2^3 # Equivalent to **
6665 - Unary minus -(1+2)
6666 % Percent (Not modulus) 13%
6667 Comparison operators:
6670 =====================
6671 Operator Meaning Example
6672 = Equal to A1 = B1 # Equivalent to ==
6673 <> Not equal to A1 <> B1 # Equivalent to !=
6674 > Greater than A1 > B1
6675 < Less than A1 < B1
6676 >= Greater than or equal to A1 >= B1
6677 <= Less than or equal to A1 <= B1
6678 String operator:
6681 ================
6682 Operator Meaning Example
6683 & Concatenation "Hello " & "World!" # [1]
6684 Reference operators:
6687 ====================
6688 Operator Meaning Example
6689 : Range operator A1:A4 # [2]
6690 , Union operator SUM(1, 2+2, B3) # [3]
6691 Notes:
6694 [1]: Equivalent to "Hello " . "World!" in Perl.
6695 [2]: This range is equivalent to cells A1, A2, A3 and A4.
6696 [3]: The comma behaves like the list separator in Perl.
6697 The range and comma operators can have different symbols in non-English
6699 versions of Excel, see below.
6700 For a general introduction to Excel's formulas and an explanation of
6702 the syntax of the function refer to the Excel help files or the
6703 following:
6704 <http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/CH062528031033.aspx>.
6705 In most cases a formula in Excel can be used directly in the
6707 "write_formula" method. However, there are a few potential issues and
6708 differences that the user should be aware of. These are explained in
6709 the following sections.
6710 Non US Excel functions and syntax
6712 Excel stores formulas in the format of the US English version,
6713 regardless of the language or locale of the end-user's version of
6714 Excel. Therefore all formula function names written using
6715 Excel::Writer::XLSX must be in English:
6716 worksheet->write_formula('A1', '=SUM(1, 2, 3)'); # OK
6718 worksheet->write_formula('A2', '=SOMME(1, 2, 3)'); # French. Error on load.
6719 Also, formulas must be written with the US style separator/range
6721 operator which is a comma (not semi-colon). Therefore a formula with
6722 multiple values should be written as follows:
6723 worksheet->write_formula('A1', '=SUM(1, 2, 3)'); # OK
6725 worksheet->write_formula('A2', '=SUM(1; 2; 3)'); # Semi-colon. Error on load.
6726 If you have a non-English version of Excel you can use the following
6728 multi-lingual Formula Translator
6729 (<http://en.excel-translator.de/language/>) to help you convert the
6730 formula. It can also replace semi-colons with commas.
6731 Formulas added in Excel 2010 and later
6733 Excel 2010 and later added functions which weren't defined in the
6734 original file specification. These functions are referred to by
6735 Microsoft as future functions. Examples of these functions are "ACOT",
6736 "CHISQ.DIST.RT" , "CONFIDENCE.NORM", "STDEV.P", "STDEV.S" and
6737 "WORKDAY.INTL".
6738 When written using "write_formula()" these functions need to be fully
6740 qualified with a "_xlfn." (or other) prefix as they are shown the list
6741 below. For example:
6742 worksheet->write_formula('A1', '=_xlfn.STDEV.S(B1:B10)')
6744 They will appear without the prefix in Excel.
6746 The following list is taken from the MS XLSX extensions documentation
6748 on future functions:
6749 <http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd907480%28v=office.12%29.aspx>:
6750 _xlfn.ACOT
6752 _xlfn.ACOTH
6753 _xlfn.AGGREGATE
6754 _xlfn.ARABIC
6755 _xlfn.BASE
6756 _xlfn.BETA.DIST
6757 _xlfn.BETA.INV
6758 _xlfn.BINOM.DIST
6759 _xlfn.BINOM.DIST.RANGE
6760 _xlfn.BINOM.INV
6761 _xlfn.BITAND
6762 _xlfn.BITLSHIFT
6763 _xlfn.BITOR
6764 _xlfn.BITRSHIFT
6765 _xlfn.BITXOR
6766 _xlfn.CEILING.MATH
6767 _xlfn.CEILING.PRECISE
6768 _xlfn.CHISQ.DIST
6769 _xlfn.CHISQ.DIST.RT
6770 _xlfn.CHISQ.INV
6771 _xlfn.CHISQ.INV.RT
6772 _xlfn.CHISQ.TEST
6773 _xlfn.COMBINA
6774 _xlfn.CONFIDENCE.NORM
6775 _xlfn.CONFIDENCE.T
6776 _xlfn.COT
6777 _xlfn.COTH
6778 _xlfn.COVARIANCE.P
6779 _xlfn.COVARIANCE.S
6780 _xlfn.CSC
6781 _xlfn.CSCH
6782 _xlfn.DAYS
6783 _xlfn.DECIMAL
6784 ECMA.CEILING
6785 _xlfn.ERF.PRECISE
6786 _xlfn.ERFC.PRECISE
6787 _xlfn.EXPON.DIST
6788 _xlfn.F.DIST
6789 _xlfn.F.DIST.RT
6790 _xlfn.F.INV
6791 _xlfn.F.INV.RT
6792 _xlfn.F.TEST
6793 _xlfn.FILTERXML
6794 _xlfn.FLOOR.MATH
6795 _xlfn.FLOOR.PRECISE
6796 _xlfn.FORECAST.ETS
6797 _xlfn.FORECAST.ETS.CONFINT
6798 _xlfn.FORECAST.ETS.SEASONALITY
6799 _xlfn.FORECAST.ETS.STAT
6800 _xlfn.FORECAST.LINEAR
6801 _xlfn.FORMULATEXT
6802 _xlfn.GAMMA
6803 _xlfn.GAMMA.DIST
6804 _xlfn.GAMMA.INV
6805 _xlfn.GAMMALN.PRECISE
6806 _xlfn.GAUSS
6807 _xlfn.HYPGEOM.DIST
6808 _xlfn.IFNA
6809 _xlfn.IMCOSH
6810 _xlfn.IMCOT
6811 _xlfn.IMCSC
6812 _xlfn.IMCSCH
6813 _xlfn.IMSEC
6814 _xlfn.IMSECH
6815 _xlfn.IMSINH
6816 _xlfn.IMTAN
6817 _xlfn.ISFORMULA
6818 ISO.CEILING
6819 _xlfn.ISOWEEKNUM
6820 _xlfn.LOGNORM.DIST
6821 _xlfn.LOGNORM.INV
6822 _xlfn.MODE.MULT
6823 _xlfn.MODE.SNGL
6824 _xlfn.MUNIT
6825 _xlfn.NEGBINOM.DIST
6826 NETWORKDAYS.INTL
6827 _xlfn.NORM.DIST
6828 _xlfn.NORM.INV
6829 _xlfn.NORM.S.DIST
6830 _xlfn.NORM.S.INV
6831 _xlfn.NUMBERVALUE
6832 _xlfn.PDURATION
6833 _xlfn.PERCENTILE.EXC
6834 _xlfn.PERCENTILE.INC
6835 _xlfn.PERCENTRANK.EXC
6836 _xlfn.PERCENTRANK.INC
6837 _xlfn.PERMUTATIONA
6838 _xlfn.PHI
6839 _xlfn.POISSON.DIST
6840 _xlfn.QUARTILE.EXC
6841 _xlfn.QUARTILE.INC
6842 _xlfn.QUERYSTRING
6843 _xlfn.RANK.AVG
6844 _xlfn.RANK.EQ
6845 _xlfn.RRI
6846 _xlfn.SEC
6847 _xlfn.SECH
6848 _xlfn.SHEET
6849 _xlfn.SHEETS
6850 _xlfn.SKEW.P
6851 _xlfn.STDEV.P
6852 _xlfn.STDEV.S
6853 _xlfn.T.DIST
6854 _xlfn.T.DIST.2T
6855 _xlfn.T.DIST.RT
6856 _xlfn.T.INV
6857 _xlfn.T.INV.2T
6858 _xlfn.T.TEST
6859 _xlfn.UNICHAR
6860 _xlfn.UNICODE
6861 _xlfn.VAR.P
6862 _xlfn.VAR.S
6863 _xlfn.WEBSERVICE
6864 _xlfn.WEIBULL.DIST
6865 WORKDAY.INTL
6866 _xlfn.XOR
6867 _xlfn.Z.TEST
6868 Using Tables in Formulas
6870 Worksheet tables can be added with Excel::Writer::XLSX using the
6871 "add_table()" method:
6872 worksheet->add_table('B3:F7', {options});
6874 By default tables are named "Table1", "Table2", etc., in the order that
6876 they are added. However it can also be set by the user using the "name"
6877 parameter:
6878 worksheet->add_table('B3:F7', {'name': 'SalesData'});
6880 If you need to know the name of the table, for example to use it in a
6882 formula, you can get it as follows:
6883 table = worksheet->add_table('B3:F7');
6885 table_name = table->{_name};
6886 When used in a formula a table name such as "TableX" should be referred
6888 to as "TableX[]" (like a Perl array):
6889 worksheet->write_formula('A5', '=VLOOKUP("Sales", Table1[], 2, FALSE');
6891 Dealing with #NAME? errors
6893 If there is an error in the syntax of a formula it is usually displayed
6894 in Excel as "#NAME?". If you encounter an error like this you can debug
6895 it as follows:
6896 1. Ensure the formula is valid in Excel by copying and pasting it into
6898 a cell. Note, this should be done in Excel and not other applications
6899 such as OpenOffice or LibreOffice since they may have slightly
6900 different syntax.
6901 2. Ensure the formula is using comma separators instead of semi-colons,
6902 see "Non US Excel functions and syntax" above.
6903 3. Ensure the formula is in English, see "Non US Excel functions and
6904 syntax" above.
6905 4. Ensure that the formula doesn't contain an Excel 2010+ future
6906 function as listed in "Formulas added in Excel 2010 and later" above.
6907 If it does then ensure that the correct prefix is used.
6908 Finally if you have completed all the previous steps and still get a
6910 "#NAME?" error you can examine a valid Excel file to see what the
6911 correct syntax should be. To do this you should create a valid formula
6912 in Excel and save the file. You can then examine the XML in the
6913 unzipped file.
6914 The following shows how to do that using Linux "unzip" and libxml's
6916 xmllint <http://xmlsoft.org/xmllint.html> to format the XML for
6917 clarity:
6918 $ unzip myfile.xlsx -d myfile
6920 $ xmllint --format myfile/xl/worksheets/sheet1.xml | grep '<f>'
6921 <f>SUM(1, 2, 3)</f>
6923 Formula Results
6925 Excel::Writer::XLSX doesn't calculate the result of a formula and
6926 instead stores the value 0 as the formula result. It then sets a global
6927 flag in the XLSX file to say that all formulas and functions should be
6928 recalculated when the file is opened.
6929 This is the method recommended in the Excel documentation and in
6931 general it works fine with spreadsheet applications. However,
6932 applications that don't have a facility to calculate formulas will only
6933 display the 0 results. Examples of such applications are Excel Viewer,
6934 PDF Converters, and some mobile device applications.
6935 If required, it is also possible to specify the calculated result of
6937 the formula using the optional last "value" parameter in
6938 "write_formula":
6939 worksheet->write_formula('A1', '=2+2', num_format, 4);
6941 The "value" parameter can be a number, a string, a boolean sting
6943 ('TRUE' or 'FALSE') or one of the following Excel error codes:
6944 #DIV/0!
6946 #N/A
6947 #NAME?
6948 #NULL!
6949 #NUM!
6950 #REF!
6951 #VALUE!
6952 It is also possible to specify the calculated result of an array
6954 formula created with "write_array_formula":
6955 # Specify the result for a single cell range.
6957 worksheet->write_array_formula('A1:A1', '{=SUM(B1:C1*B2:C2)}', format, 2005);
6958 However, using this parameter only writes a single value to the upper
6960 left cell in the result array. For a multi-cell array formula where the
6961 results are required, the other result values can be specified by using
6962 "write_number()" to write to the appropriate cell:
6963 # Specify the results for a multi cell range.
6965 worksheet->write_array_formula('A1:A3', '{=TREND(C1:C3,B1:B3)}', format, 15);
6966 worksheet->write_number('A2', 12, format);
6967 worksheet->write_number('A3', 14, format);
6968
6970 An Excel "xlsm" file is exactly the same as a "xlsx" file except that
6971 is includes an additional "vbaProject.bin" file which contains
6972 functions and/or macros. Excel uses a different extension to
6973 differentiate between the two file formats since files containing
6974 macros are usually subject to additional security checks.
6975 The "vbaProject.bin" file is a binary OLE COM container. This was the
6977 format used in older "xls" versions of Excel prior to Excel 2007.
6978 Unlike all of the other components of an xlsx/xlsm file the data isn't
6979 stored in XML format. Instead the functions and macros as stored as
6980 pre-parsed binary format. As such it wouldn't be feasible to define
6981 macros and create a "vbaProject.bin" file from scratch (at least not in
6982 the remaining lifespan and interest levels of the author).
6983 Instead a workaround is used to extract "vbaProject.bin" files from
6985 existing xlsm files and then add these to Excel::Writer::XLSX files.
6986 The extract_vba utility
6988 The "extract_vba" utility is used to extract the "vbaProject.bin"
6989 binary from an Excel 2007+ xlsm file. The utility is included in the
6990 Excel::Writer::XLSX bin directory and is also installed as a standalone
6991 executable file:
6992 $ extract_vba macro_file.xlsm
6994 Extracted: vbaProject.bin
6995 Adding the VBA macros to a Excel::Writer::XLSX file
6997 Once the "vbaProject.bin" file has been extracted it can be added to
6998 the Excel::Writer::XLSX workbook using the "add_vba_project()" method:
6999 $workbook->add_vba_project( './vbaProject.bin' );
7001 If the VBA file contains functions you can then refer to them in
7003 calculations using "write_formula":
7004 $worksheet->write_formula( 'A1', '=MyMortgageCalc(200000, 25)' );
7006 Excel files that contain functions and macros should use an "xlsm"
7008 extension or else Excel will complain and possibly not open the file:
7009 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'file.xlsm' );
7011 It is also possible to assign a macro to a button that is inserted into
7013 a worksheet using the "insert_button()" method:
7014 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'file.xlsm' );
7016 ...
7017 $workbook->add_vba_project( './vbaProject.bin' );
7018 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'my_macro' } );
7020 It may be necessary to specify a more explicit macro name prefixed by
7022 the workbook VBA name as follows:
7023 $worksheet->insert_button( 'C2', { macro => 'ThisWorkbook.my_macro' } );
7025 See the "macros.pl" from the examples directory for a working example.
7027 Note: Button is the only VBA Control supported by Excel::Writer::XLSX.
7029 Due to the large effort in implementation (1+ man months) it is
7030 unlikely that any other form elements will be added in the future.
7031 Setting the VBA codenames
7033 VBA macros generally refer to workbook and worksheet objects. If the
7034 VBA codenames aren't specified then Excel::Writer::XLSX will use the
7035 Excel defaults of "ThisWorkbook" and "Sheet1", "Sheet2" etc.
7036 If the macro uses other codenames you can set them using the workbook
7038 and worksheet "set_vba_name()" methods as follows:
7039 $workbook->set_vba_name( 'MyWorkbook' );
7041 $worksheet->set_vba_name( 'MySheet' );
7042 You can find the names that are used in the VBA editor or by unzipping
7044 the "xlsm" file and grepping the files. The following shows how to do
7045 that using libxml's xmllint <http://xmlsoft.org/xmllint.html> to format
7046 the XML for clarity:
7047 $ unzip myfile.xlsm -d myfile
7049 $ xmllint --format `find myfile -name "*.xml" | xargs` | grep "Pr.*codeName"
7050 <workbookPr codeName="MyWorkbook" defaultThemeVersion="124226"/>
7052 <sheetPr codeName="MySheet"/>
7053 Note: This step is particularly important for macros created with non-
7055 English versions of Excel.
7056 What to do if it doesn't work
7058 This feature should be considered experimental and there is no
7059 guarantee that it will work in all cases. Some effort may be required
7060 and some knowledge of VBA will certainly help. If things don't work out
7061 here are some things to try:
7062 · Start with a simple macro file, ensure that it works and then add
7064 complexity.
7065 · Try to extract the macros from an Excel 2007 file. The method
7067 should work with macros from later versions (it was also tested
7068 with Excel 2010 macros). However there may be features in the macro
7069 files of more recent version of Excel that aren't backward
7070 compatible.
7071 · Check the code names that macros use to refer to the workbook and
7073 worksheets (see the previous section above). In general VBA uses a
7074 code name of "ThisWorkbook" to refer to the current workbook and
7075 the sheet name (such as "Sheet1") to refer to the worksheets. These
7076 are the defaults used by Excel::Writer::XLSX. If the macro uses
7077 other names then you can specify these using the workbook and
7078 worksheet "set_vba_name()" methods:
7079 $workbook>set_vba_name( 'MyWorkbook' );
7081 $worksheet->set_vba_name( 'MySheet' );
7082
7084 See Excel::Writer::XLSX::Examples for a full list of examples.
7085 Example 1
7087 The following example shows some of the basic features of
7088 Excel::Writer::XLSX.
7089 #!/usr/bin/perl -w
7091 use strict;
7093 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
7094 # Create a new workbook called simple.xlsx and add a worksheet
7096 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'simple.xlsx' );
7097 my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
7098 # The general syntax is write($row, $column, $token). Note that row and
7100 # column are zero indexed
7101 # Write some text
7103 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'Hi Excel!' );
7104 # Write some numbers
7107 $worksheet->write( 2, 0, 3 );
7108 $worksheet->write( 3, 0, 3.00000 );
7109 $worksheet->write( 4, 0, 3.00001 );
7110 $worksheet->write( 5, 0, 3.14159 );
7111 # Write some formulas
7114 $worksheet->write( 7, 0, '=A3 + A6' );
7115 $worksheet->write( 8, 0, '=IF(A5>3,"Yes", "No")' );
7116 # Write a hyperlink
7119 my $hyperlink_format = $workbook->add_format(
7120 color => 'blue',
7121 underline => 1,
7122 );
7123 $worksheet->write( 10, 0, 'http://www.perl.com/', $hyperlink_format );
7125 $workbook->close();
7127 Example 2
7129 The following is a general example which demonstrates some features of
7130 working with multiple worksheets.
7131 #!/usr/bin/perl -w
7133 use strict;
7135 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
7136 # Create a new Excel workbook
7138 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'regions.xlsx' );
7139 # Add some worksheets
7141 my $north = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'North' );
7142 my $south = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'South' );
7143 my $east = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'East' );
7144 my $west = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'West' );
7145 # Add a Format
7147 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
7148 $format->set_bold();
7149 $format->set_color( 'blue' );
7150 # Add a caption to each worksheet
7152 for my $worksheet ( $workbook->sheets() ) {
7153 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'Sales', $format );
7154 }
7155 # Write some data
7157 $north->write( 0, 1, 200000 );
7158 $south->write( 0, 1, 100000 );
7159 $east->write( 0, 1, 150000 );
7160 $west->write( 0, 1, 100000 );
7161 # Set the active worksheet
7163 $south->activate();
7164 # Set the width of the first column
7166 $south->set_column( 0, 0, 20 );
7167 # Set the active cell
7169 $south->set_selection( 0, 1 );
7170 $workbook->close();
7172 Example 3
7174 Example of how to add conditional formatting to an Excel::Writer::XLSX
7175 file. The example below highlights cells that have a value greater than
7176 or equal to 50 in red and cells below that value in green.
7177 #!/usr/bin/perl
7179 use strict;
7181 use warnings;
7182 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
7183 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'conditional_format.xlsx' );
7185 my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
7186 # This example below highlights cells that have a value greater than or
7189 # equal to 50 in red and cells below that value in green.
7190 # Light red fill with dark red text.
7192 my $format1 = $workbook->add_format(
7193 bg_color => '#FFC7CE',
7194 color => '#9C0006',
7195 );
7197 # Green fill with dark green text.
7199 my $format2 = $workbook->add_format(
7200 bg_color => '#C6EFCE',
7201 color => '#006100',
7202 );
7204 # Some sample data to run the conditional formatting against.
7206 my $data = [
7207 [ 34, 72, 38, 30, 75, 48, 75, 66, 84, 86 ],
7208 [ 6, 24, 1, 84, 54, 62, 60, 3, 26, 59 ],
7209 [ 28, 79, 97, 13, 85, 93, 93, 22, 5, 14 ],
7210 [ 27, 71, 40, 17, 18, 79, 90, 93, 29, 47 ],
7211 [ 88, 25, 33, 23, 67, 1, 59, 79, 47, 36 ],
7212 [ 24, 100, 20, 88, 29, 33, 38, 54, 54, 88 ],
7213 [ 6, 57, 88, 28, 10, 26, 37, 7, 41, 48 ],
7214 [ 52, 78, 1, 96, 26, 45, 47, 33, 96, 36 ],
7215 [ 60, 54, 81, 66, 81, 90, 80, 93, 12, 55 ],
7216 [ 70, 5, 46, 14, 71, 19, 66, 36, 41, 21 ],
7217 ];
7218 my $caption = 'Cells with values >= 50 are in light red. '
7220 . 'Values < 50 are in light green';
7221 # Write the data.
7223 $worksheet->write( 'A1', $caption );
7224 $worksheet->write_col( 'B3', $data );
7225 # Write a conditional format over a range.
7227 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'B3:K12',
7228 {
7229 type => 'cell',
7230 criteria => '>=',
7231 value => 50,
7232 format => $format1,
7233 }
7234 );
7235 # Write another conditional format over the same range.
7237 $worksheet->conditional_formatting( 'B3:K12',
7238 {
7239 type => 'cell',
7240 criteria => '<',
7241 value => 50,
7242 format => $format2,
7243 }
7244 );
7245 $workbook->close();
7247 Example 4
7249 The following is a simple example of using functions.
7250 #!/usr/bin/perl -w
7252 use strict;
7254 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
7255 # Create a new workbook and add a worksheet
7257 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'stats.xlsx' );
7258 my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet( 'Test data' );
7259 # Set the column width for columns 1
7261 $worksheet->set_column( 0, 0, 20 );
7262 # Create a format for the headings
7265 my $format = $workbook->add_format();
7266 $format->set_bold();
7267 # Write the sample data
7270 $worksheet->write( 0, 0, 'Sample', $format );
7271 $worksheet->write( 0, 1, 1 );
7272 $worksheet->write( 0, 2, 2 );
7273 $worksheet->write( 0, 3, 3 );
7274 $worksheet->write( 0, 4, 4 );
7275 $worksheet->write( 0, 5, 5 );
7276 $worksheet->write( 0, 6, 6 );
7277 $worksheet->write( 0, 7, 7 );
7278 $worksheet->write( 0, 8, 8 );
7279 $worksheet->write( 1, 0, 'Length', $format );
7281 $worksheet->write( 1, 1, 25.4 );
7282 $worksheet->write( 1, 2, 25.4 );
7283 $worksheet->write( 1, 3, 24.8 );
7284 $worksheet->write( 1, 4, 25.0 );
7285 $worksheet->write( 1, 5, 25.3 );
7286 $worksheet->write( 1, 6, 24.9 );
7287 $worksheet->write( 1, 7, 25.2 );
7288 $worksheet->write( 1, 8, 24.8 );
7289 # Write some statistical functions
7291 $worksheet->write( 4, 0, 'Count', $format );
7292 $worksheet->write( 4, 1, '=COUNT(B1:I1)' );
7293 $worksheet->write( 5, 0, 'Sum', $format );
7295 $worksheet->write( 5, 1, '=SUM(B2:I2)' );
7296 $worksheet->write( 6, 0, 'Average', $format );
7298 $worksheet->write( 6, 1, '=AVERAGE(B2:I2)' );
7299 $worksheet->write( 7, 0, 'Min', $format );
7301 $worksheet->write( 7, 1, '=MIN(B2:I2)' );
7302 $worksheet->write( 8, 0, 'Max', $format );
7304 $worksheet->write( 8, 1, '=MAX(B2:I2)' );
7305 $worksheet->write( 9, 0, 'Standard Deviation', $format );
7307 $worksheet->write( 9, 1, '=STDEV(B2:I2)' );
7308 $worksheet->write( 10, 0, 'Kurtosis', $format );
7310 $worksheet->write( 10, 1, '=KURT(B2:I2)' );
7311 $workbook->close();
7313 Example 5
7315 The following example converts a tab separated file called "tab.txt"
7316 into an Excel file called "tab.xlsx".
7317 #!/usr/bin/perl -w
7319 use strict;
7321 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
7322 open( TABFILE, 'tab.txt' ) or die "tab.txt: $!";
7324 my $workbook = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'tab.xlsx' );
7326 my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
7327 # Row and column are zero indexed
7329 my $row = 0;
7330 while ( <TABFILE> ) {
7332 chomp;
7333 # Split on single tab
7335 my @fields = split( '\t', $_ );
7336 my $col = 0;
7338 for my $token ( @fields ) {
7339 $worksheet->write( $row, $col, $token );
7340 $col++;
7341 }
7342 $row++;
7343 }
7344 $workbook->close();
7346 NOTE: This is a simple conversion program for illustrative purposes
7348 only. For converting a CSV or Tab separated or any other type of
7349 delimited text file to Excel I recommend the more rigorous csv2xls
7350 program that is part of H.Merijn Brand's Text::CSV_XS module distro.
7351 See the examples/csv2xls link here:
7353 <http://search.cpan.org/~hmbrand/Text-CSV_XS/MANIFEST>.
7354 Additional Examples
7356 The following is a description of the example files that are provided
7357 in the standard Excel::Writer::XLSX distribution. They demonstrate the
7358 different features and options of the module. See
7359 Excel::Writer::XLSX::Examples for more details.
7360 Getting started
7362 ===============
7363 a_simple.pl A simple demo of some of the features.
7364 bug_report.pl A template for submitting bug reports.
7365 demo.pl A demo of some of the available features.
7366 formats.pl All the available formatting on several worksheets.
7367 regions.pl A simple example of multiple worksheets.
7368 stats.pl Basic formulas and functions.
7369 Intermediate
7372 ============
7373 autofilter.pl Examples of worksheet autofilters.
7374 array_formula.pl Examples of how to write array formulas.
7375 cgi.pl A simple CGI program.
7376 chart_area.pl A demo of area style charts.
7377 chart_bar.pl A demo of bar (vertical histogram) style charts.
7378 chart_column.pl A demo of column (histogram) style charts.
7379 chart_line.pl A demo of line style charts.
7380 chart_pie.pl A demo of pie style charts.
7381 chart_doughnut.pl A demo of doughnut style charts.
7382 chart_radar.pl A demo of radar style charts.
7383 chart_scatter.pl A demo of scatter style charts.
7384 chart_secondary_axis.pl A demo of a line chart with a secondary axis.
7385 chart_combined.pl A demo of a combined column and line chart.
7386 chart_pareto.pl A demo of a combined Pareto chart.
7387 chart_stock.pl A demo of stock style charts.
7388 chart_data_table.pl A demo of a chart with a data table on the axis.
7389 chart_data_tools.pl A demo of charts with data highlighting options.
7390 chart_clustered.pl A demo of a chart with a clustered axis.
7391 chart_styles.pl A demo of the available chart styles.
7392 colors.pl A demo of the colour palette and named colours.
7393 comments1.pl Add comments to worksheet cells.
7394 comments2.pl Add comments with advanced options.
7395 conditional_format.pl Add conditional formats to a range of cells.
7396 data_validate.pl An example of data validation and dropdown lists.
7397 date_time.pl Write dates and times with write_date_time().
7398 defined_name.pl Example of how to create defined names.
7399 diag_border.pl A simple example of diagonal cell borders.
7400 filehandle.pl Examples of working with filehandles.
7401 headers.pl Examples of worksheet headers and footers.
7402 hide_row_col.pl Example of hiding rows and columns.
7403 hide_sheet.pl Simple example of hiding a worksheet.
7404 hyperlink1.pl Shows how to create web hyperlinks.
7405 hyperlink2.pl Examples of internal and external hyperlinks.
7406 indent.pl An example of cell indentation.
7407 macros.pl An example of adding macros from an existing file.
7408 merge1.pl A simple example of cell merging.
7409 merge2.pl A simple example of cell merging with formatting.
7410 merge3.pl Add hyperlinks to merged cells.
7411 merge4.pl An advanced example of merging with formatting.
7412 merge5.pl An advanced example of merging with formatting.
7413 merge6.pl An example of merging with Unicode strings.
7414 mod_perl1.pl A simple mod_perl 1 program.
7415 mod_perl2.pl A simple mod_perl 2 program.
7416 panes.pl An examples of how to create panes.
7417 outline.pl An example of outlines and grouping.
7418 outline_collapsed.pl An example of collapsed outlines.
7419 protection.pl Example of cell locking and formula hiding.
7420 rich_strings.pl Example of strings with multiple formats.
7421 right_to_left.pl Change default sheet direction to right to left.
7422 sales.pl An example of a simple sales spreadsheet.
7423 shape1.pl Insert shapes in worksheet.
7424 shape2.pl Insert shapes in worksheet. With properties.
7425 shape3.pl Insert shapes in worksheet. Scaled.
7426 shape4.pl Insert shapes in worksheet. With modification.
7427 shape5.pl Insert shapes in worksheet. With connections.
7428 shape6.pl Insert shapes in worksheet. With connections.
7429 shape7.pl Insert shapes in worksheet. One to many connections.
7430 shape8.pl Insert shapes in worksheet. One to many connections.
7431 shape_all.pl Demo of all the available shape and connector types.
7432 sparklines1.pl Simple sparklines demo.
7433 sparklines2.pl Sparklines demo showing formatting options.
7434 stats_ext.pl Same as stats.pl with external references.
7435 stocks.pl Demonstrates conditional formatting.
7436 tab_colors.pl Example of how to set worksheet tab colours.
7437 tables.pl Add Excel tables to a worksheet.
7438 write_handler1.pl Example of extending the write() method. Step 1.
7439 write_handler2.pl Example of extending the write() method. Step 2.
7440 write_handler3.pl Example of extending the write() method. Step 3.
7441 write_handler4.pl Example of extending the write() method. Step 4.
7442 write_to_scalar.pl Example of writing an Excel file to a Perl scalar.
7443 Unicode
7445 =======
7446 unicode_2022_jp.pl Japanese: ISO-2022-JP.
7447 unicode_8859_11.pl Thai: ISO-8859_11.
7448 unicode_8859_7.pl Greek: ISO-8859_7.
7449 unicode_big5.pl Chinese: BIG5.
7450 unicode_cp1251.pl Russian: CP1251.
7451 unicode_cp1256.pl Arabic: CP1256.
7452 unicode_cyrillic.pl Russian: Cyrillic.
7453 unicode_koi8r.pl Russian: KOI8-R.
7454 unicode_polish_utf8.pl Polish : UTF8.
7455 unicode_shift_jis.pl Japanese: Shift JIS.
7456
7458 The following limits are imposed by Excel 2007+:
7459 Description Limit
7461 -------------------------------------- ------
7462 Maximum number of chars in a string 32,767
7463 Maximum number of columns 16,384
7464 Maximum number of rows 1,048,576
7465 Maximum chars in a sheet name 31
7466 Maximum chars in a header/footer 254
7467 Maximum characters in hyperlink url (1) 2079
7469 Maximum number of unique hyperlinks (2) 65,530
7470 (1) Versions of Excel prior to Excel 2015 limited hyperlink links and
7472 anchor/locations to 255 characters each. Versions after that support
7473 urls up to 2079 characters. Excel::Writer::XLSX versions >= 1.0.2
7474 support the new longer limit by default.
7475 (2) Per worksheet. Excel allows a greater number of non-unique
7477 hyperlinks if they are contiguous and can be grouped into a single
7478 range. This isn't supported by Excel::Writer::XLSX.
7479
7481 The "Excel::Writer::XLSX" module is a drop-in replacement for
7482 "Spreadsheet::WriteExcel".
7483 It supports all of the features of Spreadsheet::WriteExcel with some
7485 minor differences noted below.
7486 Workbook Methods Support
7488 ================ ======
7489 new() Yes
7490 add_worksheet() Yes
7491 add_format() Yes
7492 add_chart() Yes
7493 add_shape() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7494 add_vba_project() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7495 close() Yes
7496 set_properties() Yes
7497 define_name() Yes
7498 set_tempdir() Yes
7499 set_custom_color() Yes
7500 sheets() Yes
7501 set_1904() Yes
7502 set_optimization() Yes. Not required in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7503 add_chart_ext() Not supported. Not required in Excel::Writer::XLSX.
7504 compatibility_mode() Deprecated. Not required in Excel::Writer::XLSX.
7505 set_codepage() Deprecated. Not required in Excel::Writer::XLSX.
7506 Worksheet Methods Support
7509 ================= =======
7510 write() Yes
7511 write_number() Yes
7512 write_string() Yes
7513 write_rich_string() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7514 write_blank() Yes
7515 write_row() Yes
7516 write_col() Yes
7517 write_date_time() Yes
7518 write_url() Yes
7519 write_formula() Yes
7520 write_array_formula() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7521 keep_leading_zeros() Yes
7522 write_comment() Yes
7523 show_comments() Yes
7524 set_comments_author() Yes
7525 add_write_handler() Yes
7526 insert_image() Yes.
7527 insert_chart() Yes
7528 insert_shape() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7529 insert_button() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7530 data_validation() Yes
7531 conditional_formatting() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7532 add_sparkline() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7533 add_table() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7534 get_name() Yes
7535 activate() Yes
7536 select() Yes
7537 hide() Yes
7538 set_first_sheet() Yes
7539 protect() Yes
7540 set_selection() Yes
7541 set_row() Yes.
7542 set_column() Yes.
7543 set_default_row() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7544 outline_settings() Yes
7545 freeze_panes() Yes
7546 split_panes() Yes
7547 merge_range() Yes
7548 merge_range_type() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7549 set_zoom() Yes
7550 right_to_left() Yes
7551 hide_zero() Yes
7552 set_tab_color() Yes
7553 autofilter() Yes
7554 filter_column() Yes
7555 filter_column_list() Yes. Not in Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7556 write_utf16be_string() Deprecated. Use Perl utf8 strings instead.
7557 write_utf16le_string() Deprecated. Use Perl utf8 strings instead.
7558 store_formula() Deprecated. See docs.
7559 repeat_formula() Deprecated. See docs.
7560 write_url_range() Not supported. Not required in Excel::Writer::XLSX.
7561 Page Set-up Methods Support
7563 =================== =======
7564 set_landscape() Yes
7565 set_portrait() Yes
7566 set_page_view() Yes
7567 set_paper() Yes
7568 center_horizontally() Yes
7569 center_vertically() Yes
7570 set_margins() Yes
7571 set_header() Yes
7572 set_footer() Yes
7573 repeat_rows() Yes
7574 repeat_columns() Yes
7575 hide_gridlines() Yes
7576 print_row_col_headers() Yes
7577 print_area() Yes
7578 print_across() Yes
7579 fit_to_pages() Yes
7580 set_start_page() Yes
7581 set_print_scale() Yes
7582 set_h_pagebreaks() Yes
7583 set_v_pagebreaks() Yes
7584 Format Methods Support
7586 ============== =======
7587 set_font() Yes
7588 set_size() Yes
7589 set_color() Yes
7590 set_bold() Yes
7591 set_italic() Yes
7592 set_underline() Yes
7593 set_font_strikeout() Yes
7594 set_font_script() Yes
7595 set_font_outline() Yes
7596 set_font_shadow() Yes
7597 set_num_format() Yes
7598 set_locked() Yes
7599 set_hidden() Yes
7600 set_align() Yes
7601 set_rotation() Yes
7602 set_text_wrap() Yes
7603 set_text_justlast() Yes
7604 set_center_across() Yes
7605 set_indent() Yes
7606 set_shrink() Yes
7607 set_pattern() Yes
7608 set_bg_color() Yes
7609 set_fg_color() Yes
7610 set_border() Yes
7611 set_bottom() Yes
7612 set_top() Yes
7613 set_left() Yes
7614 set_right() Yes
7615 set_border_color() Yes
7616 set_bottom_color() Yes
7617 set_top_color() Yes
7618 set_left_color() Yes
7619 set_right_color() Yes
7620
7622 <http://search.cpan.org/search?dist=Archive-Zip/>.
7623 Perl 5.8.2.
7625
7627 "Spreadsheet::WriteExcel" was written to optimise speed and reduce
7628 memory usage. However, these design goals meant that it wasn't easy to
7629 implement features that many users requested such as writing formatting
7630 and data separately.
7631 As a result "Excel::Writer::XLSX" takes a different design approach and
7633 holds a lot more data in memory so that it is functionally more
7634 flexible.
7635 The effect of this is that Excel::Writer::XLSX is about 30% slower than
7637 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel and uses 5 times more memory.
7638 In addition the extended row and column ranges in Excel 2007+ mean that
7640 it is possible to run out of memory creating large files. This was
7641 almost never an issue with Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7642 This memory usage can be reduced almost completely by using the
7644 Workbook "set_optimization()" method:
7645 $workbook->set_optimization();
7647 This also gives an increase in performance to within 1-10% of
7649 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel, see below.
7650 The trade-off is that you won't be able to take advantage of any new
7652 features that manipulate cell data after it is written. One such
7653 feature is Tables.
7654 Performance figures
7656 The performance figures below show execution speed and memory usage for
7657 60 columns x N rows for a 50/50 mixture of strings and numbers.
7658 Percentage speeds are relative to Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7659 Excel::Writer::XLSX
7661 Rows Time (s) Memory (bytes) Rel. Time
7662 400 0.66 6,586,254 129%
7663 800 1.26 13,099,422 125%
7664 1600 2.55 26,126,361 123%
7665 3200 5.16 52,211,284 125%
7666 6400 10.47 104,401,428 128%
7667 12800 21.48 208,784,519 131%
7668 25600 43.90 417,700,746 126%
7669 51200 88.52 835,900,298 126%
7670 Excel::Writer::XLSX + set_optimisation()
7672 Rows Time (s) Memory (bytes) Rel. Time
7673 400 0.70 63,059 135%
7674 800 1.10 63,059 110%
7675 1600 2.30 63,062 111%
7676 3200 4.44 63,062 107%
7677 6400 8.91 63,062 109%
7678 12800 17.69 63,065 108%
7679 25600 35.15 63,065 101%
7680 51200 70.67 63,065 101%
7681 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel
7683 Rows Time (s) Memory (bytes)
7684 400 0.51 1,265,583
7685 800 1.01 2,424,855
7686 1600 2.07 4,743,400
7687 3200 4.14 9,411,139
7688 6400 8.20 18,766,915
7689 12800 16.39 37,478,468
7690 25600 34.72 75,044,423
7691 51200 70.21 150,543,431
7692
7694 The latest version of this module is always available at:
7695 <http://search.cpan.org/search?dist=Excel-Writer-XLSX/>.
7696
7698 The module can be installed using the standard Perl procedure:
7699 perl Makefile.PL
7701 make
7702 make test
7703 make install # You may need to be sudo/root
7704
7706 Filename required by Excel::Writer::XLSX->new()
7707 A filename must be given in the constructor.
7708 Can't open filename. It may be in use or protected.
7710 The file cannot be opened for writing. The directory that you are
7711 writing to may be protected or the file may be in use by another
7712 program.
7713 Can't call method "XXX" on an undefined value at someprogram.pl.
7715 On Windows this is usually caused by the file that you are trying
7716 to create clashing with a version that is already open and locked
7717 by Excel.
7718 The file you are trying to open 'file.xls' is in a different format
7720 than specified by the file extension.
7721 This warning occurs when you create an XLSX file but give it an xls
7722 extension.
7723
7725 Depending on your requirements, background and general sensibilities
7726 you may prefer one of the following methods of getting data into Excel:
7727 · Spreadsheet::WriteExcel
7729 This module is the precursor to Excel::Writer::XLSX and uses the
7731 same interface. It produces files in the Excel Biff xls format that
7732 was used in Excel versions 97-2003. These files can still be read
7733 by Excel 2007 but have some limitations in relation to the number
7734 of rows and columns that the format supports.
7735 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
7737 · Win32::OLE module and office automation
7739 This requires a Windows platform and an installed copy of Excel.
7741 This is the most powerful and complete method for interfacing with
7742 Excel.
7743 Win32::OLE
7745 · CSV, comma separated variables or text
7747 Excel will open and automatically convert files with a "csv"
7749 extension.
7750 To create CSV files refer to the Text::CSV_XS module.
7752 · DBI with DBD::ADO or DBD::ODBC
7754 Excel files contain an internal index table that allows them to act
7756 like a database file. Using one of the standard Perl database
7757 modules you can connect to an Excel file as a database.
7758 For other Perl-Excel modules try the following search:
7760 <http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=module&query=excel>.
7761
7763 To read data from Excel files try:
7764 · Spreadsheet::XLSX
7766 A module for reading formatted or unformatted data form XLSX files.
7768 Spreadsheet::XLSX
7770 · SimpleXlsx
7772 A lightweight module for reading data from XLSX files.
7774 SimpleXlsx
7776 · Spreadsheet::ParseExcel
7778 This module can read data from an Excel XLS file but it doesn't
7780 support the XLSX format.
7781 Spreadsheet::ParseExcel
7783 · Win32::OLE module and office automation (reading)
7785 See above.
7787 · DBI with DBD::ADO or DBD::ODBC.
7789 See above.
7791 For other Perl-Excel modules try the following search:
7793 <http://search.cpan.org/search?mode=module&query=excel>.
7794
7796 · Memory usage is very high for large worksheets.
7797 If you run out of memory creating large worksheets use the
7799 "set_optimization()" method. See "SPEED AND MEMORY USAGE" for more
7800 information.
7801 · Perl packaging programs can't find chart modules.
7803 When using Excel::Writer::XLSX charts with Perl packagers such as
7805 PAR or Cava you should explicitly include the chart that you are
7806 trying to create in your "use" statements. This isn't a bug as such
7807 but it might help someone from banging their head off a wall:
7808 ...
7810 use Excel::Writer::XLSX;
7811 use Excel::Writer::XLSX::Chart::Column;
7812 ...
7813 If you wish to submit a bug report run the "bug_report.pl" program in
7815 the "examples" directory of the distro.
7816 The bug tracker is on Github:
7818 <https://github.com/jmcnamara/excel-writer-xlsx/issues>.
7819
7821 The roadmap is as follows:
7822 · New separated data/formatting API to allow cells to be formatted
7824 after data is added.
7825 · More charting features.
7827
7829 The Excel::Writer::XLSX source code in host on github:
7830 <http://github.com/jmcnamara/excel-writer-xlsx>.
7831
7833 There is a Google group for discussing and asking questions about
7834 Excel::Writer::XLSX. This is a good place to search to see if your
7835 question has been asked before:
7836 <http://groups.google.com/group/spreadsheet-writeexcel>.
7837
7839 If you'd care to donate to the Excel::Writer::XLSX project or sponsor a
7840 new feature, you can do so via PayPal: <http://tinyurl.com/7ayes>.
7841
7843 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel:
7844 <http://search.cpan.org/dist/Spreadsheet-WriteExcel>.
7845 Spreadsheet::ParseExcel:
7847 <http://search.cpan.org/dist/Spreadsheet-ParseExcel>.
7848 Spreadsheet::XLSX: <http://search.cpan.org/dist/Spreadsheet-XLSX>.
7850
7852 The following people contributed to the debugging, testing or
7853 enhancement of Excel::Writer::XLSX:
7854 Rob Messer of IntelliSurvey gave me the initial prompt to port
7856 Spreadsheet::WriteExcel to the XLSX format. IntelliSurvey
7857 (<http://www.intellisurvey.com>) also sponsored large files
7858 optimisations and the charting feature.
7859 Bariatric Advantage (<http://www.bariatricadvantage.com>) sponsored
7861 work on chart formatting.
7862 Eric Johnson provided the ability to use secondary axes with charts.
7864 Thanks to Foxtons (<http://foxtons.co.uk>) for sponsoring this work.
7865 BuildFax (<http://www.buildfax.com>) sponsored the Tables feature and
7867 the Chart point formatting feature.
7868
7870 Because this software is licensed free of charge, there is no warranty
7871 for the software, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Except
7872 when otherwise stated in writing the copyright holders and/or other
7873 parties provide the software "as is" without warranty of any kind,
7874 either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied
7875 warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The
7876 entire risk as to the quality and performance of the software is with
7877 you. Should the software prove defective, you assume the cost of all
7878 necessary servicing, repair, or correction.
7879 In no event unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing
7881 will any copyright holder, or any other party who may modify and/or
7882 redistribute the software as permitted by the above licence, be liable
7883 to you for damages, including any general, special, incidental, or
7884 consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the
7885 software (including but not limited to loss of data or data being
7886 rendered inaccurate or losses sustained by you or third parties or a
7887 failure of the software to operate with any other software), even if
7888 such holder or other party has been advised of the possibility of such
7889 damages.
7890
7892 The Perl Artistic Licence <http://dev.perl.org/licenses/artistic.html>.
7893
7895 John McNamara jmcnamara@cpan.org
7896 Wilderness for miles, eyes so mild and wise
7898 Oasis child, born and so wild
7899 Don't I know you better than the rest
7900 All deception, all deception from you
7901 Any way you run, you run before us
7903 Black and white horse arching among us
7904 Any way you run, you run before us
7905 Black and white horse arching among us
7906 -- Beach House
7908
7910 Copyright MM-MMXIX, John McNamara.
7911 All Rights Reserved. This module is free software. It may be used,
7913 redistributed and/or modified under the same terms as Perl itself.
7914perl v5.30.1 2020-01-30 Excel::Writer::XLSX(3)