Read an existing Excel Spreadsheet

Create a new Java project "JavaExcelRead" and save it somewhere, e.g. "c:/temp/lars.xls".

Create an excel spreadsheet.

Create a package "reader" and the following class "ReadExcel".

I assume that the coding is pretty much self-explaining. I tried to add lots of comments to make it easier to understand.For more complex examples have a look at the excellent documentation of the Java Excel API which is also part of the distribution.


package reader;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;

import jxl.Cell;
import jxl.CellType;
import jxl.Sheet;
import jxl.Workbook;
import jxl.read.biff.BiffException;
import jxl.write.Label;
import jxl.write.Number;
import jxl.write.WriteException;

public class ReadExcel {

private String inputFile;

public void setInputFile(String inputFile) {
this.inputFile = inputFile;
}

public void read() throws IOException, WriteException {
File inputWorkbook = new File(inputFile);
Workbook w;
try {
w = Workbook.getWorkbook(inputWorkbook);
// Get the first sheet
Sheet sheet = w.getSheet(0);
// Loop over first 10 column and lines

for (int j = 0; j < sheet.getColumns(); j++) {
for (int i = 0; i < sheet.getRows(); i++) {
Cell cell = sheet.getCell(j, i);
CellType type = cell.getType();
if (cell.getType() == CellType.LABEL) {
System.out.println("I got a label "
+ cell.getContents());
}

if (cell.getType() == CellType.NUMBER) {
System.out.println("I got a number "
+ cell.getContents());
}

}
}
} catch (BiffException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}

public static void main(String[] args) throws WriteException, IOException {
ReadExcel test = new ReadExcel();
test.setInputFile("c:/temp/lars.xls");
test.read();
}

}

Create an Excel Spreadsheet

Create a new Java project "JavaExcelWrite".

Create a package "writer" and the following class "CreateExcel".

I assume that the coding is pretty much self-explaining. I tried to add lots of comments to make it easier to understand.For more complex examples have a look at the excellent documentation of the Java Excel API which is also part of the distribution.


package writer;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.Locale;

import jxl.CellView;
import jxl.Workbook;
import jxl.WorkbookSettings;
import jxl.format.UnderlineStyle;
import jxl.write.Formula;
import jxl.write.Label;
import jxl.write.Number;
import jxl.write.WritableCellFormat;
import jxl.write.WritableFont;
import jxl.write.WritableSheet;
import jxl.write.WritableWorkbook;
import jxl.write.WriteException;
import jxl.write.biff.RowsExceededException;


public class WriteExcel {

private WritableCellFormat timesBoldUnderline;
private WritableCellFormat times;
private String inputFile;

public void setOutputFile(String inputFile) {
this.inputFile = inputFile;
}

public void write() throws IOException, WriteException {
File file = new File(inputFile);
WorkbookSettings wbSettings = new WorkbookSettings();

wbSettings.setLocale(new Locale("en", "EN"));

WritableWorkbook workbook = Workbook.createWorkbook(file, wbSettings);
workbook.createSheet("Report", 0);
WritableSheet excelSheet = workbook.getSheet(0);
createLabel(excelSheet);
createContent(excelSheet);

workbook.write();
workbook.close();
}

private void createLabel(WritableSheet sheet)
throws WriteException {
// Lets create a times font
WritableFont times10pt = new WritableFont(WritableFont.TIMES, 10);
// Define the cell format
times = new WritableCellFormat(times10pt);
// Lets automatically wrap the cells
times.setWrap(true);

// Create create a bold font with unterlines
WritableFont times10ptBoldUnderline = new WritableFont(
WritableFont.TIMES, 10, WritableFont.BOLD, false,
UnderlineStyle.SINGLE);
timesBoldUnderline = new WritableCellFormat(times10ptBoldUnderline);
// Lets automatically wrap the cells
timesBoldUnderline.setWrap(true);

CellView cv = new CellView();
cv.setFormat(times);
cv.setFormat(timesBoldUnderline);
cv.setAutosize(true);

// Write a few headers
addCaption(sheet, 0, 0, "Header 1");
addCaption(sheet, 1, 0, "This is another header");


}

private void createContent(WritableSheet sheet) throws WriteException,
RowsExceededException {
// Write a few number
for (int i = 1; i < 10; i++) {
// First column
addNumber(sheet, 0, i, i + 10);
// Second column
addNumber(sheet, 1, i, i * i);
}
// Lets calculate the sum of it
StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer();
buf.append("SUM(A2:A10)");
Formula f = new Formula(0, 10, buf.toString());
sheet.addCell(f);
buf = new StringBuffer();
buf.append("SUM(B2:B10)");
f = new Formula(1, 10, buf.toString());
sheet.addCell(f);

// Now a bit of text
for (int i = 12; i < 20; i++) {
// First column
addLabel(sheet, 0, i, "Boring text " + i);
// Second column
addLabel(sheet, 1, i, "Another text");
}
}

private void addCaption(WritableSheet sheet, int column, int row, String s)
throws RowsExceededException, WriteException {
Label label;
label = new Label(column, row, s, timesBoldUnderline);
sheet.addCell(label);
}

private void addNumber(WritableSheet sheet, int column, int row,
Integer integer) throws WriteException, RowsExceededException {
Number number;
number = new Number(column, row, integer, times);
sheet.addCell(number);
}

private void addLabel(WritableSheet sheet, int column, int row, String s)
throws WriteException, RowsExceededException {
Label label;
label = new Label(column, row, s, times);
sheet.addCell(label);
}

public static void main(String[] args) throws WriteException, IOException {
WriteExcel test = new WriteExcel();
test.setOutputFile("c:/temp/lars.xls");
test.write();
System.out
.println("Please check the result file under c:/temp/lars.xls ");
}
}