README

Path: README
Last Update: Sun Oct 26 16:56:16 +0000 2008

Description

   This is a port of John McNamara's Perl module "Spreadsheet::WriteExcel". It
   allows you to generate Microsoft Excel compatible spreadsheets (in
   Excel 95 format) on *any* platform. These spreadsheets are viewable
   with most other popular spreadsheet programs, including Gnumeric.

Installation

Standard Installation

   ruby test/ts_all.rb (optional)
   ruby install.rb

Gem Installation

   ruby test/ts_all.rb (optional)
   ruby spreadsheet-excel.gemspec
   gem install spreadsheet-excel-x.y.z.gem # where 'x.y.z' is the version

   or directly via RubyForge:
   gem install spreadsheet-excel

Synopsis

   require "spreadsheet/excel"
   include Spreadsheet

   workbook = Excel.new("test.xls")

   format = Format.new
   format.color = "green"
   format.bold  = true

   worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet
   worksheet.write(0, 0, "Hello", format)
   worksheet.write(1, 1, ["Matz","Larry","Guido"])

   workbook.close

What it doesn‘t do

   There is no support for formulas (yet).
   There is no support for worksheets greater than 7 MB.
   You cannot read/parse an existing spreadsheet with this package.

Regarding formula support

   Simple formulas are easy enough, but to handle complex formulas in a
   reasonable fashion requires a parser.  John used "Parse::RecDescent" in his
   own code to parse formulas and I will need something similar to do so as
   well. Since I'm not too good at parsing, and I don't personally have the
   need for formula support, I'm more or less waiting for a patch.

Regarding the 7MB limit

   Getting past the 7 MB limit requires an interface to the MS structured
   storage format.  This doesn't exist (yet) in Ruby.  For more on structured
   storage documents, download this: http://www.i3a.org/pdf/wg1n1017.pdf
   (there's a structured storage section).  That, and there is information
   about structured storage on the MSDN website at http://microsoft.msdn.com

More information

   See the documentation in the 'doc' directory for more details.

Known Bugs

   None that I'm aware of.  If you find any, please log them on the project
   page at http://rubyspreadsheet.sf.net.

License

   Ruby's

Copyright

   (C) 2005, Daniel J. Berger
   All Rights Reserved

Author

   Daniel J. Berger
   djberg96 at gmail dot com
   IRC nickname: imperator/mok/rubyhacker1 (freenode)

Maintainer

   Hannes Wyss
   hannes.wyss@gmail.com

[Validate]