How do I read an XLSX file in Swift using CoreXLSX?

Initialize an XLSXFile with the file path, then parse workbooks and worksheets to iterate through cells. The README provides a code example showing how to access cell data, shared strings, and styles step by step.

Can CoreXLSX edit or write Excel files?

No, CoreXLSX is read-only and focused on parsing; for writing XLSX files, you'd need to look at other libraries or manually construct the XML structure based on CoreXLSX's models.

How does CoreXLSX handle empty cells vs. missing cells?

It follows the XLSX format's distinction: empty cells are included in the data if written, while absent cells are omitted for efficiency. You must check the cells array for presence, as explained in the README's 'Empty cells' section.

CoreXLSX vs. other Swift Excel libraries like SwiftExcel?

CoreXLSX excels in accurate, low-level parsing with pure Swift and no external C dependencies, but lacks write support and high-level abstractions compared to some alternatives that may offer more features at the cost of complexity or external libraries.

Does CoreXLSX support encrypted XLSX files?

Not directly; for ECMA-376 agile encryption, you need to use the separate CryptoOffice library to decrypt files first, as mentioned in the README, before parsing with CoreXLSX.

How to get a cell value by its reference (e.g., 'A1') in CoreXLSX?

You have to iterate through all cells and build a custom dictionary mapping references to values, since CoreXLSX does not provide automatic lookup. Each cell has a reference property for its location.

Is CoreXLSX compatible with older .xls Excel files?

No, it only supports the XML-based .xlsx format; for legacy .xls files, the README recommends using other libraries like libxls, as the internals are completely different.

Open-Awesome

CoreXLSX

Apache-2.0Swift0.14.2

A pure Swift library for parsing and reading Excel XLSX spreadsheet files.

GitHub

900 stars108 forks0 contributors

What is CoreXLSX?

CoreXLSX is a Swift library that parses Excel XLSX spreadsheet files, mapping their internal XML structure into native Swift model types. It enables developers to read data, styles, and metadata from .xlsx files programmatically, solving the need for a pure-Swift solution to interact with Excel files without relying on external C libraries or complex APIs.

Target Audience

Swift developers working on Apple platforms or Linux who need to read and process Excel XLSX files in their applications, such as data import/export tools, reporting systems, or office automation projects.

Value Proposition

Developers choose CoreXLSX for its pure Swift implementation, seamless integration with Swift's Codable ecosystem, and accurate low-level representation of XLSX files. It offers cross-platform support and efficient handling of sparse spreadsheets without external dependencies.

Overview

Excel spreadsheet (XLSX) format parser written in pure Swift

Use Cases

Best For

Reading data from Excel XLSX files in Swift-based iOS or macOS apps
Building data import/export features that support Excel spreadsheets
Extracting cell values, styles, and metadata from .xlsx files programmatically
Processing sparse spreadsheets efficiently without loading empty cells
Integrating Excel file parsing into server-side Swift applications on Linux
Creating tools for office automation or reporting that require XLSX support

Not Ideal For

Applications that need to create, edit, or write back to Excel files
Projects requiring support for legacy .xls spreadsheet formats
Teams looking for a high-level, drop-in API for quick cell lookup by reference
Use cases involving encrypted XLSX files without integrating the separate CryptoOffice library

Pros & Cons

Pros

Pure Swift Implementation

Built entirely in Swift with no external C libraries, leveraging Swift's Codable protocol for seamless XML decoding and cross-platform compatibility on iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and Linux.

Accurate Low-Level Mapping

Maps the exact internal XML structure of XLSX files into native Swift model types, providing detailed error reporting via Codable for compatibility issues and accurate representation.

Efficient Sparse Data Handling

Distinguishes between empty cells and absent cells, optimizing performance for spreadsheets with large gaps and reducing memory usage, as highlighted in the README's explanation of sparse spreadsheets.

Style and Metadata Access

Provides APIs to parse cell styles, fonts, and shared strings, allowing extraction of formatting information and rich text values directly from the XLSX archive.

Cons

Read-Only Limitation

Only supports reading XLSX files, with no capability to create or modify spreadsheets, restricting use cases to data extraction rather than full editing workflows.

Manual Cell Reference Management

Requires developers to implement custom mapping for cell lookups by reference (e.g., 'A1'), as the library does not provide automatic indexing, adding complexity for high-level access.

Limited Format Support

Exclusively handles the modern .xlsx format, with no built-in support for older .xls files or encrypted spreadsheets without relying on additional libraries like CryptoOffice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

NetNewsWire

RSS reader for macOS and iOS.

Stars9,985

Forks689

Last commit3 days ago

FeedKit

FeedKit is a Swift library for Reading and Generating RSS, Atom, and JSON feeds.

Stars1,324

Forks198

Last commit2 months ago

WKZombie

WKZombie is a Swift framework for iOS/OSX to navigate within websites and collect data without the need of User Interface or API, also known as Headless browser. It can be used to run automated tests / snapshots and manipulate websites using Javascript.

Stars1,181

Forks100

Last commit5 years ago

SVGView

SVG parser and renderer written in SwiftUI

Stars843

Forks109

Last commit1 year ago

Community-curated · Updated weekly · 100% open source

Found a gem we're missing?

Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.

Submit a project Star on GitHub