Create and manage tables of Microsoft Excel files with Node.js via C++

Create Table

One of the advantages of spreadsheets is that they allow you to create different types of lists, for example, phone lists, task lists, lists of transactions, assets or liabilities. Several users can work together to use, create and maintain various lists.

Aspose.Cells supports creating and managing Lists.

Advantages of a List Object

There are quite a few advantages when you convert a list of data to an actual List Object

New rows and columns are automatically included.
A total row at the bottom of your list can be easily added to display SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, etc.
Columns added to the right are automatically incorporated into the List object.
Charts based on rows and columns will be expanded automatically.
Named ranges assigned to rows and columns will be expanded automatically.
The list is protected from accidental row and column deletion.

Creating a List Object using Microsoft Excel

Selecting the data range for creating a List object
This displays the Create List dialog.
Implement the List object for the data and specify the total row (Select Data, then List, followed by Total Row).

Using Aspose.Cells API

Aspose.Cells provides a class, Workbook, that represents a Microsoft Excel file. The Workbook class contains a getWorksheets() collection that allows access to each worksheet in an Excel file.

A worksheet is represented by the Worksheet class. The Worksheet class provides a wide range of properties and methods for managing a worksheet. To create a ListObject in a worksheet, use the getListObjects() collection property of the Worksheet class. Each ListObject is, in fact, an object of the ListObjectCollection class, which further provides the add(number, number, number, number, boolean) method for adding a List object and specifying a range of cells for the list.

According to the specified range of cells, the List object is created by Aspose.Cells. Use attributes (for example, getShowTotals(), getListColumns(), etc.) of the ListObject class to control the list.

In the example given below, we have created the same ListObject using Aspose.Cells API as we created using Microsoft Excel in the above section.

const path = require("path");
const AsposeCells = require("aspose.cells.node");

// The path to the documents directory.
const dataDir = path.join(__dirname, "data");
const filePath = path.join(dataDir, "book1.xls");

// Create a Workbook object.
// Open a template excel file.
const workbook = new AsposeCells.Workbook(filePath);

// Get the List objects collection in the first worksheet.
const listObjects = workbook.getWorksheets().get(0).getListObjects();

// Add a List based on the data source range with headers on.
listObjects.add(1, 1, 7, 5, true);

// Show the total row for the List.
listObjects.get(0).setShowTotals(true);

// Calculate the total of the last (5th) list column.
listObjects.get(0).getListColumns().get(4).setTotalsCalculation(AsposeCells.TotalsCalculation.Sum);

// Save the excel file.
workbook.save(path.join(dataDir, "output.xls"));

Format a Table

To manage and analyze a group of related data, it is possible to turn a range of cells into a list object (also known as an Excel table). A table is a series of rows and columns that contain related data managed independently from the data in other rows and columns. By default, every column in the table has filtering enabled in the header row so that you can filter or sort your list object data quickly. You can add a total row (a special row in a list that provides a selection of aggregate functions useful for working with numerical data) to the list object that provides a drop-down list of aggregate functions for each total row cell. Aspose.Cells provides options for creating and managing lists (or tables).

Formatting a List Object

A worksheet is represented by the Worksheet class. The Worksheet class provides a wide range of properties and methods for managing worksheets. To create a ListObject in a worksheet, use the getListObjects() collection property of the Worksheet class. Each ListObject is, in fact, an object of the ListObjectCollection class, which further provides the add(number, number, number, number, boolean) method to add a List object and specify the range of cells it should encompass. According to the specified range of cells, a ListObject is created in the worksheet by Aspose.Cells. Use attributes (for example, TableStyleType) of the ListObject class to format the table for your requirement.

The example below adds sample data to a worksheet, adds a ListObject and applies default styles to it. ListObject styles are supported by Microsoft Excel 2007/2010.

const AsposeCells = require("aspose.cells.node");
const path = require("path");

// The path to the documents directory.
const dataDir = path.join(__dirname, "data");

// Create a workbook.
const workbook = new AsposeCells.Workbook();

// Obtaining the reference of the default(first) worksheet
const sheet = workbook.getWorksheets().get(0);

// Obtaining Worksheet's cells collection
const cells = sheet.getCells();

// Setting the value to the cells
cells.get(1, 1).putValue("Employee");
cells.get(1, 2).putValue("Quarter");
cells.get(1, 3).putValue("Product");
cells.get(1, 4).putValue("Continent");
cells.get(1, 5).putValue("Country");
cells.get(1, 6).putValue("Sale");

cells.get(2, 1).putValue("David");
cells.get(3, 1).putValue("David");
cells.get(4, 1).putValue("David");
cells.get(5, 1).putValue("David");
cells.get(6, 1).putValue("James");
cells.get(7, 1).putValue("James");
cells.get(8, 1).putValue("James");
cells.get(9, 1).putValue("James");
cells.get(10, 1).putValue("James");
cells.get(11, 1).putValue("Miya");
cells.get(12, 1).putValue("Miya");
cells.get(13, 1).putValue("Miya");
cells.get(14, 1).putValue("Miya");
cells.get(15, 1).putValue("Miya");
cells.get(2, 2).putValue(1);
cells.get(3, 2).putValue(2);
cells.get(4, 2).putValue(3);
cells.get(5, 2).putValue(4);
cells.get(6, 2).putValue(1);
cells.get(7, 2).putValue(2);
cells.get(8, 2).putValue(3);
cells.get(9, 2).putValue(4);
cells.get(10, 2).putValue(4);
cells.get(11, 2).putValue(1);
cells.get(12, 2).putValue(1);
cells.get(13, 2).putValue(2);
cells.get(14, 2).putValue(2);
cells.get(15, 2).putValue(2);

cells.get(2, 3).putValue("Maxilaku");
cells.get(3, 3).putValue("Maxilaku");
cells.get(4, 3).putValue("Chai");
cells.get(5, 3).putValue("Maxilaku");
cells.get(6, 3).putValue("Chang");
cells.get(7, 3).putValue("Chang");
cells.get(8, 3).putValue("Chang");
cells.get(9, 3).putValue("Chang");
cells.get(10, 3).putValue("Chang");
cells.get(11, 3).putValue("Geitost");
cells.get(12, 3).putValue("Chai");
cells.get(13, 3).putValue("Geitost");
cells.get(14, 3).putValue("Geitost");
cells.get(15, 3).putValue("Geitost");

cells.get(2, 4).putValue("Asia");
cells.get(3, 4).putValue("Asia");
cells.get(4, 4).putValue("Asia");
cells.get(5, 4).putValue("Asia");
cells.get(6, 4).putValue("Europe");
cells.get(7, 4).putValue("Europe");
cells.get(8, 4).putValue("Europe");
cells.get(9, 4).putValue("Europe");
cells.get(10, 4).putValue("Europe");
cells.get(11, 4).putValue("America");
cells.get(12, 4).putValue("America");
cells.get(13, 4).putValue("America");
cells.get(14, 4).putValue("America");
cells.get(15, 4).putValue("America");

cells.get(2, 5).putValue("China");
cells.get(3, 5).putValue("India");
cells.get(4, 5).putValue("Korea");
cells.get(5, 5).putValue("India");
cells.get(6, 5).putValue("France");
cells.get(7, 5).putValue("France");
cells.get(8, 5).putValue("Germany");
cells.get(9, 5).putValue("Italy");
cells.get(10, 5).putValue("France");
cells.get(11, 5).putValue("U.S.");
cells.get(12, 5).putValue("U.S.");
cells.get(13, 5).putValue("Brazil");
cells.get(14, 5).putValue("U.S.");
cells.get(15, 5).putValue("U.S.");

cells.get(2, 6).putValue(2000);
cells.get(3, 6).putValue(500);
cells.get(4, 6).putValue(1200);
cells.get(5, 6).putValue(1500);
cells.get(6, 6).putValue(500);
cells.get(7, 6).putValue(1500);
cells.get(8, 6).putValue(800);
cells.get(9, 6).putValue(900);
cells.get(10, 6).putValue(500);
cells.get(11, 6).putValue(1600);
cells.get(12, 6).putValue(600);
cells.get(13, 6).putValue(2000);
cells.get(14, 6).putValue(500);
cells.get(15, 6).putValue(900);

// Adding a new List Object to the worksheet
const index = sheet.getListObjects().add("A1", "F15", true);

const listObject = sheet.getListObjects().get(index);

// Adding Default Style to the table
listObject.setTableStyleType(AsposeCells.TableStyleType.TableStyleMedium10);

// Show Total
listObject.setShowTotals(true);

// Set the Quarter field's calculation type
listObject.getListColumns().get(1).setTotalsCalculation(AsposeCells.TotalsCalculation.Count);

// Saving the Excel file
workbook.save(path.join(dataDir, "output.xlsx"));

Advance topics

Insert Pictures and Shapes of Excel files with Node.js via C++ Insert Pivot Table