3 Excel Libraries For .NET Developer
Published: 2023-10-30 09:42:54

## What is Excel?

A spreadsheet program called Microsoft Excel is produced by Microsoft and is accessible on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and iPad. It has math and calculating abilities, graphing tools, pivot tables, and the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro programming language. The Microsoft 365 software suite includes Excel. To organize data manipulations like arithmetic calculations, spreadsheet programs like Excel use a grid of multiple cells organized in numbered, multiple rows, and letter-named columns. Thanks to a wide range of integrated functions, it can meet needs in engineering, finance, and statistics.

Also, It can display integrated data as charts, line graphs, and histograms and includes a fully functional three-dimensional graphic presentation. Data can be separated into sections to analyze how different factors affect it from different perspectives.

## What is .Net framework?

Microsoft created the exclusive software framework known as the.NET Framework, which is largely used with Windows. Up until the cross-platform.NET project took its place, it was the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) implementation that was most widely used. It offers language compatibility across a number of different programming languages and comes with a sizable class library called the Framework Class Library (FCL).

The Common Language Runtime (CLR) is the software environment in which programs created for the.NET Framework run. Security, memory management, and exception handling are just a few of the functions offered by the CLR, an application virtual machine. As a result, "managed code" refers to computer code created using the.NET Framework. Together, FCL and CLR make up the.NET Framework.

## FastExcel

FastExcel is a flexible and strong library for reading, writing, editing, and other crucial Excel tasks. All.NET project templates, including ASP.NET, Windows Applications, and.NET Core Applications, are supported. For developers creating.NET applications, FastExcel is incredibly simple to utilize.

On a local workstation where we need to use the FastExcel library, Microsoft Office does not need to be installed. Additionally, FastExcel does not perform Excel functions using Excel Interop. Working with Excel files in the.NET environment is incredibly simple, quick, and effortless thanks to FastExcel.Without intricate programming knowledge, all Excel operations and calculations are simple to complete using FastExcel.

With just a few lines of code, developers may use the sum function, multiple rows, and total columns, read and write Excel files, alter Excel tables, add and remove columns and rows, and conduct many other unique Excel actions. The library is open-source. Consequently, it has no pricing structure. You can utilize it for Excel's fundamental features. some code Samples are below.

```
using (FastExcel.FastExcel fastExcel = new FastExcel.FastExcel(new FileInfo("Template.xlsx"), new FileInfo("OutputData.xlsx")))
{
 //Create a excel worksheets with some rows using List
 var worksheet = new Worksheet();
 var rows = new List();
 for (int rowNumber = 1; rowNumber < 5; rowNumber++)
 {
  List cells = new List();
  for (int columnNumber = 1; columnNumber < 13; columnNumber++)
  {
   cells.Add(new Cell(columnNumber, columnNumber * DateTime.Now.Millisecond));
  }
  cells.Add(new Cell(13,"FileFormat" + rowNumber));
  cells.Add(new Cell(14,"Dog"));
  cells.Add(new Cell(15,"Cat"));
  rows.Add(new Row(rowNumber, cells));
 }
 worksheet.Rows = rows;

 fastExcel.Write(worksheet,"sheet1");
}

```

## IronXL

The C# IronXL.NET Excel library allows you to read Microsoft Excel documents and convert them to CSV files. It is not necessary to install Microsoft Office or Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel in order for IronXL, a standalone.NET software library, to read numerous spreadsheet formats.

IronXL's straightforward C# API makes it simple to read, edit, and generate Excel spreadsheets in a.NET environment. IronXL offers complete support for Azure,.NET Core,.NET Framework, Xamarin, Mobile, Linux, and macOS.

- With support for both the.NET Framework and.NET Core, IronXL is among the greatest Excel spreadsheet libraries for C#.
- Virtually every.NET Framework is supported by IronXL, including Windows Forms, console programs, and web programs.
- The Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems are all compatible with IronXL.
- Read and writing Excel files by using IronXL is quick and easy.
- XLSX, CSV, XLS, XLST, TSV, XLSM, and additional Excel file types can all be read by IronXL. The ability to import, update, and export data tables and datasets is only one of several possibilities available to us.
- Calculations for Excel can be produced by IronXL.
- Text, numbers, formulas, dates, currencies, and percentages are just a few of the Excel column data formats that IronXL supports.
- Excel column data types supported by IronXL include text, integers, formulas, dates, currencies, and percentages.
There are three pricing tiers for IronXL. The entry-level package costs $749. However, it is free for use in development. Also available is a 30-day free trial. The provided image contains further details. The code sample is below.

```
using IronXL;
//reading excel files using Load method
WorkBook workbook = WorkBook.Load("data.xlsx");
WorkSheet sheet = workbook.WorkSheets.First();
//Display cell data one by one
foreach (var cell in sheet["A1:B10"])
{
    Console.WriteLine(cell.Text);
}
```

## EPPlus

Access to Excel's objects and operations, including VBA and API, is made possible through the EPPlus C# Excel Library. With EPPlus, programmers may use Excel to create sophisticated applications or quickly create spreadsheets.

The library has tools for editing pivot table fields, and spreadsheets, producing charts and graphs, managing rows and columns, working with pictures, and exporting data to various formats. Microsoft Excel or any other library is not a dependency on EPPlus. EPPlus is constantly changing to meet user needs and adapt to changes in the Excel spreadsheet environment. It is not just a static library.

You can track their changelog's development by doing so. NuGet distributes EPPlus. Version 5 of EPPlus is compatible with.NET Framework starting at version 3.5 and.NET Core starting at version 2.0.EPPlus's pricing schemes are a little bit hazy. They didn't give detailed explanations of how the pricing plans operate whether we need to make yearly purchases or if they are ongoing.

## Conclusion

The top libraries in every discipline are all outstanding. But each library has advantages and disadvantages. Since EPPlus lacks a tutorial manual, developers are unaware of how this library will function. But it has a GitHub repository. Additionally, the pricing structure is unclear.

Although it is sound, the fast Excel library has few features. However, as it is an open-source library, we are able to use it in projects for profit. A brief Excel library, however, is not, in my opinion, compatible with major projects. If you chose IronXL or EPPlus library to leverage Excel operations in your significant commercial project, that would be beneficial.

With all the sophisticated capabilities we need for a complex Excel application, the IronXL library is a mature library. The great thing is that it provides a 30-day free trial in the ads, making it simple to check if it is compatible.