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Agent Sheet SDK

Supported formats

read detects a format from file content. For output, set bookType on write or let writeFile infer the format from the filename.

Full distribution

Section titled “Full distribution”
Format bookType Read Write
Excel workbook 2007+ xlsx Yes Yes
Excel macro workbook / add-in xlsm, xlam Yes Yes
Excel binary workbook 2007+ xlsb Yes Yes
Excel 97–2004 / BIFF8 xls, biff8 Yes Yes
Earlier Excel BIFF versions biff5, biff4, biff3, biff2 Yes Yes
Excel 97 add-in xla Yes Yes
Excel 2003 XML xlml Yes Yes
OpenDocument spreadsheet ods Yes Yes
Flat OpenDocument spreadsheet fods Yes Yes
Apple Numbers numbers Yes Yes, with payload
Comma-separated values csv Yes Yes
Tab-delimited text txt Yes Yes
Formatted/fixed-width text prn Yes Yes
SYLK sylk (slk alias) Yes Yes
Data Interchange Format dif Yes Yes
dBASE table dbf Yes Yes
Ethercalc eth Yes Yes
HTML table html Yes Yes
RTF table rtf Yes Yes
Lotus 1-2-3 wk1, wk3 Yes Yes

Some runtime-supported identifiers are missing from the TypeScript BookType union. See TypeScript before using xlam, biff3, biff4, wk1, or wk3 in typed code.

Choose an output format

Section titled “Choose an output format”
const XLSX = require("@agent-sheet/wasm");
const assert = require("node:assert/strict");
const workbook = XLSX.utils.book_new();
XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(workbook, XLSX.utils.aoa_to_sheet([["Name", "Score"], ["Lee", 9]]), "Results");
for (const bookType of ["xlsx", "xlsb", "xls", "ods"]) {
  const data = XLSX.write(workbook, { type: "buffer", bookType });
  const result = XLSX.read(data);
  assert.equal(result.Sheets[result.SheetNames[0]].B2.v, 9);
}

Text formats generally hold one sheet. Select it with the write option sheet (name or zero-based index); the default is the first worksheet. CSV has no representation for workbook styles, formulas, merges, or extra worksheets.

Numbers writing requires the numbers option. See Distribution files.

Reduced mini distribution

Section titled “Reduced mini distribution”

dist/xlsx.mini.min.js has the same reduced format coverage as the original @agent-sheet/wasm mini distribution:

  • Reads: XLSX, ODS, CSV, text, SYLK, DIF, DBF, PRN and Ethercalc.
  • Writes: those formats and XLSM.
  • Omits stream and parse_xlscfb.

Do not infer mini support from the full distribution’s table. An omitted format throws an error.

Data support is not full metadata preservation

Section titled “Data support is not full metadata preservation”

A format can support a successful read and write while losing features that are not represented by the ordinary JavaScript workbook model or its writer.

  • XLSX supports values, formulas, cell styles and many sheet properties. The ordinary JavaScript model does not represent every possible package part.
  • XLS, XLSB, XLML and ODS have different representations and metadata coverage. Do not assume that styling or worksheet properties survive equally in each.
  • A writer storing a formula does not mean the library calculates that formula. Use a cached value if your output consumer needs one immediately.
  • Use XLSX/XLSM template mode to preserve existing package parts that an ordinary read-edit-write would discard.

Validate a representative round trip for the exact format and metadata you need. Opening output in Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers or other spreadsheet applications is a separate compatibility check and is not claimed as tested.

Encryption

Section titled “Encryption”

Encrypted workbook input and output are not available. Worksheet protection flags are supported separately; they are not file encryption.