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Aspose.Cells FOSS for C++

Open-source C++ library for creating, loading, editing, and saving Excel .xlsx workbooks without Microsoft Excel.

Aspose.Cells FOSS for C++ Aspose.Cells FOSS
for C++

Documentation GitHub

Aspose.Cells FOSS — Open Source C++ Spreadsheet Library

Aspose.Cells FOSS for C++ is an open-source library that enables developers to programmatically create, load, edit, and save Excel .xlsx workbooks without requiring Microsoft Excel or any COM interop. The library provides a native C++ API that integrates directly into CMake-based build systems with no external runtime dependencies.

The core API covers Workbook creation and persistence, Worksheet and cell manipulation via Worksheet.GetCells(), cell value assignment using Cell.PutValue(), formula entry with Cell.SetFormula(), and rich styling through the Style, Font, and Color classes. Number format display is handled by DisplayTextFormatter with full locale support. Named ranges are managed through DefinedNameUtility and related collection classes.

Aspose.Cells FOSS for C++ is released under the MIT license with no runtime fees or usage restrictions. Build from source using CMake and integrate directly into your project as a header-and-source library. To work with Excel spreadsheets in C++ production applications — including formula evaluation, chart rendering, and pivot tables — see the Aspose.Cells — Enterprise Product Family.

Workbook and Worksheet Management

  • Create new Workbook instances or load existing .xlsx files
  • Access and iterate worksheets via WorksheetCollection
  • Rename worksheets with Worksheet.SetName()
  • Retrieve and manipulate cells through Worksheet.GetCells()
  • Save workbooks to file path with Workbook.Save()

Typical use cases

  • Generate Excel reports from application data
  • Transform and reformat existing spreadsheets
  • Produce template-driven output files in server environments
  • Build automated data export pipelines without Excel installed

Cell Values, Formulas, and Number Formats

  • Write text and numeric values with Cell.PutValue()
  • Enter Excel formulas using Cell.SetFormula()
  • Read formatted cell text via DisplayTextFormatter
  • Apply number format patterns using Style.SetNumber()
  • Parse numeric format strings with ParsedNumericFormat

Typical use cases

  • Build financial spreadsheets with SUM, AVERAGE, and IF formulas
  • Format currency, percentage, and date columns automatically
  • Extract display-ready text from cells for reporting
  • Validate and normalize numeric data before export

Cell Styling with Fonts, Colors, and Borders

  • Retrieve and modify cell styles via Cell.GetStyle() and Cell.SetStyle()
  • Configure fonts using Style.SetFont() with Font.SetBold() and Font.SetColor()
  • Set background fill patterns with Style.SetPattern() and Style.SetForegroundColor()
  • Construct ARGB colors with Color.FromArgb()
  • Apply consistent styles across header rows and data ranges

Typical use cases

  • Add branded header rows with colored backgrounds and bold text
  • Highlight summary rows with fill patterns and custom fonts
  • Generate consistently styled output for business dashboards
  • Apply table-level formatting in a single pass

Page Setup and Print Configuration

  • Configure paper size, orientation, and scaling via PageSetup
  • Set fit-to-page and print area options with PageSetup methods
  • Define print headers, footers, and margins
  • Control row and column repeat groups for multi-page printing

Typical use cases

  • Prepare printable invoices and formatted reports
  • Define consistent print margins for regulatory documents
  • Configure landscape layout for wide financial tables
  • Set up repeating header rows for multi-page output

Create a Styled Workbook and Save as .xlsx

Create a workbook, populate cells with values and a formula, apply header styling, and save:

#include "aspose/cells_foss/Workbook.h"
#include "aspose/cells_foss/Worksheet.h"
#include "aspose/cells_foss/Cell.h"
#include "aspose/cells_foss/Style.h"
#include "aspose/cells_foss/Color.h"
#include "aspose/cells_foss/Font.h"
using namespace Aspose::Cells_FOSS;
int main() {
    Workbook workbook;
    Worksheet& sheet = workbook.GetWorksheets()[0];
    sheet.SetName("Products");
    sheet.GetCells()["A1"].PutValue("Product");
    sheet.GetCells()["B1"].PutValue("Price");
    sheet.GetCells()["A2"].PutValue("Apple");
    sheet.GetCells()["B2"].PutValue(2.99);
    sheet.GetCells()["B4"].SetFormula("=SUM(B2:B3)");
    Style headerStyle = sheet.GetCells()["A1"].GetStyle();
    Font font;
    font.SetBold(true);
    font.SetColor(Color::FromArgb(255, 255, 255, 255));
    headerStyle.SetFont(font);
    headerStyle.SetForegroundColor(Color::FromArgb(255, 34, 120, 212));
    sheet.GetCells()["A1"].SetStyle(headerStyle);
    workbook.Save("products.xlsx");
    return 0;
}

Frequently Asked Questions

What license does Aspose.Cells FOSS for C++ use?

MIT License � free for commercial and open-source use. Include the LICENSE.txt file when distributing.

Which file formats are supported?

XLSX for both load and save. CSV load is supported; CSV save is not available in v0.1.

How do I install the library?

Clone the repository and use CMake add_subdirectory or FetchContent. Requires a C++17 compiler and CMake 3.15+. No external dependencies.

Does the library require Microsoft Excel?

No. Aspose.Cells FOSS for C++ is fully self-contained and does not require Microsoft Excel or any COM interop.

Are all API classes fully implemented?

Several classes in v0.1 are declared but stub-only, including ConditionalFormattingCollection and AutoFilter. Core Workbook, Worksheet, Cell, and Style operations are fully functional.

  

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