# Excel spreadsheet

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/excel-spreadsheet/101852>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [February 7, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/excel-spreadsheet/101852 "2006-02-07T02:37:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/PaatschS_Bernd)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/excel-spreadsheet/101852/1 "2006-02-07T02:37:51Z")

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Hello,

Is it possible to access Excel spreadsheets through ruby?  
If so is there somewhere a code example I can have a look at?

Thanks,  
Bernd

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**Author:** ![PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/PaatschS_Bernd)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/excel-spreadsheet/101852/2 "2006-02-07T03:05:38Z")

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I’ve seen something in the source code…  
/usr/share/doc/ruby-docs-1.8.4/ext/win32ole/sample/

require ‘win32ole’

#application = WIN32OLE.new(‘Excel.Application.5’)  
application = WIN32OLE.new(‘Excel.Application’)

application.visible = TRUE  
workbook = application.Workbooks.Add();  
worksheet = workbook.Worksheets(1);  
worksheet.Range(“A1:D1”).value = [“North”,“South”,“East”,“West”];  
worksheet.Range(“A2:B2”).value = [5.2, 10];  
worksheet.Range(“C2”).value = 8;  
worksheet.Range(“D2”).value = 20;

range = worksheet.Range(“A1:D2”);  
range.Select  
chart = workbook.Charts.Add;

workbook.saved = TRUE;

application.ActiveWorkbook.Close(0);  
application.Quit();

On Tue, 7 Feb 2006 10:36:00

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**Author:** ![PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/PaatschS_Bernd)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/excel-spreadsheet/101852/3 "2006-02-07T03:17:44Z")

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DÅ?a Utorok 07 Február 2006 02:36 Paatsch, Bernd napísal:

> Hello,
> 
> Is it possible to access Excel spreadsheets through ruby?  
> If so is there somewhere a code example I can have a look at?
> 
> Thanks,  
> Bernd

If the machine in question is a Windows box with Excel already  
installed, your  
best bet is probably using Win32OLE and accessing an Excel interface via  
COM.  
Best look at Win32OLE, and Windows / Excel automation docs.

[http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?ScriptingExcel](http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?ScriptingExcel) looks like good  
introductory  
sample code too.

If not, I can only recall a writer package that worked with the binary  
format,  
and I had mixed success getting it run on and off Cygwin. There might be  
something out there that will let you read the zipped XML format out  
there,  
but I can’t recall anything off the top of my head, nor see something  
that  
flicks a lightbulb on in the first screen of googlage results.

You might feel particularly adventurous and try compiling the POI ruby  
bindings, if the thought of working with with GCC compiled Java doesn’t  
scare  
you. (It does indeed scare me…)

That said, the topic is also fairly recurrent on the list in my opinion,  
so  
give searching the ML archives a try too.

David V.

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**Author:** ![PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/PaatschS_Bernd)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 5:40am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/excel-spreadsheet/101852/4 "2006-02-07T05:40:02Z")

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Paatsch, Bernd wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> Is it possible to access Excel spreadsheets through ruby?  
> If so is there somewhere a code example I can have a look at?
> 
> Thanks,  
> Bernd

I once counted 5 ways to get at Excel data: CSV, OLE, XML, ADO and i  
can’t remember what the other one was.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/PaatschS_Bernd)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 9:02am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/excel-spreadsheet/101852/5 "2006-02-07T09:02:34Z")

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There are lots you can do, some pointers have already been posted.  
Please  
feel free to specify your needs more clearly and we can adress them  
together.

All the best  
Jon Egil S.

–  
Jon Egil S.  
Phone: +47 98232340  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid

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**Author:** ![PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@PaatschS\_Bernd](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/PaatschS_Bernd)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/excel-spreadsheet/101852/6 "2006-02-07T15:06:49Z")

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Paatsch, Bernd wrote:

> Is it possible to access Excel spreadsheets through ruby?  
> If so is there somewhere a code example I can have a look at?

In case you missed this:

[http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse\_frm/thread/b1ab827bae767f27/5e002e8734db1656?lnk=st&q=ruby+parseexcel&rnum=1#5e002e8734db1656](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse_frm/thread/b1ab827bae767f27/5e002e8734db1656?lnk=st&q=ruby+parseexcel&rnum=1#5e002e8734db1656)