How to Import and Export Excel XLSX Using Angular

January 13 2025
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Quick Start Guide
Tutorial Concept	Learn how to import, modify, and export Excel (.xlsx) files in Angular applications.
What You Will Need	Angular 18 NPM Packages: @mescius/spread-sheets-angular @mescius/spread-sheets @mescius/spread-sheets-io @mescius/spread-sheets-charts @mescius/spread-sheets-shapes file-saver Visual Studio Code
Controls Referenced	SpreadJS – Angular Spreadsheet Component Documentation \| Demos

Quick Start Guide

Tutorial Concept

Learn how to import, modify, and export Excel (.xlsx) files in Angular applications.

What You Will Need

Angular 18
NPM Packages:

Visual Studio Code

Controls Referenced

SpreadJS – Angular Spreadsheet Component

Documentation | Demos

This article demonstrates how you can import and export Excel spreadsheets in an Angular environment using an Angular spreadsheet component; in this example, that will be SpreadJS. SpreadJS offers Angular developers a familiar Excel-like spreadsheet UI and import/export capabilities without any dependencies on Microsoft Excel.

Ready to Try It Out? Download SpreadJS Today!

How to Import and Export Excel (.XLSX) Files in Angular Applications

Create an Angular Spreadsheet Application
Add Excel Import Code - Import Method
Add Data to the Imported Excel File
Add Excel Export Code - Export Method

Import and Export Excel .XLSX from Angular Apps

Download the sample application to follow along with the blog.

Create an Angular Spreadsheet Application

Install the @angular/cli package.

npm i -g @angular/cli

Create a new Angular project. In this example, we will be using Angular v18.

ng new spreadjs-angular-io
cd spreadjs-angular-io

Install the npm packages for SpreadJS:

npm install @mescius/spread-sheets @mescius/spread-sheets-angular @mescius/spread-sheets-io @mescius/spread-sheets-charts @mescius/spread-sheets-shapes

Open the angular.json file and add SpreadJS CSS to the global styles node (as shown below). This applies one of the built-in themes, changing the UI of the spreadsheet instance—refer to our demo for more details.

…  
"projects": {
    "spreadjs-angular-io": {
      …
      "architect": {
        "build": {
         …    
           "styles": [
              "src/styles.css",
              "node_modules/@mescius/spread-sheets/styles/gc.spread.sheets.excel2016darkGray.css"
            ],
            …
            }
            …  
          }
          …
        }
        …
      }
    }
    …
 }

Next, open the app.module.ts file and add the necessary imports for the SpreadJS module, as noted below.

import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { AppComponent } from './app.component';
// Import SpreadJS module
import { SpreadSheetsModule } from "@mescius/spread-sheets-angular";

@NgModule({
  declarations: [
    AppComponent
  ],
  // Import SpreadJS module
  imports: [
    BrowserModule, SpreadSheetsModule
  ],
  providers: [],
  bootstrap: [AppComponent]
})
export class AppModule { }

Open the app.componet.html file and delete the placeholder content. Then add SpreadJS’ Angular Template to the application, along with buttons for opening, exporting, and modifying the .xlsx file like so:

 <body>
<div class="left-side"><gc-spread-sheets [hostStyle]="hostStyle" (workbookInitialized)="workbookInit($event)">
</gc-spread-sheets>
</div>

<div class="right-side">
    <p>Open Excel File (.xlsx)</p>
    <input id="selectedFile" type="file" name="files[]" multiple id="jsonFile" accept=".xlsx" (change)="selectedFileChange($event)" />
    <button (click)="open()" id="open">Open Excel</button>

    <p>Add Data</p>
    <button (click)="addCustomer()">Add Customer</button>

    <p>Save Excel File</p>
    <button (click)="save()">Save Excel</button>
</div>
</body>

Add the following styling to the projects styles.css file:

body {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    display: flex;
    height: 100vh;
}

.left-side {
    width: 85%;
    background-color: #f2f2f2;
    padding: 20px;
}

.right-side {
    width: 15%;
    background-color: #ddd;
    padding: 20px;
}

In the app.component.ts file, add the following code to add the Angular spreadsheet component to the application and initialize the workbook.

import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import '@mescius/spread-sheets-angular';
import * as GC from "@mescius/spread-sheets";
import '@mescius/spread-sheets-io';
import '@mescius/spread-sheets-charts';
import '@mescius/spread-sheets-shapes';
//import { saveAs } from 'file-saver';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-root',
  templateUrl: './app.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./app.component.css']
})
export class AppComponent {
  title = "SJS-Angular-IO-Excel";
  hostStyle = {
    width: '95%',
    height: '600px'
  };
  private spread;
  columnWidth = 100;
  constructor() {
    this.spread = new GC.Spread.Sheets.Workbook();
  }
  // Initialize SpreadJS
  workbookInit($event: any) {
    this.spread = $event.spread;
  }
  // Get the selected Excel file
  selectedFileChange(e: any) {
  }
  // Imported the Excel file into SpreadJS
  open() {
  }
  // Modify data imported
  addCustomer() {
  }
  // Save the instance as an Excel File
  save() {
  }
}

Save all the files, and run the Angular app:

npm start

You have now created an Angular Spreadsheet app:

Import/Export Excel/XLSX Angular Application

Add Excel Import Code to an Angular App

SpreadJS has a workbook import method that imports the object state from Excel. Before we can invoke this method, we must get the user-selected .xlsx file. To do this, we will go to the app.componet.ts file, and add selectedFile variable:

export class AppComponent {
  title = "SJS-Angular-IO-Excel";
  hostStyle = {
    width: '95%',
    height: '600px'
  };
  private spread;
  columnWidth = 100;
   
   // Stores the user-selected file in the selectedFileChange function
  selectedFile: File | any = null;

  constructor() {
    this.spread = new GC.Spread.Sheets.Workbook();
  }
...

In the selectedFileChange function store the selected file object in the selectedFile variable :

// Get the selected Excel file
  selectedFileChange(e: any) {
      this.selectedFile = e.target.files[0];
}

Now, in the open function, with the selectedFile, invoke the SpreadJS import method, be sure to specify the FileType as excel.

open() {
    var file = this.selectedFile;
        if (!file) {
            return;
        }
    // Specify the file type to ensure proper import
    const options: GC.Spread.Sheets.ImportOptions = {
      fileType: GC.Spread.Sheets.FileType.excel
    };

    this.spread.import(file, () => {
      console.log('Import successful');
    }, (e: any) => {
      console.error('Error during import:', e);
    }, options);
  }

With these steps, you've successfully add Excel import functionality to the Angular spreadsheet application.

Import/Export Excel/XLSX Angular

Add Data to the Import Excel File

After successfully importing an Excel file into SpreadJS, you may find it necessary to programmatically modify the data within the spreadsheet. This section introduces the function addCustomer, which adds new customer data to the imported .xlsx file data when a button is clicked. First, we need to create a currentCustomerIndex variable, this will be used as a counter related to the sample data:

export class AppComponent {
  title = "SJS-Angular-IO-Excel";
  hostStyle = {
    width: '95%',
    height: '600px'
  };
  private spread;
  private currentCustomerIndex = 0;
  columnWidth = 100;
   
   // Stores the user-selected file in the selectedFileChange function
  selectedFile: File | any = null;

  constructor() {
    this.spread = new GC.Spread.Sheets.Workbook();
  }
...

Update the addCustomer function to add a new row, copy the styles of the previous row, and apply the new customer data within the customerDataArrays.

// Modify data imported
  addCustomer() {
    // create new row and copy styles
    var newRowIndex = 34;
    var sheet = this.spread.getActiveSheet();
    sheet.addRows(newRowIndex, 1);  
    sheet.copyTo(32, 1, newRowIndex, 1, 1, 11, GC.Spread.Sheets.CopyToOptions.style);  
    // Define sample customer data
    var customerDataArrays = [
        ["Jessica Moth", 5000, 2000, 3000, 1300, 999, 100],
        ["John Doe", 6000, 2500, 3500, 1400, 1000, 20],
        ["Alice Smith", 7000, 3000, 4000, 1500, 1100, 0]
    ];
    // Get the current customer data array
    var currentCustomerData = customerDataArrays[this.currentCustomerIndex];
    // Add new data to the new row
    sheet.setArray(newRowIndex, 5, [currentCustomerData]);
    newRowIndex++;
    // Increment the index for the next button click
    this.currentCustomerIndex = (this.currentCustomerIndex + 1) % customerDataArrays.length;
  }

Notice, that when the button is clicked, new customer data is added to the statement, and the formulas within the worksheet update accordingly.

Modify Data Angular

Add Excel Export Code to an Angular App

With the export method included with SpreadJS and the file-saver npm package, Angular app developers can effortlessly export a spreadsheet state as an Excel file. First, install the file-saver npm package.

npm install file-saver --save
npm i --save-dev @types/file-saver

In the angular.json file, add the file-saver component to the global scripts node.

…  
"projects": {
    "spreadjs-angular-io": {
      …
      "architect": {
        "build": {
         …    
           "styles": [
              "src/styles.css",
              "node_modules/@mescius/spread-sheets/styles/gc.spread.sheets.excel2016darkGray.css"
            ],
            "scripts": ["node_modules/file-saver/dist/FileSaver.js"]
            …
            }
            …  
          }
          …
        }
        …
      }
    }
    …
 }

Import the file-saver package to the app.component.ts file.

import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import '@mescius/spread-sheets-angular';
import * as GC from "@mescius/spread-sheets";
import '@mescius/spread-sheets-io';
import '@mescius/spread-sheets-charts';
import '@mescius/spread-sheets-shapes';
import { saveAs } from 'file-saver';
...

Next, update the save function by first specifying the exported XLSX file name; we used “Excel_Export.xlsx”, then invoke the SpreadJS export method, which exports the current spreadsheet state into a Blob. Within the export method, invoke the file-saver's saveAs method to save the exported spreadsheet Blob as an actual Excel file on the client side.

  // Save the instance as an Excel File
  save() {
    var fileName = 'Excel_Export.xlsx'
    this.spread.export(function (blob:any) {
      // save blob to a file
      saveAs(blob, fileName);
    }, function (e:any) {
        console.log(e);
    }, {
        fileType: GC.Spread.Sheets.FileType.excel
    });
  }

With these steps, you've successfully added Excel export functionality to the Angular spreadsheet application.

Save Angular Excel File

Don’t forget to download this blog's sample application to try importing/exporting your own Excel files.

Learn More About this Angular Spreadsheet Component

This article only scratches the surface of the full capabilities of SpreadJS, the Angular spreadsheet component. Review the documentation to see some of the many available features, and check out our online demos to see the features in action and interact with the sample code. Integrating a spreadsheet component into your applications allows you to customize your users' experience and provide them with familiar spreadsheet functionality without referring them to an external program.

Ready to Try It Out? Download SpreadJS Today!

To learn more about SpreadJS and the new latest release features, check out our release pages releases and this video: