How to Retrieve Workbook JSON in Console in ASP.NET MVC Spreadsheet?

This knowledge base article explains how to retrieve the Workbook JSON of the ASP.NET MVC Spreadsheet in a Console Application.

To achieve this, create a console application using the .NET 8.0 framework and add a FrameworkReference to Microsoft.AspNetCore.App in the .csproj file, as shown below

[ConsoleApp1.csproj]:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

 <PropertyGroup>
   <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
   <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
   <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
   <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
 </PropertyGroup>

 <ItemGroup>
   <FrameworkReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.App" />
   <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http" Version="2.2.2" />
   <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http.Features" Version="5.0.17" />
   <PackageReference Include="Syncfusion.EJ2.Spreadsheet.AspNet.Core" Version="26.2.8" />
 </ItemGroup>

</Project> 

The Microsoft.AspNetCore.App FrameworkReference includes the package Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor, which is necessary for processing the Excel files using the Syncfusion.EJ2.Spreadsheet.AspNet.Core package and also includes all the necessary ASP.NET Core-related packages and supports IFormFile in the console application.

Now, you need to open the Excel file as a stream and then convert the stream as a FormFile and pass it to the Open API of spreadsheet, which processes the Excel file and returns the spreadsheet-compatible Workbook JSON.

[Program.cs]:

using System;
using System.IO;
using Syncfusion.EJ2.Spreadsheet;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;

class Program
{
   static void Main(string[] args)
   {

       string fileName = "Sample";
       string projectDirectory = Directory.GetParent(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory).Parent.Parent.Parent.FullName;
       string documentPath = Path.Combine(projectDirectory, "Files", fileName + ".xlsx");
       try
       {
           OpenRequest open = new OpenRequest();

           // Open the file using a FileStream
           FileStream fs = new FileStream(documentPath, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read);

           byte[] tmpBytes = new byte[fs.Length];
           fs.Read(tmpBytes, 0, Convert.ToInt32(fs.Length));

           MemoryStream outputStream = new MemoryStream(tmpBytes);

           // Converting the stream to IFormFile
           IFormFile formFile = new FormFile(outputStream, 0, outputStream.Length, fileName, fileName + ".xlsx");
           open.File = formFile;

           // Open method will process the Excel file and returns the spreadsheet compatible workbook JSON.
           var result = Workbook.Open(open);

           // Close the FileStream
           fs.Close();

           Console.WriteLine(result);

       }
       catch (Exception ex)
       {
           Console.WriteLine($"An error occurred: {ex.Message}");
       }
   }
} 

Sample Link: https://www.syncfusion.com/downloads/support/directtrac/general/ze/ConsoleApp11610340305

Output: