Export DataTable to Excel with formatting in C#, VB.NET.

7 mins read

Syncfusion® Excel (XlsIO) library is a .NET Excel library used to create, read, and edit Excel documents. It also, converts an Excel documents to PDF files. Using this library, you can start importing or exporting data between a worksheet and DataTable in C# and VB.NET.

DataTable is a memory representation of a database with a collection of rows and columns. Data in an existing worksheet can also be exported to data tables and CLR objects.

Syncfusion® Excel (XlsIO) library supports exporting DataTable to Excel worksheets using ImportDataTable. To achieve this, first, you need to load data into a DataTable instance, and the loaded table can be exported to an Excel worksheet.

The ImportDataTable feature will export DataTable to Excel with formatting. For example, if the string type contains ‘%’, ‘$’, ‘Date’, etc., it gets exported with the respective formatting applied to the cell.

Steps to export DataTable to Excel with formatting, programmatically:

Step 1: Create a new C# console application project.

Data table

Create a new C# console application

Step 2: Install the Syncfusion.XlsIO.WinForms NuGet package as reference to your .NET Framework application from NuGet.org.

Graphical user interface, text, application, email

Install the NuGet package.

Step 3: Include the following namespace in the Program.cs file.

using Syncfusion.XlsIO;
using System.Data;

VB.NET

Imports Syncfusion.XlsIO

Step 4: Use the following code snippet to export DataTable to Excel with formatting in C# and VB.NET.

// Create an instance of ExcelEngine
using (ExcelEngine excelEngine = new ExcelEngine())
{
    // Initialize application object
    IApplication application = excelEngine.Excel;
 
    // Set the default application version as Excel 2016
    application.DefaultVersion = ExcelVersion.Excel2016;
 
    // Create a new workbook
    IWorkbook workbook = application.Workbooks.Create(1);
 
    // Access the first worksheet from the workbook instance
    IWorksheet worksheet = workbook.Worksheets[0];
 
    // Exporting DataTable to worksheet
    DataTable dataTable = GetDataTable();
    worksheet.ImportDataTable(dataTable, true, 1, 1);
    worksheet.UsedRange.AutofitColumns();
 
    // Save the workbook to disk in xlsx format
    workbook.SaveAs("Output.xlsx");
}

VB.NET

'Create an instance of ExcelEngine
Using excelEngine As ExcelEngine = New ExcelEngine()
    'Initialize application object
    Dim application As IApplication = excelEngine.Excel
 
    'Set the default application version as Excel 2016
    application.DefaultVersion = ExcelVersion.Excel2016
 
    'Create a new workbook
    Dim workbook As IWorkbook = application.Workbooks.Create(1)
 
    'Access first worksheet from the workbook instance
    Dim worksheet As IWorksheet = workbook.Worksheets(0)
 
    'Exporting DataTable to worksheet
    Dim dataTable As DataTable = GetDataTable()
    worksheet.ImportDataTable(dataTable, True, 1, 1)
    worksheet.UsedRange.AutofitColumns()
 
    'Save the workbook to disk in xlsx format
    workbook.SaveAs("Output.xlsx")
End Using

Step 5: Load the DataTable using the following simple static method.

private static DataTable GetDataTable()
{
    // Create a DataTable with four columns
    DataTable table = new DataTable();
    table.Columns.Add("Dosage in %", typeof(string));
    table.Columns.Add("Drug", typeof(string));
    table.Columns.Add("Patient", typeof(string));
    table.Columns.Add("Date", typeof(DateTime));
    table.Columns.Add("Price in $", typeof(string));
    // Add five DataRows
    table.Rows.Add("25%", "Indocin", "David", DateTime.Now,"$10");
    table.Rows.Add("50%", "Enebrel", "Sam", DateTime.Now,"$15");
    table.Rows.Add("10%", "Hydralazine", "Christoff", DateTime.Now,"$20");
    table.Rows.Add("21%", "Combivent", "Janet", DateTime.Now,"$25");
    table.Rows.Add("100%", "Dilantin", "Melanie", DateTime.Now,"$30");
    return table;
}

VB.NET

Private Function GetDataTable() As DataTable
    'Create a DataTable with four columns
    Dim table As DataTable = New DataTable()
    table.Columns.Add("Dosage in %", GetType(String))
    table.Columns.Add("Drug", GetType(String))
    table.Columns.Add("Patient", GetType(String))
    table.Columns.Add("Date", GetType(DateTime))
    table.Columns.Add("Price in $", GetType(String))
    'Add five DataRows
    table.Rows.Add("25%", "Indocin", "David", DateTime.Now, "$10")
    table.Rows.Add("50%", "Enebrel", "Sam", DateTime.Now, "$15")
    table.Rows.Add("10%", "Hydralazine", "Christoff", DateTime.Now, "$20")
    table.Rows.Add("21%", "Combivent", "Janet", DateTime.Now, "$25")
    table.Rows.Add("100%", "Dilantin", "Melanie", DateTime.Now, "$30")
    Return table
End Function

A complete working example of how to export DataTable to Excel with formatting in C# and VB.NET can be downloaded from Export DataTable to Excel with Formatting.zip.

By executing the program, you will get the output Excel file as shown below.

Graphical user interface, application, table, Excel

Output Excel document

Know more about Syncfusion® Excel (XlsIO) library through the documentation, where you can find supported features like importing and exporting in DataTable, appending multiple records to worksheet using Template Markers, exporting worksheets into CLR Objects etc., with respective code examples.

Refer here to explore the rich set of Syncfusion® Excel (XlsIO) library features.

An online sample link to Export Data using CLR Objects.

Export DataTable to Excel with formatting in C#, VB.NET.

Steps to export DataTable to Excel with formatting, programmatically:

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