Create Excel file without installing Microsoft Excel

Syncfusion® Excel (XlsIO) library is a .NET Excel library used to create, read, and edit Excel documents. It also converts Excel documents to PDF files. Using this library, you can create an Excel file without installing Microsoft Excel.

XlsIO is a non-UI component that provides a full-fledged object model, facilitating access to and manipulation of spreadsheets without any dependency on Microsoft Office COM libraries or Microsoft Office. This article explains, with an example, how to create an Excel file without installing Microsoft Excel.

Steps to programmatically create an Excel file without installing Microsoft Excel:

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

Create a new C# console application

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

Install NuGet package

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

C#

using Syncfusion.XlsIO;

VB.NET

Imports Syncfusion.XlsIO

Step 4: Add the following code snippet to create Excel file without installing Microsoft Excel.

C#

// Create an instance of ExcelEngine
using (ExcelEngine excelEngine = new ExcelEngine())
{
    // Set the default application version as Excel 2016
    excelEngine.Excel.DefaultVersion = ExcelVersion.Excel2016;
 
    // Create a workbook with a worksheet
    IWorkbook workbook = excelEngine.Excel.Workbooks.Create(1);
 
    // Access the first worksheet from the workbook instance
    IWorksheet worksheet = workbook.Worksheets[0];
 
    // Insert sample text into cell “A1”
    worksheet.Range["A1"].Text = "Hello World";
 
    // 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
 
    'Set the default application version as Excel 2016
    excelEngine.Excel.DefaultVersion = ExcelVersion.Excel2016
 
    'Create a workbook with a worksheet
    Dim workbook As IWorkbook = excelEngine.Excel.Workbooks.Create(1)
 
    'Access first worksheet from the workbook instance
    Dim worksheet As IWorksheet = workbook.Worksheets(0)
 
    'Insert sample text into cell “A1”
    worksheet.Range("A1").Text = "Hello World"
 
    'Save the workbook to disk in xlsx format
    workbook.SaveAs("Output.xlsx")
End Using

A complete working example to create Excel file without installing Microsoft Excel can be downloaded from Create Excel File.zip.

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

Take a moment to peruse the documentation, where you can find basic worksheet data manipulation options along with features like Conditional Formatting, worksheet calculations through Formulas, adding Charts in worksheet or workbook, organizing and analyzing data through Tables and Pivot Tables, appending multiple records to worksheet using Template Markers, and most importantly PDF and Image conversions with code examples.

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

An online sample link to generate Excel file.

See Also:

Create an Excel file in Windows Forms

Create an Excel file in WPF

Create an Excel file in ASP.NET Core

Create an Excel file in ASP.NET MVC

Create an Excel file in Xamarin