Edit Excel file in C#, VB.NET

3 mins read

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 edit Excel files in C# or VB.NET.

While working with Excel templates or existing Excel workbooks, it is necessary to edit Excel files and modify data in the existing Excel files. This article explains how to add or modify data in an existing workbook and edit Excel files with an example.

Steps to edit Excel file programmatically:

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

Create C# Console Application

Create a new C# console application

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

Install NuGet Package

Install NuGet package

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

using Syncfusion.XlsIO;
using System.IO;
using System.Reflection;

VB.NET

Imports Syncfusion.XlsIO
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Reflection

Step 4: Add the following code snippet to edit Excel files in C# or VB.NET.

// Instantiate the spreadsheet creation engine
using (ExcelEngine excelEngine = new ExcelEngine())
{
    // Initialize application
    IApplication application = excelEngine.Excel;
 
    // Open existing workbook with data entered
    Assembly assembly = typeof(Program).GetTypeInfo().Assembly;
    Stream fileStream = assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("EditExcelFile_CS.Sample.xlsx");
    IWorkbook workbook = application.Workbooks.Open(fileStream, ExcelOpenType.Automatic);
    IWorksheet worksheet = workbook.Worksheets[0];
 
    // Add text data
    worksheet.Range["A1"].Text = "Employee No";
    worksheet.Range["B1"].Text = "Employee Name";
    worksheet.Range["C1"].Text = "Birth Date";
 
    // Add DateTime data
    worksheet.Range["C2"].DateTime = new DateTime(1976, 1, 10);
    worksheet.Range["C3"].DateTime = new DateTime(1973, 2, 10);
    worksheet.Range["C4"].DateTime = new DateTime(1980, 3, 10);
 
    // Apply number format for date value cells C2 to C4
    worksheet.Range["C2:C4"].NumberFormat = "mmmm, yyyy";
 
    // Auto-size the columns to fit the content
    worksheet.AutofitColumn(1);
    worksheet.AutofitColumn(2);
    worksheet.AutofitColumn(3);
 
    // Add numeric data
    worksheet.Range["A2"].Number = 68878;
    worksheet.Range["A3"].Number = 71550;
    worksheet.Range["A4"].Number = 72808;
 
    // Save the edited workbook to disk in xlsx format
    workbook.SaveAs("Output.xlsx");
}

VB.NET

'Instantiate the spreadsheet creation engine
Using excelEngine As ExcelEngine = New ExcelEngine()
 
    'Initialize application
    Dim application As IApplication = excelEngine.Excel
 
    'Open existing workbook with data entered
    Dim assembly As Assembly = GetType(Module1).GetTypeInfo.Assembly
    Dim fileStream As Stream = assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("EditExcelFile_VB.Sample.xlsx")
    Dim workbook As IWorkbook = application.Workbooks.Open(fileStream, ExcelOpenType.Automatic)
    Dim worksheet As IWorksheet = workbook.Worksheets(0)
 
    'Add text data
    worksheet.Range("A1").Text = "Employee No"
    worksheet.Range("B1").Text = "Employee Name"
    worksheet.Range("C1").Text = "Birth Date"
 
    'Add DateTime data
    worksheet.Range("C2").DateTime = New DateTime(1976, 1, 10)
    worksheet.Range("C3").DateTime = New DateTime(1973, 2, 10)
    worksheet.Range("C4").DateTime = New DateTime(1980, 3, 10)
 
    'Apply number format for date value cells C2 to C4
    worksheet.Range("C2:C4").NumberFormat = "mmmm, yyyy"
 
    'Auto-size the columns to fit the content
    worksheet.AutofitColumn(1)
    worksheet.AutofitColumn(2)
    worksheet.AutofitColumn(3)
 
    'Add numeric data
    worksheet.Range("A2").Number = 68878
    worksheet.Range("A3").Number = 71550
    worksheet.Range("A4").Number = 72808
 
    'Save the edited workbook to disk in xlsx format
    workbook.SaveAs("Output.xlsx")
 
End Using

A complete working example to edit Excel file along with input file used to edit can be downloaded from Edit Excel File.zip.

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

Output after editing Excel file

Output Excel document

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.

Edit Excel file in C#, VB.NET

Steps to edit Excel file programmatically:

See Also:

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