WorkbookKit

WorkbookKit is a minimal Swift library for reading and writing .xlsx (Excel) files. Built on top of ZIPFoundation.

What it does

• read .xlsx from local URL
• list sheets (name, id)
• read cells as Bool, Double, or String (Shared Strings and inline)
• detect merged ranges when reading
• create workbooks and sheets; write booleans, numbers, or text
• address cells via CellAddress or Excel-style coordinates ("A1", "B2") in the subscript API
• save valid .xlsx files that open in Excel and other spreadsheet apps

Limitations

• writes only inline strings (no Shared Strings on write yet)
• no formulas (ignored on read, not written)
• only basic cell types; dates are not specially handled
• no styling (a minimal styles.xml is generated for validity)
• no charts/images/comments/pivot tables
• simple error handling; no lazy loading or async I/O

Use it if:

• you need to quickly extract or assemble a simple table;
• you want a predictable structure and minimal dependencies.

Don’t use it if:

• you need formulas, styles, dates, images, large datasets, or high performance.

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Installation

dependencies: [
  .package(url: "https://github.com/hugonote/WorkbookKit.git", branch: "main")
]

dependency: ZIPFoundation you can also add it via the Xcode GUI.

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Examples

Create and write an .xlsx file

import WorkbookKit

let workbook = Workbook()
workbook.addSheet(name: "Sheet1", id: 1)

workbook["Sheet1"]?["A1"] = .text("Hello!")
print(workbook["Sheet1"]?["A1"].asString()) // Hello!

workbook["Sheet1"]?["A2"] = .number(14)

let filePath: URL = URL(fileURLWithPath: "example.xlsx")
workbook.writeToFile(atPath: filePath)

Read an existing .xlsx file

import WorkbookKit

let filePath: URL = URL(fileURLWithPath: "example.xlsx")
let workbook = Workbook(fromPath: filePath)

print(workbook["Sheet1"]?["A1"].asString()) // Hello!

let sheet = workbook["Sheet1"]
print(sheet?["A2"].asString()) // 14.0