Linq to Excel is a .Net library that allows you to query Excel spreadsheets using the LINQ syntax.
Checkout the introduction video.
You can use NuGet to quickly add LinqToExcel to your project. Just search for linqtoexcel and install the package.
If you don't want to use the NuGet package you can Download the latest files and add the following references to your project
* LinqToExcel.dll
* Remotion.Data.Linq.dll
If you want LinqToExcel to run in a 64 bit application, make sure to use the 64 bit version of the library.
You will also need to make sure to have the 64 bit version of the Access Database Engine installed on the computer.
The default query expects the first row to be the header row containing column names that match the property names on the generic class being used. It also expects the data to be in the worksheet named "Sheet1".
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var indianaCompanies = from c in excel.Worksheet<Company>()
where c.State == "IN"
select c;
Data from the worksheet named "Sheet1" is queried by default. To query a worksheet with a different name, pass the worksheet name in as an argument.
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var oldCompanies = from c in repo.Worksheet<Company>("US Companies") //worksheet name = 'US Companies'
where c.LaunchDate < new DateTime(1900, 1, 1)
select c;
Column names from the worksheet can be mapped to specific property names on the class by using the AddMapping() method. The property name can be passed in as a string or a compile time safe expression.
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
excel.AddMapping<Company>(x => x.State, "Providence"); //maps the "State" property to the "Providence" column
excel.AddMapping("Employees", "Employee Count"); //maps the "Employees" property to the "Employee Count" column
var indianaCompanies = from c in excel.Worksheet<Company>()
where c.State == "IN" && c.Employees > 500
select c;
Query results can be returned as LinqToExcel.Row objects which allows you to access a cell's value by using the column name in the string index. Just use the Worksheet() method without a generic argument.
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var indianaCompanies = from c in excel.Worksheet()
where c["State"] == "IN" || c.Zip == 46550
select c;
The LinqToExcel.Row class allows you to easily cast a cell's value by using its Cast<>() method
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var largeCompanies = from c in excel.Worksheet()
where c["EmployeeCount"].Cast<int>() > 500
select c;
Worksheets that do not contain a header row can also be queried by using the WorksheetNoHeader() method. The cell values are referenced by index.
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var indianaCompanies = from c in excel.WorksheetNoHeader()
where c[2] == "IN" //value in 3rd column
select c;
Data from only a specific range of cells within a worksheet can be queried as well.
If the first row of the range contains a header row, then use the WorksheetRange() method
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var indianaCompanies = from c in excel.WorksheetRange<Company>("B3", "G10") //Selects data within the B3 to G10 cell range
where c.State == "IN"
select c;
If the first row of the range is not a header row, then use the WorksheetRangeNoHeader() method
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var indianaCompanies = from c in excel.WorksheetRangeNoHeader("B3", "G10") //Selects data within the B3 to G10 cell range
where c[2] == "IN" //value in 3rd column (D column in this case)
select c;
A specific worksheet can be queried by its index in relation to the other worksheets in the spreadsheet.
The worsheets index order is based on their names alphatically; not the order they appear in Excel. For example, if a spreadsheet contains 2 worksheets: "ten" and "eleven". Although "eleven" is the second worksheet in Excel, it is actually the first index.
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var oldCompanies = from c in repo.Worksheet<Company>(1) //Queries the second worksheet in alphabetical order
where c.LaunchDate < new DateTime(1900, 1, 1)
select c;
Transformations can be applied to cell values before they are set on the class properties. The example below transforms "Y" values in the "IsBankrupt" column to a boolean value of true.
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
excel.AddTransformation<Company>(x => x.IsBankrupt, cellValue => cellValue == "Y");
var bankruptCompanies = from c in excel.Worksheet<Company>()
where c.IsBankrupt == true
select c;
Data from CSV files can be queried the same way spreadsheets are queried.
var csv = new ExcelQueryFactory("csvFileName");
var indianaCompanies = from c in csv.Worksheet<Company>()
where c.State == "IN"
select c;
The GetWorksheetNames() method can be used to retrieve the list of worksheet names in a spreadsheet.
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var worksheetNames = excel.GetWorksheetNames();
The GetColumnNames() method can be used to retrieve the list of column names in a worksheet.
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
var columnNames = excel.GetColumnNames("worksheetName");
The StrictMapping property can be set to:
- 'WorksheetStrict' in order to enforce all worksheet columns are mapped to a class property.
- 'ClassStrict' to enforce all class properties are mapped to a worksheet column.
- 'Both' to enforce all worksheet columns map to a class property and vice versa.
The implied default StrictMapping value is 'None'. A StrictMappingException is thrown when the specified mapping condition isn't satisified.
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
excel.StrictMapping = StrictMappingType.Both;
LinqToExcel can use the Jet or Ace database engine, and it automatically determines the database engine to use by the file extension. You can manually set the database engine with the DatabaseEngine property
var excel = new ExcelQueryFactory("excelFileName");
excel.DatabaseEngine == DatabaseEngine.Ace;