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Introduction > What is ExcelWriter?

What is ExcelWriter?

SoftArtisans ExcelWriter is a high-performance pure .NET solution that generates native Microsoft Excel spreadsheets on a Web server. A few simple lines of code generate editable presentation-quality spreadsheets that can be saved on the server or viewed instantly by thousands of concurrent users.

The spreadsheets generated by ExcelWriter are in native Microsoft Excel format (.xls) and preserve all of the familiar features associated with Excel workbooks. ExcelWriter offers high-speed performance and, since Microsoft Excel is not required on the Web server running ExcelWriter, your Web applications have licensing flexibility and ease of deployment.

Using ExcelWriter, you can generate a workbook from an existing Excel file, an ExcelWriter template, or from code:

Using a Template
Maximum Speed
To generate spreadsheets with the greatest speed:

In Microsoft Excel, create a template file containing data markers that will bind to one or more data sources.
In code, use ExcelWriter to open the template, set data sources, populate data markers, and save the file, stream it to the client, or both.

Using an Existing Spreadsheet
Increased Flexibility
When you modify an existing spreadsheet using ExcelWriter code, all Excel features and functionality are preserved in the newly generated spreadsheet. You can easily enhance spreadsheets, at runtime, with ExcelWriter's extensive design and charting capabilities.

Pure Coding
Completely Dynamic
This dynamic approach provides total control, at runtime, of every element in the resulting spreadsheet.

What ExcelWriter is Not

ExcelWriter is not a visual end-user tool like Microsoft Excel. It is not an ActiveX control that exists on the client. Rather, it generates native Excel files via server-side scripting that can be read by Microsoft Excel.

ExcelWriter does not use XML or HTML to represent the spreadsheet. The resultant spreadsheet is in the native Microsoft binary format (BIFF8). This permits the creation of rich spreadsheets, including charts and images, and allows for support of all versions of Excel from Excel 95 through Excel XP.

ExcelWriter does not have a calculation engine to perform computation on the cells in the spreadsheet. When formulas are included in a spreadsheet, Excel calculates the values when it loads the spreadsheet. (Please note: since ExcelWriter does not calculate values, evaluation of formulas is not possible during spreadsheet creation).

ExcelWriter does not produce static charts in GIF or JPG/JPEG image format. Rather, it produces fully dynamic 2D or 3D Excel charts capable of referencing data in any worksheet in the workbook that contains the charts.