Spreadsheet::WriteExceUsertContributed PerlSpreadsheet::WriteExcel::Utility(3)NAME
Utility - Helper functions for Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
SYNOPSIS
Functions to help with some common tasks when using
Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.
These functions mainly relate to dealing with rows and columns in A1
notation and to handling dates and times.
use Spreadsheet::WriteExcel::Utility; # Import everything
($row, $col) = xl_cell_to_rowcol('C2'); # (1, 2)
$str = xl_rowcol_to_cell(1, 2); # C2
$str = xl_inc_col('Z1' ); # AA1
$str = xl_dec_col('AA1' ); # Z1
$date = xl_date_list(2002, 1, 1); # 37257
$date = xl_parse_date("11 July 1997"); # 35622
$time = xl_parse_time('3:21:36 PM'); # 0.64
$date = xl_decode_date_EU("13 May 2002"); # 37389
DESCRIPTION
This module provides a set of functions to help with some common tasks
encountered when using the Spreadsheet::WriteExcel module. The two main
categories of function are:
Row and column functions: these are used to deal with Excel's A1
representation of cells. The functions in this category are:
xl_rowcol_to_cell
xl_cell_to_rowcol
xl_range_formula
xl_inc_row
xl_dec_row
xl_inc_col
xl_dec_col
Date and Time functions: these are used to convert dates and times to
the numeric format used by Excel. The functions in this category are:
xl_date_list
xl_date_1904
xl_parse_time
xl_parse_date
xl_parse_date_init
xl_decode_date_EU
xl_decode_date_US
All of these functions are exported by default. However, you can use
import lists if you wish to limit the functions that are imported:
use Spreadsheet::WriteExcel::Utility; # Import everything
use Spreadsheet::WriteExcel::Utilityqw(xl_date_list); # xl_date_list only
use Spreadsheet::WriteExcel::Utility qw(:rowcol); # Row/col functions
use Spreadsheet::WriteExcel::Utility qw(:dates); # Date functions
ROW AND COLUMN FUNCTIONS
Spreadsheet::WriteExcel supports two forms of notation to designate the
position of cells: Row-column notation and A1 notation.
Row-column notation uses a zero based index for both row and column
while A1 notation uses the standard Excel alphanumeric sequence of
column letter and 1-based row. Columns range from A to IV i.e. 0 to
255, rows range from 1 to 16384 in Excel 5 and 65536 in Excel 97. For
example:
(0, 0) # The top left cell in row-column notation.
('A1') # The top left cell in A1 notation.
(1999, 29) # Row-column notation.
('AD2000') # The same cell in A1 notation.
Row-column notation is useful if you are referring to cells
programmatically:
for my $i (0 .. 9) {
$worksheet->write($i, 0, 'Hello'); # Cells A1 to A10
}
A1 notation is useful for setting up a worksheet manually and for
working with formulas:
$worksheet->write('H1', 200);
$worksheet->write('H2', '=H7+1');
The functions in the following sections can be used for dealing with A1
notation, for example:
($row, $col) = xl_cell_to_rowcol('C2'); # (1, 2)
$str = xl_rowcol_to_cell(1, 2); # C2
Cell references in Excel can be either relative or absolute. Absolute
references are prefixed by the dollar symbol as shown below:
A1 # Column and row are relative
$A1 # Column is absolute and row is relative
A$1 # Column is relative and row is absolute
$A$1 # Column and row are absolute
An absolute reference only has an effect if the cell is copied. Refer
to the Excel documentation for further details. All of the following
functions support absolute references.
xl_rowcol_to_cell($row, $col, $row_absolute, $col_absolute)
Parameters: $row: Integer
$col: Integer
$row_absolute: Boolean (1/0) [optional, default is 0]
$col_absolute: Boolean (1/0) [optional, default is 0]
Returns: A string in A1 cell notation
This function converts a zero based row and column cell reference to a
A1 style string:
$str = xl_rowcol_to_cell(0, 0); # A1
$str = xl_rowcol_to_cell(0, 1); # B1
$str = xl_rowcol_to_cell(1, 0); # A2
The optional parameters $row_absolute and $col_absolute can be used to
indicate if the row or column is absolute:
$str = xl_rowcol_to_cell(0, 0, 0, 1); # $A1
$str = xl_rowcol_to_cell(0, 0, 1, 0); # A$1
$str = xl_rowcol_to_cell(0, 0, 1, 1); # $A$1
See "ROW AND COLUMN FUNCTIONS" for an explanation of absolute cell
references.
xl_cell_to_rowcol($string)
Parameters: $string String in A1 format
Returns: List ($row, $col)
This function converts an Excel cell reference in A1 notation to a zero
based row and column. The function will also handle Excel's absolute,
"$", cell notation.
my ($row, $col) = xl_cell_to_rowcol('A1'); # (0, 0)
my ($row, $col) = xl_cell_to_rowcol('B1'); # (0, 1)
my ($row, $col) = xl_cell_to_rowcol('C2'); # (1, 2)
my ($row, $col) = xl_cell_to_rowcol('$C2' ); # (1, 2)
my ($row, $col) = xl_cell_to_rowcol('C$2' ); # (1, 2)
my ($row, $col) = xl_cell_to_rowcol('$C$2'); # (1, 2)
xl_range_formula($sheetname, $row_1, $row_2, $col_1, $col_2)
Parameters: $sheetname String
$row_1: Integer
$row_2: Integer
$col_1: Integer
$col_2: Integer
Returns: A worksheet range formula as a string.
This function converts zero based row and column cell references to an
A1 style formula string:
my $str = xl_range_formula('Sheet1', 0, 9, 0, 0); # =Sheet1!$A$1:$A$10
my $str = xl_range_formula('Sheet2', 6, 65, 1, 1); # =Sheet2!$B$7:$B$66
my $str = xl_range_formula('New data', 1, 8, 2, 2); # ='New data'!$C$2:$C$9
This is useful for setting ranges in Chart objects:
$chart->add_series(
categories => xl_range_formula('Sheet1', 1, 9, 0, 0),
values => xl_range_formula('Sheet1', 1, 9, 1, 1);,
);
# Which is the same as:
$chart->add_series(
categories => '=Sheet1!$A$2:$A$10',
values => '=Sheet1!$B$2:$B$10',
);
xl_inc_row($string)
Parameters: $string, a string in A1 format
Returns: Incremented string in A1 format
This functions takes a cell reference string in A1 notation and
increments the row. The function will also handle Excel's absolute,
"$", cell notation:
my $str = xl_inc_row('A1' ); # A2
my $str = xl_inc_row('B$2' ); # B$3
my $str = xl_inc_row('$C3' ); # $C4
my $str = xl_inc_row('$D$4'); # $D$5
xl_dec_row($string)
Parameters: $string, a string in A1 format
Returns: Decremented string in A1 format
This functions takes a cell reference string in A1 notation and
decrements the row. The function will also handle Excel's absolute,
"$", cell notation:
my $str = xl_dec_row('A2' ); # A1
my $str = xl_dec_row('B$3' ); # B$2
my $str = xl_dec_row('$C4' ); # $C3
my $str = xl_dec_row('$D$5'); # $D$4
xl_inc_col($string)
Parameters: $string, a string in A1 format
Returns: Incremented string in A1 format
This functions takes a cell reference string in A1 notation and
increments the column. The function will also handle Excel's absolute,
"$", cell notation:
my $str = xl_inc_col('A1' ); # B1
my $str = xl_inc_col('Z1' ); # AA1
my $str = xl_inc_col('$B1' ); # $C1
my $str = xl_inc_col('$D$5'); # $E$5
xl_dec_col($string)
Parameters: $string, a string in A1 format
Returns: Decremented string in A1 format
This functions takes a cell reference string in A1 notation and
decrements the column. The function will also handle Excel's absolute,
"$", cell notation:
my $str = xl_dec_col('B1' ); # A1
my $str = xl_dec_col('AA1' ); # Z1
my $str = xl_dec_col('$C1' ); # $B1
my $str = xl_dec_col('$E$5'); # $D$5
TIME AND DATE FUNCTIONS
Dates and times in Excel are represented by real numbers, for example
"Jan 1 2001 12:30 AM" is represented by the number 36892.521.
The integer part of the number stores the number of days since the
epoch and the fractional part stores the percentage of the day in
seconds.
The epoch can be either 1900 or 1904. Excel for Windows uses 1900 and
Excel for Macintosh uses 1904. The epochs are:
1900: 0 January 1900 i.e. 31 December 1899
1904: 1 January 1904
Excel on Windows and the Macintosh will convert automatically between
one system and the other. By default Spreadsheet::WriteExcel uses the
1900 format. To use the 1904 epoch you must use the "set_1904()"
workbook method, see the Spreadsheet::WriteExcel documentation.
There are two things to note about the 1900 date format. The first is
that the epoch starts on 0 January 1900. The second is that the year
1900 is erroneously but deliberately treated as a leap year. Therefore
you must add an extra day to dates after 28 February 1900. The
functions in the following section will deal with these issues
automatically. The reason for this anomaly is explained at
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q181/3/70.asp
Note, a date or time in Excel is like any other number. To display the
number as a date you must apply a number format to it: Refer to the
"set_num_format()" method in the Spreadsheet::WriteExcel documentation:
$date = xl_date_list(2001, 1, 1, 12, 30);
$format->set_num_format('mmm d yyyy hh:mm AM/PM');
$worksheet->write('A1', $date , $format); # Jan 1 2001 12:30 AM
To use these functions you must install the "Date::Manip" and
"Date::Calc" modules. See REQUIREMENTS and the individual requirements
of each functions.
See also the DateTime::Format::Excel
module,http://search.cpan.org/search?dist=DateTime-Format-Excel which
is part of the DateTime project and which deals specifically with
converting dates and times to and from Excel's format.
xl_date_list($years, $months, $days, $hours, $minutes, $seconds)
Parameters: $years: Integer
$months: Integer [optional, default is 1]
$days: Integer [optional, default is 1]
$hours: Integer [optional, default is 0]
$minutes: Integer [optional, default is 0]
$seconds: Float [optional, default is 0]
Returns: A number that represents an Excel date
or undef for an invalid date.
Requires: Date::Calc
This function converts an array of data into a number that represents
an Excel date. All of the parameters are optional except for $years.
$date1 = xl_date_list(2002, 1, 2); # 2 Jan 2002
$date2 = xl_date_list(2002, 1, 2, 12); # 2 Jan 2002 12:00 pm
$date3 = xl_date_list(2002, 1, 2, 12, 30); # 2 Jan 2002 12:30 pm
$date4 = xl_date_list(2002, 1, 2, 12, 30, 45); # 2 Jan 2002 12:30:45 pm
This function can be used in conjunction with functions that parse date
and time strings. In fact it is used in most of the following
functions.
xl_parse_time($string)
Parameters: $string, a textual representation of a time
Returns: A number that represents an Excel time
or undef for an invalid time.
This function converts a time string into a number that represents an
Excel time. The following time formats are valid:
hh:mm [AM|PM]
hh:mm [AM|PM]
hh:mm:ss [AM|PM]
hh:mm:ss.ss [AM|PM]
The meridian, AM or PM, is optional and case insensitive. A 24 hour
time is assumed if the meridian is omitted
$time1 = xl_parse_time('12:18');
$time2 = xl_parse_time('12:18:14');
$time3 = xl_parse_time('12:18:14 AM');
$time4 = xl_parse_time('1:18:14 AM');
Time in Excel is expressed as a fraction of the day in seconds.
Therefore you can calculate an Excel time as follows:
$time = ($hours*3600 +$minutes*60 +$seconds)/(24*60*60);
xl_parse_date($string)
Parameters: $string, a textual representation of a date and time
Returns: A number that represents an Excel date
or undef for an invalid date.
Requires: Date::Manip and Date::Calc
This function converts a date and time string into a number that
represents an Excel date.
The parsing is performed using the "ParseDate()" function of the
Date::Manip module. Refer to the Date::Manip documentation for further
information about the date and time formats that can be parsed. In
order to use this function you will probably have to initialise some
Date::Manip variables via the "xl_parse_date_init()" function, see
below.
xl_parse_date_init("TZ=GMT","DateFormat=non-US");
$date1 = xl_parse_date("11/7/97");
$date2 = xl_parse_date("Friday 11 July 1997");
$date3 = xl_parse_date("10:30 AM Friday 11 July 1997");
$date4 = xl_parse_date("Today");
$date5 = xl_parse_date("Yesterday");
Note, if you parse a string that represents a time but not a date this
function will add the current date. If you want the time without the
date you can do something like the following:
$time = xl_parse_date("10:30 AM");
$time -= int($time);
xl_parse_date_init("variable=value", ...)
Parameters: A list of Date::Manip variable strings
Returns: A list of all the Date::Manip strings
Requires: Date::Manip
This function is used to initialise variables required by the
Date::Manip module. You should call this function before calling
"xl_parse_date()". It need only be called once.
This function is a thin wrapper for the "Date::Manip::Date_Init()"
function. You can use "Date_Init()" directly if you wish. Refer to the
Date::Manip documentation for further information.
xl_parse_date_init("TZ=MST","DateFormat=US");
$date1 = xl_parse_date("11/7/97"); # November 7th 1997
xl_parse_date_init("TZ=GMT","DateFormat=non-US");
$date1 = xl_parse_date("11/7/97"); # July 11th 1997
xl_decode_date_EU($string)
Parameters: $string, a textual representation of a date and time
Returns: A number that represents an Excel date
or undef for an invalid date.
Requires: Date::Calc
This function converts a date and time string into a number that
represents an Excel date.
The date parsing is performed using the "Decode_Date_EU()" function of
the Date::Calc module. Refer to the Date::Calc for further information
about the date formats that can be parsed. Also note the following from
the Date::Calc documentation:
"If the year is given as one or two digits only (i.e., if the year is
less than 100), it is mapped to the window 1970 -2069 as follows":
0 E<lt>= $year E<lt> 70 ==> $year += 2000;
70 E<lt>= $year E<lt> 100 ==> $year += 1900;
The time portion of the string is parsed using the "xl_parse_time()"
function described above.
Note: the EU in the function name means that a European date format is
assumed if it is not clear from the string. See the first example
below.
$date1 = xl_decode_date_EU("11/7/97"); #11 July 1997
$date2 = xl_decode_date_EU("Sat 12 Sept 1998");
$date3 = xl_decode_date_EU("4:30 AM Sat 12 Sept 1998");
xl_decode_date_US($string)
Parameters: $string, a textual representation of a date and time
Returns: A number that represents an Excel date
or undef for an invalid date.
Requires: Date::Calc
This function converts a date and time string into a number that
represents an Excel date.
The date parsing is performed using the "Decode_Date_US()" function of
the Date::Calc module. Refer to the Date::Calc for further information
about the date formats that can be parsed. Also note the following from
the Date::Calc documentation:
"If the year is given as one or two digits only (i.e., if the year is
less than 100), it is mapped to the window 1970 -2069 as follows":
0 <= $year < 70 ==> $year += 2000;
70 <= $year < 100 ==> $year += 1900;
The time portion of the string is parsed using the "xl_parse_time()"
function described above.
Note: the US in the function name means that an American date format is
assumed if it is not clear from the string. See the first example
below.
$date1 = xl_decode_date_US("11/7/97"); # 7 November 1997
$date2 = xl_decode_date_US("12 Sept Saturday 1998");
$date3 = xl_decode_date_US("4:30 AM 12 Sept Sat 1998");
xl_date_1904($date)
Parameters: $date, an Excel date with a 1900 epoch
Returns: an Excel date with a 1904 epoch or zero if
the $date is before 1904
This function converts an Excel date based on the 1900 epoch into a
date based on the 1904 epoch.
$date1 = xl_date_list(2002, 1, 13); # 13 Jan 2002, 1900 epoch
$date2 = xl_date_1904($date1); # 13 Jan 2002, 1904 epoch
See also the "set_1904()" workbook method in the
Spreadsheet::WriteExcel documentation.
REQUIREMENTS
The date and time functions require functions from the "Date::Manip"
and "Date::Calc" modules. The required functions are "autoused" from
these modules so that you do not have to install them unless you wish
to use the date and time routines. Therefore it is possible to use the
row and column functions without having "Date::Manip" and "Date::Calc"
installed.
For more information about "autousing" refer to the documentation on
the "autouse" pragma.
BUGS
When using the autoused functions from "Date::Manip" and "Date::Calc"
on Perl 5.6.0 with "-w" you will get a warning like this:
"Subroutine xxx redefined ..."
The current workaround for this is to put "use warnings;" near the
beginning of your program.
AUTHOR
John McNamara jmcnamara@cpan.org
COPYRIGHT
X MM-MMX, John McNamara.
All Rights Reserved. This module is free software. It may be used,
redistributed and/or modified under the same terms as Perl itself.
perl v5.14.22010-02-0Spreadsheet::WriteExcel::Utility(3)
