5 Ways to Create a New Sheet in Excel with PHP

Manipulating spreadsheets programmatically can significantly enhance productivity, especially when dealing with large datasets or automated reporting. Microsoft Excel, being one of the most widely used tools for this purpose, often integrates with PHP to leverage its data manipulation capabilities through various libraries. Here are five methods to create a new sheet in Excel using PHP:

1. Using the PHPExcel Library

PHPExcel, now known as PhpSpreadsheet, is a popular library for reading, writing, and manipulating Excel files in PHP.

• Installation: Install via Composer with composer require phpoffice/phpspreadsheet
• Create Sheet:

  use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Spreadsheet;
  use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Xlsx;
  
  $spreadsheet = new Spreadsheet();
  $sheet = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet();
  $sheet->setCellValue('A1', 'Hello, World!');
  $writer = new Xlsx($spreadsheet);
  $writer->save('example.xlsx');
  

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🔔 Note: Ensure you have write permissions for the directory where you save the file.

2. Using PHP SimpleXLSXGen

SimpleXLSXGen is a lightweight library to generate XLSX spreadsheets from PHP arrays.

• Installation: Composer with composer require shuchkin/simplexlsxgen
• Create Sheet:

  require 'vendor/autoload.php';
  use Shuchkin\SimpleXLSXGen;
  $sheetData = [['Hello', 'World'], ['From', 'SimpleXLSXGen']];
  $xlsx = new SimpleXLSXGen($sheetData);
  $xlsx->saveAs('example.xlsx');
  

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3. Using PhpSpreadsheet with Multiple Sheets

If you need to create multiple sheets:

• 
      $spreadsheet = new Spreadsheet();
      $spreadsheet->createSheet();
      $spreadsheet->setActiveSheetIndex(1);
      $sheet = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet();
      $sheet->setCellValue('A1', 'This is the second sheet');
      $writer = new Xlsx($spreadsheet);
      $writer->save('multi_sheet_example.xlsx');
  

4. Creating Sheets from CSV Files

You might need to import data from CSV files into Excel sheets:

• “`php use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Reader\Csv;

  $reader = new Csv();
  $spreadsheet = $reader->load('data.csv');
  $writer = new Xlsx($spreadsheet);
  $writer->save('converted.xlsx');
  ```
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5. Using COM Object for Windows Environments

For those in a Windows environment, you can directly interact with Excel through COM:

• Requirements: Running a PHP server on Windows with Excel installed.
• Create Sheet:

  $objExcel = new COM("Excel.Application");
  $objExcel->Visible = 1;
  $objExcel->Workbooks->Add();
  $objExcel->ActiveSheet->Name = 'My First Sheet';
  $objExcel->ActiveSheet->Cells(1, 1)->Value = 'Hello from COM!';
  $objExcel->ActiveWorkbook->SaveAs('com_example.xlsx');
  $objExcel->ActiveWorkbook->Close();
  $objExcel->Quit();
  

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🔔 Note: This method requires Excel to be installed on the server and might not be suitable for shared hosting environments.

By understanding and utilizing these methods, developers can automate Excel sheet creation within PHP applications, offering a wide range of solutions for different needs and environments. Each approach has its strengths, from the versatility of PhpSpreadsheet to the simplicity of SimpleXLSXGen. The choice depends on your specific project requirements, the environment, and the libraries you're already using.

Can I use PhpSpreadsheet on a shared hosting?

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Yes, PhpSpreadsheet can be used on shared hosting, provided you have the necessary permissions to install Composer packages.

What’s the benefit of using COM over libraries like PhpSpreadsheet?

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COM allows direct interaction with Excel, which might be necessary for complex operations or when dealing with existing Excel files that contain VBA code or specific formatting not easily replicable with libraries.

Is there a performance difference between these methods?

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Libraries like PhpSpreadsheet can be more resource-intensive due to their extensive feature set, whereas SimpleXLSXGen is very lightweight. COM depends on system resources and Excel’s performance itself.