Why Excel Export Gets Messy

• Default exports ignore formatting, making reports hard to read
• Large datasets choke on memory or miss rows
• Edge cases: formulas, merged cells, date/time columns, and special characters
• Manual fixes waste hours and break on the next update

Prerequisites

• .NET 6+ project
• Xceed Workbooks for .NET (get a trial here)
• Familiarity with C# basics

Step 1: Set Up Your Project

Clone the Nuget repo with working samples and templates:
Nuget: Xceed Workbooks for .NET
Install the Xceed Workbooks NuGet package:

dotnet add package Xceed.Workbooks.NET

Step 2: Define Your Data and Report Structure

var employees = new List<Employee>
{
    new Employee { Name = "Jane Doe", Department = "Finance", Salary = 95000, HireDate = DateTime.Parse("2018-03-01") },
    // ... more rows
};

Step 3: Create and Format the Excel File

using (var workbook = new Xceed.Workbooks.Workbook())
{
    var sheet = workbook.Worksheets.Add("Employee Report");
    sheet.Rows[0].Cells[0].Value = "Name";
    sheet.Rows[0].Cells[1].Value = "Department";
    sheet.Rows[0].Cells[2].Value = "Salary";
    sheet.Rows[0].Cells[3].Value = "Hire Date";

    // Apply bold header style
    sheet.Rows[0].Style.Font.Bold = true;

    for (int i = 0; i < employees.Count; i++)
    {
        var emp = employees[i];
        sheet.Rows[i + 1].Cells[0].Value = emp.Name;
        sheet.Rows[i + 1].Cells[1].Value = emp.Department;
        sheet.Rows[i + 1].Cells[2].Value = emp.Salary;
        sheet.Rows[i + 1].Cells[3].Value = emp.HireDate.ToShortDateString();
    }

    // Auto-fit columns
    sheet.Columns.AutoFit();

    workbook.SaveAs("EmployeeReport.xlsx");
}

Step 4: Handle Export Edge Cases

• Formulas:
  sheet.Rows[10].Cells[2].Formula = "=SUM(C2:C10)";
• Merged Cells:
  sheet.MergedCells.Add("A1:D1");
• Special Characters:
  Xceed handles Unicode—no extra work needed.
• Large Data:
  Xceed streams rows to avoid memory spikes.

Step 5: Export and Validate

• Open the exported file—headers are bold, columns fit, dates are readable
• Test with edge-case data (missing fields, special chars, etc.)
• Add error handling for production use

Get Started Now

• Clone the Nuget repo for ready-to-run code
• Start your Xceed trial—unlock advanced Excel export features

Stop fighting with messy exports. Ship clean, reliable Excel reports today.