Create a web page from Excel file

Help

This page will help you to start and configure your ExcelGen website.

All you need is an excel file to start.

Examples

We have created multiple examples that will help you get started.

Check out our clients page, for real time example in production environment.

Dashboard

After you registered your account, you will be redirected to your Dashboard.

This is your control center, where you upload your file, manage customers/roles and other things.

How to hide sheets?

Rename your sheet by adding "!" in front of it. Like "!Sheet1".

This will prevent ExcelGen from reading it.

Hiding sheet in workbook will also force to ignore it.

Roles and Customers

You can set up multiple roles - groups of specific files and sheets.

Then create some customers and add them roles.

Each customer will see only those sheets that are set in there roles.

Each customer will have special link or secret code to log in with.

In this way you can add discounts page to special customers or create separate pages for different languages.

You can control this to level of individual cells, using command. See Command list section.

Header and Footer

In Dashboard File Settings you can set header or footer sheets, that will be displayed on every other sheet in that file.

If sheet is used as header or footer, it will not be visible in navigation or accessed directly.

If your file has sheets that are named "Header" or "Footer", they will be applied automatically.

How to limit columns and rows?

To limit columns, type "[END]" in first row, after last column you want to be visible.

To limit rows, type "[END]" in first column, after last row you want to be visible.

Last empty rows and columns will be ignored, and will not be displayed by default.

You may need this if there are filled rows you want to hide.

Each profile is attached to configuration, that sets limit to maximum account of rows and columns that can be rendered in a sheet.

Default configuration allows 20 columns and 500 rows.

Note: Large files may cause generation process to take a long time.

Password protected files

If file with password is uploaded, additional dialog will require to enter password.

You can select to store password in data base.

If password is not stored, every access to it will require password before file can be open.

You can store or clear password at any time in dashboard.

How to SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Set file and sheet title, keywords and description settings.

In dashboard, file settings, you can set title, keywords and descriptions for your file, or each sheet.

Also, you can set default keywords and description for all your sheets in dashboard mine settings.

Try naming your files and sheets without spaces and special characters.

Because how URLs work, they encode spaces and special characters, them can make URL unreadable and harder to index.

If you have not created any customers, ignore this block.

Pages that will be indexed in search engine, will depend on your customer and role settings.

Each customer has "Include in sitemap" setting. It will be disabled by default, for each new customer you create.

When you enable it, all available sheets for that customer will be included in sitemap, that will allow search engines to find them.

Set alt texts for images.

If you want your images to be indexed in search engine image search, it requires alt attribute in html.

To set it, just right click on your image in excel, and select "Edit Alt Text…"

Command List

You can set specific commands for cells, by typing them in cell comment.

Note: Every command accepts values and formulas.

Command List

You can set specific commands for cells, by typing them in cell comment.

Note: Every command accepts values and formulas.

Command

Value

Description

Example

Input

Boolean

Sets cell to be input control.

<Input>

Each input can be customized to specific format. See Input formats section.

Output

Boolean

Sets cell to be read-only input control.

<Output>

Works the same as Input.

Also forces cell to update on calculation.

Update

Boolean

Also forces cell to update on calculation.

<Update=false>

This rule is applied automatically to all cells containing formulas.

Can be used to disable updating on calculation.

Link

URL

Makes cell or image in cell a link to specified URL.

<Link=https://www.google.com>

Can forward to local or external site.

Note: To add link to image, place command in left top corner cell.

Note: Excel build in hyperlinks are supported as well.

Link

String

Makes cell or image a link to another sheet, file or profile.

<Link=/?Sheet=Sheet2>

Note: To add link to image, place command in left top corner cell.

<Link=/?File=MyFile.xlsx&Sheet=Sheet2>

If Profile or File is not specified, it will stay the same as current.

<Link=/?Profile=Anna&File=MyFile.xlsx>

If Sheet is not specified, it will redirect to first file in profile or first sheet in file.

Note: Excel build in hyperlinks are supported as well.

Roles

Comma separated roles

Shows or hides cell if current user has or has not any of roles assigned to it.

<Roles=EnglishCustomer,Discount10%>

Note: These roles must be created in your Dashboard.

Visible

Enum

Shows or hides cell based on value.

<Visible=IF(B3>20)>

True by default.

<Visible=Pdf>

Can be set on pdf export or web only.

<Visible=Web>

Recommended usage with formulas.

<Visible=False>

PdfKey

String

Sets group of cells to be downloaded with specifik key.

<PdfKey(R20)=MyRegion1>

Use this when you need multiple different pdf downloads from single sheet.

Combine with DownloadPdf button.

CopyHtml

String

Defines a rectangular region to copy.

<CopyHtml(R+2,C+1)=Invoice>

Uses cells visible in web.

<CopyHtml(C+5;R+10)=Lines>

Formats a html table.

Required when a button passes a key.

CopyText

String

Defines a rectangular region to copy.

<CopyText(R+2,C+1)=Invoice>

Uses cells visible in web.

<CopyText(C+5;R+10)=Lines>

Formats plain text using tabs and new line.

Required when a button passes a key.

Heading

Integer (1-6)

Marks cell content as heading. Applies to texts only.

<Heading>

Default value is 1. Ignored if value out of 1-6 range.

<Heading=1>

Generation logic will attempt to autodetect headings, if you are using style names like "Heading 1", but this may not work on some languages.

<Heading=6>

Buttons

Buttons can execute custom functions.

Buttons are commands - set in comment block.

Containing cell will be rendered as clickable button.

Command

Description

Example

Calculate

Disables automatic calculation and updates value only after button is clicked.

<Button=Calculate>

Use this for large files that take too long to update for automatic calculation.

Save

Displays dialog with unique link that allows to access and share current calculation. Also offers to open Send dialog.

<Button=Save>

Send

Displays dialog that allow to send current calculation to specified email. Calculation link and pdf attachment with sender comment (optional) will be send to email, entered in dialog.

<Button=Send>

Submit

Saves calculation to data base. It can be accessed from Dashboard submissions list.

<Button=Submit>

DownloadPdf

Exports current sheet to PDF format.

<Button=DownloadPdf>

This function accepts parameters. Before using, set region with PdfKey.

<Button=DownloadPdf(MyRegion1)>

DownloadXlsx

Exports current sheet to XLSX format.

<Button=DownloadXlsx>

CopyHtml

Copies the region defined by a matching CopyHtml setting to the clipboard.

<Button=CopyHtml(Invoice)>

CopyText

Copies the region defined by a matching CopyText setting to the clipboard.

<Button=CopyText(Invoice)>

DownloadSource

Downloads source excel file. Command will not work if download is disabled.

<Button=DownloadSource>

Advanced syntax

You can apply single command to multiple cells.

This will apply to all cell commands.

Fill command Syntax: <CommandName[([R/C][+][Count][:][Step])[,][([R/C][+][Count][:][Step])]][=FormulaOrValue]>

Anything within in "[ ]" is optional.

"R/C" means, use one: R (row) or C (column). Lower case r/c are supported.

"Count" is additional number of rows to apply this rule for.

"Step" is to how many rows step over, before applying rule.

So full version of: <Input> is <Input(R+0:1,C+0:1)=True>

Both versions will do exactly the same thing.

Examples:

Command

Description

<Input(R+10)>

Apply Input to current cell, and next 10 below.

<Input(10:2)>

Apply Input to current cell, and next 10 below, by stepping over 2. Between each of 10 Inputs, there will be one row skipped.

<Input(R+10:2)>

<Input(R+10:2,C+1)>

Same as previous, but apply rule to one additional column right. This will double the amount of inputs.

<Input(R10:2,C1)>

<Input(10:2,1)>

<Input(C+1,R+10:2)>

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