ClawHub Skills Lib

Excel / XLSX — AI Agent Skill | Install, Stats & Docs | ClawHub Skills Lib

📄 Documents & Office

Excel / XLSXv1.0.1

excel-xlsx

ivangdavila

Read, write, and generate Excel files with correct types, dates, formulas, and cross-platform compatibility.

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8

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8

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CreatedFeb 10, 2026

UpdatedFeb 26, 2026

Install & Quick Start

Install via ClawdBot CLI:

clawdbot install ivangdavila/excel-xlsx

Skill Package1 files

📋SKILL.mdmarkdown

Dates

Excel dates are serial numbers—days since 1900-01-01 (Windows) or 1904-01-01 (Mac legacy)
1900 leap year bug: Excel incorrectly treats 1900 as leap year—serial 60 is Feb 29, 1900 (invalid)
Date vs number ambiguous without cell format—always check number format code, not just value
Times are fractional days: 0.5 = 12:00 noon; 0.25 = 06:00

Numbers

15-digit precision limit—larger numbers silently truncate; use text format for IDs, phone numbers
Leading zeros stripped from numbers—format as text or use custom format 00000
Scientific notation triggers automatically—1E10 becomes number; quote if literal text
Currency/percentage stored as numbers—formatting is display-only, raw value differs

Text & Encoding

Shared strings table stores unique text once—large files reuse indices; libraries handle this
32,767 character limit per cell
Newlines in cells: \n works but cell needs wrap text format to display
Unicode fully supported in XLSX—but legacy XLS has codepage issues

Structure

Row limit: 1,048,576; column limit: 16,384 (XFD)—XLS limit is 65,536 × 256
Merged cells: only top-left cell holds value—reading others returns empty
Hidden rows/columns still contain data—don't assume hidden means excluded
Sheet names max 31 chars; forbidden: \ / ? * [ ]

Formulas

Cell may contain formula and cached result—some readers return formula, others cached value
Formulas recalculate on open—cached values may be stale; force recalc or read formula
Array formulas (CSE/dynamic) have different behavior across Excel versions
External references [Book.xlsx]Sheet!A1 break when file moves

Cross-Platform

Windows vs Mac Excel: date system (1900 vs 1904) can differ—check workbook setting
LibreOffice/Google Sheets: some Excel features unsupported—test roundtrip
XLSM contains macros (security risk); XLSB is binary (faster, less compatible)
Password protection is trivial to break—not real security; encrypt file externally

Common Library Issues

Empty rows at end: some writers pad to fixed size—trim when reading
Type inference on read: numbers-as-text stay text; explicit conversion needed
Memory: loading large files fully into RAM—use streaming reader for big files
Column letters vs indices: A=0 or A=1 varies by library—verify convention

🤖

AI Usage Analysis

Generated Mar 1, 2026

Data AnalystsSoftware DevelopersBusiness Operations Managersintermediate

💡 Application Scenarios

Financial Reporting AutomationFinance

Generate monthly financial reports with correct date formatting and currency handling, ensuring cross-platform compatibility for stakeholders using different Excel versions. Avoids data truncation by formatting IDs as text and handles large datasets with streaming readers to prevent memory issues.

Inventory Management SystemRetail

Read and update inventory spreadsheets with product codes, dates, and quantities, using text format for SKUs to preserve leading zeros. Manages merged cells and hidden rows to ensure accurate data extraction, and tests roundtrip compatibility with Google Sheets for remote teams.

Academic Gradebook ProcessingEducation

Process student gradebooks with formulas for averages and percentages, checking cached values against recalculated results to avoid stale data. Handles Unicode text for international names and ensures newlines in comments display correctly with wrap text formatting.

Healthcare Data MigrationHealthcare

Migrate patient records from legacy XLS to XLSX, addressing codepage issues and date system differences between Windows and Mac Excel. Uses explicit type conversion to prevent numbers-as-text errors and trims empty rows from padded files for clean data output.

Sales Lead TrackingSales

Generate sales lead reports with phone numbers formatted as text to avoid scientific notation and preserve leading zeros. Manages external references in formulas to prevent breaks when files are moved, and uses column letter conventions consistently across libraries for reliable data mapping.

💼 Business Models

SaaS Data Integration PlatformSubscription-based

Offer a cloud-based service that automates Excel file processing for businesses, handling cross-platform compatibility and large file streaming. Generates revenue through subscription tiers based on usage volume and advanced features like formula recalculation and date system conversion.

Consulting and Custom DevelopmentProject-based fees

Provide tailored solutions for enterprises needing Excel integration, such as financial reporting tools or inventory systems, with expertise in library-specific issues and memory optimization. Revenue comes from project-based fees and ongoing support contracts for maintenance and updates.

API for DevelopersUsage-based pricing

Sell an API that enables developers to read and generate Excel files programmatically, with features for type handling, date conversion, and streaming for big data. Monetizes through pay-per-use pricing or enterprise licenses for high-volume clients in industries like finance and retail.

💬 Integration Tip

Always verify date systems and number formats when reading Excel files to prevent data corruption, and use streaming readers for large files to optimize memory usage and performance.