docs.sheetjs.com/docz/docs/04-getting-started/03-demos/01-gsheet.md

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Google Sheets

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This demo uses node-google-spreadsheet to interact with Google Sheets v4 API.

Code that does not directly relate to SheetJS APIs are tucked away. Click on the "click to show" blocks to see the code snippets.

Initial Configuration

Install the dependencies:

npm i https://cdn.sheetjs.com/xlsx-latest/xlsx-latest.tgz google-spreadsheet@3.3.0

The library README has a guide for configuring a service worker with write access to the document. Following the service worker guide, the JSON key should be saved to key.json.

The following helper function attempts to authenticate and access the specified sheet by ID. The code should be copied and saved to common.js:

Code (click to show)

const fs = require("fs");
const { GoogleSpreadsheet } = require('google-spreadsheet');

module.exports = async(ID) => {
  /* get credentials */
  const creds = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('key.json'));

  /* initialize sheet and authenticate */
  const doc = new GoogleSpreadsheet(ID);
  await doc.useServiceAccountAuth(creds);
  await doc.loadInfo();
  return doc;
}

Exporting Document Data to a File

The goal is to create an XLSB export from a Google Sheet. Google Sheets does not natively support the XLSB format. SheetJS fills the gap. The last subsection includes detailed instructions for running locally.

Connecting to the Document

This uses the common.js helper from above:

Code (click to show)

/* Connect to Google Sheet */
const ID = "<google sheet id>";
const doc = await require("./common")(ID);

Creating a New Workbook

XLSX.utils.book_new() creates an empty workbook with no worksheets:

/* create a blank workbook */
const wb = XLSX.utils.book_new();

Looping across the Document

doc.sheetsByIndex is an array of worksheets in the Google Sheet Document.

Code (click to show)

/* Loop across the Document sheets */
for(let i = 0; i < doc.sheetsByIndex.length; ++i) {
  const sheet = doc.sheetsByIndex[i];
  /* Get the worksheet name */
  const name = sheet.title;
  /* ... */
}

Convert a Google Sheets sheet to a SheetJS Worksheet

The idea is to extract the raw data from the Google Sheet headers and combine with the raw data rows to produce a large array of arrays.

Code (click to show)

  /* get the header and data rows */
  await sheet.loadHeaderRow();
  const header = sheet.headerValues;
  const rows = await sheet.getRows();

  /* construct the array of arrays */
  const aoa = [header].concat(rows.map(r => r._rawData));

This can be converted to a SheetJS worksheet using XLSX.utils.aoa_to_sheet:

  /* generate a SheetJS Worksheet */
  const ws = XLSX.utils.aoa_to_sheet(aoa);

XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet will add the worksheet to the workbook:

  /* add to workbook */
  XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(wb, ws, name);

Generating an XLSB file

XLSX.writeFile will write a file in the filesystem:

/* write to SheetJS.xlsb */
XLSX.writeFile(wb, "SheetJS.xlsb");

How to Run Export Example

How to run locally (click to show)

0. Follow the Authentication and Service Account instructions. At the end, you should have

• Created a project and enabled the Sheets API
• Created a service account with a JSON key

Move the generated JSON key to key.json in your project folder.

1. Create a new Google Sheet and share with the generated service account. It should be granted the "Editor" role

2. Install the dependencies:

npm i https://cdn.sheetjs.com/xlsx-latest/xlsx-latest.tgz google-spreadsheet@3.3.0

2. Save the following snippet to common.js:

const fs = require("fs");
const { GoogleSpreadsheet } = require('google-spreadsheet');

module.exports = async(ID) => {
  /* get credentials */
  const creds = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('key.json'));

  /* initialize sheet and authenticate */
  const doc = new GoogleSpreadsheet(ID);
  await doc.useServiceAccountAuth(creds);
  await doc.loadInfo();
  return doc;
}

3. Save the following snippet to pull.js:

const XLSX = require("xlsx");

/* create a blank workbook */
const wb = XLSX.utils.book_new();

const init = require("./common");
const ID = "<google sheet ID>";

(async() => {

  const doc = await init(ID);

  for(let i = 0; i < doc.sheetsByIndex.length; ++i) {
    const sheet = doc.sheetsByIndex[i];
    const name = sheet.title;

    /* get the header and data rows */
    await sheet.loadHeaderRow();
    const header = sheet.headerValues;
    const rows = await sheet.getRows();
    const aoa = [header].concat(rows.map(r => r._rawData));

    /* generate a SheetJS Worksheet */
    const ws = XLSX.utils.aoa_to_sheet(aoa);

    /* add to workbook */
    XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(wb, ws, name);
  }

  /* write to SheetJS.xlsb */
  XLSX.writeFile(wb, "SheetJS.xlsb");

})();

4. Replace <google sheet ID> with the ID of the actual document.

5. Run node pull.js once. It will create SheetJS.xlsb.

6. Open SheetJS.xlsb and confirm the contents are the same as Google Sheets.

7. Change some cells in the Google Sheets Document.

8. Run node pull.js again and reopen SheetJS.xlsb to confirm value changes.

Updating a Document from a Local File

The goal is to refresh a Google Sheet based on a local file. The problem can be broken down into a few steps. The last subsection includes detailed instructions for running locally.

Reading the Workbook File

XLSX.readFile can read files from the filesystem. The following line reads sheetjs.xlsx from the current directory:

const XLSX = require("xlsx");
const wb = XLSX.readFile("sheetjs.xlsx");

Connecting to the Document

This uses the common.js helper from above:

Code (click to show)

/* Connect to Google Sheet */
const ID = "<google sheet id>";
const doc = await require("./common")(ID);

Clearing the Document

Google Sheets does not allow users to delete every worksheet. The snippet deletes every worksheet after the first, then clears the first worksheet.

Code (click to show)

/* clear workbook */
{
  /* delete all sheets after the first sheet */
  const old_sheets = doc.sheetsByIndex;
  for(let i = 1; i < old_sheets.length; ++i) {
    await old_sheets[i].delete();
  }
  /* clear first worksheet */
  old_sheets[0].clear();
}

Update First Worksheet

In the SheetJS workbook object, worksheet names are stored in the SheetNames property. The first worksheet name is wb.SheetNames[0]:

const name = wb.SheetNames[0];

The Sheets property is an object whose keys are sheet names and whose values are worksheet objects.

const ws = wb.Sheets[name];

In the Google Sheet, doc.sheetsByIndex[0] is a reference to the first sheet:

const sheet = doc.sheetsByIndex[0];

Update Sheet Name

The worksheet name is assigned by using the updateProperties method. The desired sheet name is the name of the first worksheet from the file.

/* update worksheet name */
await sheet.updateProperties({title: name});

Update Worksheet Data

sheet.addRows reads an Array of Arrays of values. XLSX.utils.sheet_to_json can generate this exact shape with the option header: 1. Unfortunately Google Sheets requires at least one "Header Row". This can be implemented by converting the entire worksheet to an Array of Arrays and setting the header row to the first row of the result:

/* generate array of arrays from the first worksheet */
const aoa = XLSX.utils.sheet_to_json(ws, {header: 1});

/* set document header row to first row of the AOA */
await sheet.setHeaderRow(aoa[0]);

/* add the remaining rows */
await sheet.addRows(aoa.slice(1));

Add the Other Worksheets

Each name in the SheetJS Workbook SheetNames array maps to a worksheet. The loop over the remaining worksheet names looks like

for(let i = 1; i < wb.SheetNames.length; ++i) {
  /* wb.SheetNames[i] is the sheet name */
  const name = wb.SheetNames[i];
  /* wb.Sheets[name] is the worksheet object */
  const ws = wb.Sheets[name];
  /* ... */
}

Appending a Worksheet to the Document

doc.addSheet accepts a properties object that includes the worksheet name:

  const sheet = await doc.addSheet({title: name});

This creates a new worksheet, sets the tab name, and returns a reference to the created worksheet.

Update Worksheet Data

This is identical to the first worksheet code:

  /* generate array of arrays from the first worksheet */
  const aoa = XLSX.utils.sheet_to_json(ws, {header: 1});

  /* set document header row to first row of the AOA */
  await sheet.setHeaderRow(aoa[0]);

  /* add the remaining rows */
  await sheet.addRows(aoa.slice(1));

How to Run Update Example

How to run locally (click to show)

0. Follow the Authentication and Service Account instructions. At the end, you should have

• Created a project and enabled the Sheets API
• Created a service account with a JSON key

Move the generated JSON key to key.json in your project folder.

1. Create a new Google Sheet and share with the generated service account. It should be granted the "Editor" role

2. Install the dependencies:

npm i https://cdn.sheetjs.com/xlsx-latest/xlsx-latest.tgz google-spreadsheet@3.3.0

2. Save the following snippet to common.js:

const fs = require("fs");
const { GoogleSpreadsheet } = require('google-spreadsheet');

module.exports = async(ID) => {
  /* get credentials */
  const creds = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('key.json'));

  /* initialize sheet and authenticate */
  const doc = new GoogleSpreadsheet(ID);
  await doc.useServiceAccountAuth(creds);
  await doc.loadInfo();
  return doc;
}

3. Save the following snippet to push.js:

const XLSX = require("xlsx");
const fs = require("fs");
/* create dummy worksheet if `sheetjs.xlsx` does not exist */
if(!fs.existsSync("sheetjs.xlsx")) {
  const wb = XLSX.utils.book_new();
  const ws1 = XLSX.utils.aoa_to_sheet([["a","b","c"],[1,2,3]]); XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(wb, ws1, "Sheet1");
  const ws2 = XLSX.utils.aoa_to_sheet([["a","b","c"],[4,5,6]]); XLSX.utils.book_append_sheet(wb, ws2, "Sheet2");
  XLSX.writeFile(wb, "sheetjs.xlsx");
}
/* read and parse sheetjs.xlsx */
const wb = XLSX.readFile("sheetjs.xlsx");

const init = require("./common");
const ID = "<google sheet ID>";

(async() => {

  const doc = await init(ID);

  /* clear workbook */
  {
    /* delete all sheets after the first sheet */
    const old_sheets = doc.sheetsByIndex;
    for(let i = 1; i < old_sheets.length; ++i) {
      await old_sheets[i].delete();
    }
    /* clear first worksheet */
    old_sheets[0].clear();
  }

  /* write worksheets */
  {
    const name = wb.SheetNames[0];
    const ws = wb.Sheets[name];
    /* first worksheet already exists */
    const sheet = doc.sheetsByIndex[0];

    /* update worksheet name */
    await sheet.updateProperties({title: name});

    /* generate array of arrays from the first worksheet */
    const aoa = XLSX.utils.sheet_to_json(ws, {header: 1});

    /* set document header row to first row of the AOA */
    await sheet.setHeaderRow(aoa[0])

    /* add the remaining rows */
    await sheet.addRows(aoa.slice(1));

    /* the other worksheets must be created manually */
    for(let i = 1; i < wb.SheetNames.length; ++i) {
      const name = wb.SheetNames[i];
      const ws = wb.Sheets[name];

      const sheet = await doc.addSheet({title: name});
      const aoa = XLSX.utils.sheet_to_json(ws, {header: 1});
      await sheet.setHeaderRow(aoa[0])
      await sheet.addRows(aoa.slice(1));
    }
  }

})();

4. Replace <google sheet ID> with the ID of the actual document.

5. Run node push.js once. It will create sheetjs.xlsx and update the sheet.

6. Edit sheetjs.xlsx with some new data

7. Run node push.js again and watch the Google Sheet update!

Using the Raw File Exports

node-google-spreadsheet can download the XLSX or ODS export of the document. The functions return NodeJS Buffer data that can be parsed using SheetJS.

Sample Code (click to show)

SheetJS can read data from XLSX files and ODS files. This example prints the worksheet names and CSV exports of each sheet.

const XLSX = require("xlsx");

/* Connect to Google Sheet */
const ID = "<google sheet id>";
const doc = await require("./common")(ID);

/* Get XLSX export */
const buf = await doc.downloadAsXLSX();

/* Parse with SheetJS */
const wb = XLSX.read(buf);

/* Loop over the worksheet names */
wb.SheetNames.forEach(name => {
  /* Print the name to the console */
  console.log(name);

  /* Get the corresponding worksheet object */
  const sheet = wb.Sheets[name];

  /* Print a CSV export of the worksheet */
  console.log(XLSX.utils.sheet_to_csv(sheet));
});

const XLSX = require("xlsx");

/* Connect to Google Sheet */
const ID = "<google sheet id>";
const doc = await require("./common")(ID);

/* Get XLSX export */
const buf = await doc.downloadAsODS();

/* Parse with SheetJS */
const wb = XLSX.read(buf);

/* Loop over the worksheet names */
wb.SheetNames.forEach(name => {
  /* Print the name to the console */
  console.log(name);

  /* Get the corresponding worksheet object */
  const sheet = wb.Sheets[name];

  /* Print a CSV export of the worksheet */
  console.log(XLSX.utils.sheet_to_csv(sheet));
});