open xml excel read cell value

Question

I am using the Open XML SDK to open an Excel xlsx file and I try to read the cellvalue on position A1 in each sheet. I use the following code:

using (SpreadsheetDocument spreadsheetDocument = SpreadsheetDocument.Open(openFileDialog1.FileName, false))
{
    var sheets = spreadsheetDocument.WorkbookPart.Workbook.Descendants<Sheet>();

    foreach (Sheet sheet in sheets)
    {
        WorksheetPart worksheetPart = (WorksheetPart)spreadsheetDocument.WorkbookPart.GetPartById(sheet.Id);
        Worksheet worksheet = worksheetPart.Worksheet;

        Cell cell = GetCell(worksheet, "A", 1);

        Console.Writeline(cell.CellValue.Text);
     }
}

private static Cell GetCell(Worksheet worksheet, string columnName, uint rowIndex)
{
     Row row = GetRow(worksheet, rowIndex);

     if (row == null)
         return null;

     return row.Elements<Cell>().Where(c => string.Compare
               (c.CellReference.Value, columnName +
               rowIndex, true) == 0).First();
}

// Given a worksheet and a row index, return the row.
private static Row GetRow(Worksheet worksheet, uint rowIndex)
{
    return worksheet.GetFirstChild<SheetData>().
          Elements<Row>().Where(r => r.RowIndex == rowIndex).First();
} 

The text in the first worksheet on position A1 is simply 'test' however, in my console I see the value '0' as cell.CellValue.Text

Does anyone have an idea to get the correct value of the cell?

Answer 1

All strings in an Excel worksheet are stored in a array like structure called the SharedStringTable. The goal of this table is to centralize all strings in an index based array and then if that string is used multiple times in the document to just reference the index in this array. That being said, the 0 you received when you got the text value of the A1 cell is the index into the SharedStringTable. To get the real value you can use this helper function:

public static SharedStringItem GetSharedStringItemById(WorkbookPart workbookPart, int id)
{
    return workbookPart.SharedStringTablePart.SharedStringTable.Elements<SharedStringItem>().ElementAt(id);
}

Then in your code call it like this to get the real value:

Cell cell = GetCell(worksheet, "A", 1);

string cellValue = string.Empty;

if (cell.DataType != null)
{
    if (cell.DataType == CellValues.SharedString)
    {
       int id = -1;

       if (Int32.TryParse(cell.InnerText, out id))
       {
           SharedStringItem item = GetSharedStringItemById(workbookPart, id);

           if (item.Text != null)
           {
               cellValue = item.Text.Text;
           }
           else if (item.InnerText != null)
           {
               cellValue = item.InnerText;
           }
           else if (item.InnerXml != null)
           {
               cellValue = item.InnerXml;
           }
       }
    }
}