Setting Excel column widths correctly when adding to spreadsheet via Axlsx

Question

I'm trying to format my report and making sure the columns have a correct width and I can't seem to make it happen with auto_width.

With this code, this is the kind of report I get . Notice the space that is way to long for an auto_width, since if I double click on each column border in Excel, it correctly resizes, see this picture .

Maybe it's the order I'm doing things?

This is the code I'm using:

workbook = xlsx_package.workbook
worksheet_name = 'My Worksheet'
xlsx_package.use_autowidth = true

# Styles init
header_style = workbook.styles.add_style               :bg_color => "D8D8D8",
                                                   :b => true,
                                                   :border => { :style => :thin, :color => "00" },
                                                   :alignment => { :horizontal => :center,
                                                                   :vertical => :center ,
                                                                   :wrap_text => false}
totals_style = workbook.styles.add_style               :bg_color => "D8D8D8",
                                                   :b => true,
                                                   :border => { :style => :thin, :color => "00" },
                                                   :alignment => { :horizontal => :center,
                                                                   :vertical => :center ,
                                                                   :wrap_text => false}
odd_row_style = workbook.styles.add_style              :bg_color => "A9E2F3",
                                                   :border => { :style => :thin, :color => "00" },
                                                   :alignment => { :horizontal => :center,
                                                                   :vertical => :center ,
                                                                   :wrap_text => false}
even_row_style = workbook.styles.add_style             :bg_color => "CEECF5",
                                                   :border => { :style => :thin, :color => "00" },
                                                   :alignment => { :horizontal => :center,
                                                                   :vertical => :center ,
                                                                   :wrap_text => false}
merged_title_cell_style = workbook.styles.add_style    :bg_color => "D8D8D8",
                                                   :b => true,
                                                   :sz => 16,
                                                   :border => { :style => :thin, :color => "00" },
                                                   :alignment => { :horizontal => :center,
                                                                   :vertical => :center ,
                                                                   :wrap_text => true}

workbook.add_worksheet(:name => worksheet_name) do |sheet|
  # Add empty row for aesthetics
  sheet.add_row([''], :height => 8)

  # We add the meta header row
  meta_header_row = ['', "Meta header 1", '', '', '', '', '', '', '', '', '', "Meta header 2", '', '', '', '']
  sheet.add_row(meta_header_row, :style => merged_title_cell_style, :height => 30)
  sheet.merge_cells('B2:K2')
  sheet.merge_cells('L2:P2')

  @data = Array.new
  @data << ['John', 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]
  @data << ['Jack', 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]
  @data << ['Bob', 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]
  @data << ['Franck', 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]
  @data << ['A total', 4, 8, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64]
  @data << ['Another total', 4, 8, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64]

  @data.each_with_index do |data_row, index|
    if(index == 0)
      sheet.add_row(data_row, :style => header_style)
    elsif(index >= @data.count - 2)
      sheet.add_row(data_row, :style => totals_style)
    elsif(index.even?)
      sheet.add_row(data_row, :style => even_row_style)
    else
      sheet.add_row(data_row, :style => odd_row_style)
    end
  end

  # Styling
  sheet.col_style(0, header_style)

  # We keep the first 2 cells white
  sheet.rows[0..1].each{|row| row.cells[0].style = 0}

  sheet.auto_filter = "A3:A#{sheet.rows.count}"
end

Thanks for you help!

Answer 1

I too have experienced this problem. I'm assuming you're searching for that solution that mimics as close as possible that shrink-wrapped "I just double-click every column header" look. Unfortunately, I have found this very difficult to do.

Something that might help you is an (undocumented?) width type:

sheet.add_row(meta_header_row, 
  :style => merged_title_cell_style, 
  :height => 30,
  :widths => [:ignore] * meta_header_row.count # caution: Use *:widths* not :width
)

This tells Axlsx that you still want to use autowidth to calculate column widths, but to ignore the content of any of the cells in this row while doing so.