Excel · C# walkthrough
A project workbook with a summary
Let one worksheet own the detailed numbers while a second presents the review view. This workbook demonstrates cross-sheet references without manually copying the same figures into two places.
Opens the generated download in a local browser tool. The C# example below creates the document.
- Start with
- Planned and used days by workstream
- Generate
- XLSX
How it works
Separate detail from presentation
Create Summary first for the opening view, and Delivery for the data table.
Calculate in the owning sheet
Compute remaining days beside each delivery row, then point the summary formulas at those cells.
Keep the detail usable
Add a table and freeze its heading row. Calculate before creating the summary image and saving the workbook.
The C# source
The example below shows the document API and layout used for this report. Follow the Excel guide for package setup in your own project.
using System.IO;
using OfficeIMO.Drawing;
using OfficeIMO.Excel;
namespace OfficeIMO.Examples.Showcase.Workflows;
/// <summary>Separates delivery detail from a summary with cross-sheet formulas.</summary>
internal static class ProjectWorkbook {
internal static void Create(string folder) {
using ExcelDocument document = ExcelDocument.Create(Path.Combine(folder, "example.xlsx"));
ExcelSheet summary = document.AddSheet("Summary");
ExcelSheet delivery = document.AddSheet("Delivery");
summary.Range("A1:D1").Merge();
summary.Cell(1, 1).SetValue("Project workbook / weekly delivery");
summary.Cell(1, 1).SetFontSize(global::OfficeIMO.OfficeLength.Points(20));
summary.Cell(1, 1).SetBold(true);
summary.Cell(1, 1).SetFontColor("17365D");
string[] labels = { "Discovery", "Build", "Pilot", "Handover" };
string[] headers = { "Workstream", "Planned days", "Used days", "Remaining" };
for (int column = 0; column < headers.Length; column++) {
delivery.Cell(1, column + 1).SetValue(headers[column]);
summary.Cell(4, column + 1).SetValue(headers[column]);
summary.Cell(4, column + 1).SetFillColor("17365D");
summary.Cell(4, column + 1).SetFontColor("FFFFFF");
summary.SetColumnWidth(column + 1, ExcelColumnWidth.Characters(column == 0 ? 30 : 22));
delivery.SetColumnWidth(column + 1, ExcelColumnWidth.Characters(column == 0 ? 30 : 22));
}
for (int index = 0; index < labels.Length; index++) {
int row = index + 2;
delivery.Cell(row, 1).SetValue(labels[index]);
delivery.Cell(row, 2).SetValue(new[] { 12, 30, 10, 8 }[index]);
delivery.Cell(row, 3).SetValue(new[] { 12, 18, 3, 0 }[index]);
delivery.Cell(row, 4).SetFormula($"B{row}-C{row}");
summary.Cell(index + 5, 1).SetValue(labels[index]);
for (int column = 2; column <= 4; column++) {
string letter = ((char)('A' + column - 1)).ToString();
summary.Cell(index + 5, column).SetFormula($"'Delivery'!{letter}{row}");
}
summary.Cell(index + 5, 4).SetFillColor("E7F6ED");
}
delivery.AddTable("A1:D5", true, "DeliveryPlan", ExcelTableStyle.TableStyleMedium2);
delivery.View.Freeze(topRows: 1);
summary.Range("A11:D11").Merge();
summary.Cell(11, 1).SetValue("Edit the Delivery sheet; Summary references the same values.");
document.Calculate();
summary.Range("A1:D13").ExportImage(OfficeImageExportFormat.Png)
.Save(Path.Combine(folder, "preview.png"), OfficeImageExportFileConflictPolicy.Replace);
document.Save();
}
}
API used in this example
Use this in your project
Add workstreams to the detail sheet and extend the corresponding summary references. The sample remaining-day values are 0, 12, 7, and 8.
The Excel guide explains package setup and related document APIs.
Documents and scope
What the preview shows
The linked C# example generates this file. The runner reopens and validates the XLSX. The image is a native rendering of the specified worksheet range.
What to keep in mind
The image shows the Summary sheet. Open the XLSX to inspect and edit Delivery; the preview is not an interactive workbook.