- SpreadJS Overview
- Getting Started
- JavaScript Frameworks
- Best Practices
-
Features
- Workbook
- Worksheet
- Rows and Columns
- Headers
- Cells
- Data Binding
- Data Manager
- TableSheet
- GanttSheet
- ReportSheet
- Data Charts
- JSON Schema with SpreadJS
- SpreadJS File Format
- Data Validation
- Conditional Formatting
- Sort
- Group
- Formulas
- What-If Analysis
- Serialization
- Keyboard Actions
- Shapes
- Floating Objects
- Barcodes
- Charts
- Sparklines
- Tables
- Pivot Table
- Slicer
- Theme
- User Management
- Culture
- AI Assistant
- SpreadJS Designer
- SpreadJS Designer VSCode Plugin
- Tutorials
- SpreadJS Designer Component
- SpreadJS Collaboration Server
- Touch Support
- Formula Reference
- Import and Export Reference
- Events
- API Documentation
- Release Notes
Excel Compatibility
SpreadJS converts between Excel What‑If Analysis data tables and SJS.TABLE formulas during import and export.
Import from Excel
When opening an Excel workbook that contains What‑If Analysis data tables, SpreadJS converts each data table into an equivalent SJS.TABLE formula.
The resulting formula type depends on the Excel file version and the allowDynamicArray setting.
Excel File Type | allowDynamicArray | Result in SpreadJS |
|---|---|---|
Created with Excel 2019 or earlier | false | Imported as a legacy array formula, enclosed in |
Created with Excel 365 or later | true | Imported as a dynamic array formula that spills automatically. |
In both cases:
The calculated results from the original Excel file are preserved.
The formula recalculates normally in SpreadJS.
Export to Excel
When exporting a SpreadJS workbook, SpreadJS attempts to convert each SJS.TABLE formula into a native Excel data table.
If conversion succeeds:
The generated
.xlsxfile contains a standard Excel data table.The file opens and behaves as expected in Excel.
If conversion fails:
The
SJS.TABLEformula is preserved in the exported file.Excel displays the formula text but does not recognize it as a native data table.
Conversion is performed on a best-effort basis and is subject to Excel’s structural limitations.
Conditions That Prevent Conversion
Conversion from SJS.TABLE to an Excel data table fails when any of the following conditions are true:
The formula contains cross-sheet references.
(Excel data tables do not support references to other worksheets.)
The formula contains more than two
inputs/input_cellpairs.(Excel supports only one-variable and two-variable data tables.)
Any referenced range cannot be resolved to a valid worksheet address.
The input value ranges are not structurally aligned with the data table layout required by Excel
(for example, missing the top row or left column structure).
An
input_cellfalls inside the data table result area(except for the top-left position in a one-variable table).
Tip: If round-trip Excel compatibility is required, limit
SJS.TABLEusage to one or two input pairs and avoid cross-sheet references.
Functional Limitations
The following limitations apply regardless of Excel compatibility.
Async Functions
SJS.TABLE does not support use with asynchronous functions.
If result_reference, or any of its dependent cells, contains an async function that relies on defaultValue or setAsyncResult, the returned results may be unpredictable.
Use only synchronous formulas within a data table calculation.
Calc Worker Support
SJS.TABLE is fully supported when running inside the SpreadJS Calc Worker. No additional configuration is required.