Excel Compatibility

SpreadJS supports import and export compatibility for What-If Analysis features that are stored in workbook files.

This topic describes compatibility behavior for:

• Data Table Analysis

• Scenario Analysis

Data Table 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.

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 .xlsx file contains a standard Excel data table.

• The file opens and behaves as expected in Excel.

If conversion fails:

• The SJS.TABLE formula 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 Data Table 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.

• The formula contains more than two inputs / input_cell pairs.

• 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.

• An input_cell falls inside the data table result area, except for the top-left position in a one-variable table.

Scenario Compatibility

SpreadJS converts between Excel scenarios and SpreadJS scenarios during import and export.

SpreadJS scenarios are workbook-scoped. A single scenario can contain changing cells from multiple worksheets.

Excel scenarios are worksheet-scoped. During import and export, SpreadJS converts between these scope models.

Import from Excel

When importing an Excel workbook that contains scenarios, SpreadJS imports worksheet-scoped Excel scenarios as workbook-level SpreadJS scenarios.

If scenarios with the same name exist on different worksheets in the Excel file, they are merged into a single workbook-level scenario in SpreadJS.

Export to Excel

When exporting a SpreadJS workbook to Excel, SpreadJS exports workbook-level scenarios back to worksheet-scoped Excel scenarios.

If a SpreadJS scenario contains changing cells from multiple worksheets, it is split across the corresponding worksheets in the exported Excel file.

Scenario Name Behavior

Scenario names must be unique in a SpreadJS workbook.

SpreadJS scenario names are case-sensitive. For example, Plan A and plan a are treated as different scenario names in SpreadJS.

When importing duplicate scenario names from Excel, SpreadJS merges them into a single workbook-level scenario.

Changing Cell Count

Excel traditionally limits the number of changing cells in a scenario. SpreadJS does not impose this limit.

If a scenario contains more changing cells than Excel's traditional limit, the scenario can still be exported. However, compatibility depends on how the target Excel version handles such scenarios.

Unsupported Excel Scenario Formatting

Excel scenario input cells can include formatting-related payloads. SpreadJS scenarios store cell values for changing cells and do not preserve Excel scenario input-cell formatting payloads such as number format identifiers.

Use worksheet styles and formatting directly on the target cells when formatting must be preserved.

Functional Limitations

The following limitations apply regardless of Excel compatibility.

Async Functions in Data Tables

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.