Codeigniter PHPExcel Class 'PHPExcel_IOFactory' not found - php

Question

I have followed this tutorial here
https://arjunphp.com/how-to-use-phpexcel-with-codeigniter/
and here
http://www.ahowto.net/php/easily-integrateload-phpexcel-into-codeigniter-framework/
However, I still get the PHPExcel_IOFactory not found error. I haven't found much help in this area. Is there an alternative excel plugin or is there a way to solve this?
This is my controllers construct
public function __construct() {
parent::__construct();
$this->load->library('Excel');
}
This is my controllers upload function
$objReader= PHPExcel_IOFactory::createReader('Excel2007');
$objReader->setReadDataOnly(true);
$objPHPExcel= PHPExcel_IOFactory::load($document_folder."/".$file_name.".".$file_extension);
// $this->response($objPHPExcel);
$objPHPExcel=$objReader->load($document_folder."/".$file_name.".".$file_extension);
$totalrows=$objPHPExcel->setActiveSheetIndex(0)->getHighestRow();
$objWorksheet=$objPHPExcel->setActiveSheetIndex(0);
for($i=2;$i<=$totalrows;$i++){ //2 is one row after the header rows
$title= $objWorksheet->getCellByColumnAndRow(0,$i)->getValue();
$first_name= $objWorksheet->getCellByColumnAndRow(1,$i)->getValue();
$last_name= $objWorksheet->getCellByColumnAndRow(2,$i)->getValue();
$date_of_birth= $objWorksheet->getCellByColumnAndRow(3,$i)->getValue();
$email=$objWorksheet->getCellByColumnAndRow(4,$i)->getValue();
$phone_number=$objWorksheet->getCellByColumnAndRow(5,$i)->getValue();
$company=$objWorksheet->getCellByColumnAndRow(6,$i)->getValue();
$input=array(
'title'=>$title,
'first_name'=>$first_name,
'last_name'=>$last_name,
'date_of_birth'=>$date_of_birth,
'email'=>$email,
'phone_number'=>$phone_number,
'company'=>$company,
);

Answer 1

You have to remember that PHPExcel is just PHP, and so is CodeIgniter. You don't have to load PHPExcel through another library. If fact, it doesn't do anything for you. I put all of the PHPExcel files in /third_party/, and then do this:
require_once( APPPATH . 'third_party/PHPExcel-1.8/Classes/PHPExcel.php');
$objReader = PHPExcel_IOFactory::createReader('Excel2007');
Notice that in the example I am using v1.8
If you want to use $objReader in multiple methods, then just make it a class property. So $this->objReader instead.