Reading numbers as text format with PHPExcel - php

Question

I have an array that can store numbers in such as 01, 01A, 01B, 02, 2, and When I get this value using PHPExcel, it's being removed the '0's in case of 01, 02, for example. To solve this problem, I tried to format the row where these values will be stored in excel and set it as text type, just like in the following code:
$objPHPExcel->setActiveSheetIndexByName('BlocksList');
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->fromArray($blockNames, null, 'A2');
$latestBLColumn = $objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getHighestDataColumn();
$column = 'A';
$row = 1;
for ($column = 'A'; $column != $latestBLColumn; $column++) {
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getStyle($column.$row)->getNumberFormat()->setFormatCode( PHPExcel_Style_NumberFormat::FORMAT_TEXT );
}
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->fromArray($blockNames, null, 'A1');
So, by doing this, I get the array with numbers like 01, 01A, 02, 02B... and I store it in the Row A2. I get the highest Column to use this value in the condition For. In this condition, I set for the Row 1 in the range A until the highest column, to be formated as text.
My template is generated, and all the numbers are in text format, but the problem is that I think when I use the "fromArray()" method, it transforms the numbers of the array before I can get it right in excel.
Do you have any idea of how can I solve this problem??

Answer 1

Formatting using a number format affects the way a number is displayed, not the way it is stored.
You'll have to store the numbers explicitly as strings, so you can't use fromArray().
Use setCellValueExplicit() or setCellValueExplicitByColumnAndRow() instead, passing a $pDataType argument of PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_STRING.
EDIT
Note that you can also set styles for a range of cells, so there's no need to add the overhead of the for loop:
$range = 'A'.$row.':'.$latestBLColumn.$row;
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()
->getStyle($range)
->getNumberFormat()
->setFormatCode( PHPExcel_Style_NumberFormat::FORMAT_TEXT );
EDIT #2 Using a cell binder
Create a customised cell value binder:
class PHPExcel_Cell_MyValueBinder extends PHPExcel_Cell_DefaultValueBinder
implements PHPExcel_Cell_IValueBinder
{
public function bindValue(PHPExcel_Cell $cell, $value = null)
{
// sanitize UTF-8 strings
if (is_string($value)) {
$value = PHPExcel_Shared_String::SanitizeUTF8($value);
}
// Implement your own override logic
if (is_string($value) && $value[0] == '0') {
$cell->setValueExplicit($value, PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_STRING);
return true;
}
// Not bound yet? Use default value parent...
return parent::bindValue($cell, $value);
}
}
To avoid any problems with the autoloader, create this in the /Classes/PHPExcel/Cell directory. Otherwise, give the class your own non-PHPExcel name, and ensure that it's loaded independently.
Then, before using your fromArray() call, tell PHPExcel to use your value binder instead of the default binder:
PHPExcel_Cell::setValueBinder( new PHPExcel_Cell_MyValueBinder() );

Answer 2

In case you need to convert the whole sheet numbers to text, you can use calculateWorksheetDimension() to get the sheet's dimensions (example: 'A1:B200' or 'A1:C150') and then use it in getStyle(), like so:
// Get sheet dimension
$sheet_dimension = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet()->calculateWorksheetDimension();
// Apply text format to numbers
$spreadsheet->getActiveSheet()->getStyle($sheet_dimension)->getNumberFormat()->setFormatCode(\PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Style\NumberFormat::FORMAT_TEXT);
Note: This example uses PhpSpreadsheet since it is the next version of PHPExcel.

Answer 3

I know this was all posted a while ago, but wanted to share something that worked for me, so you can still use ->fromArray and not have to iterate over the whole spreadsheet.
If you wrap your values in ="VALUE" it will come through as text, and not convert it, and it will not have quotes around it in your spreadsheet

Answer 4

$objPHPExcel
->getActiveSheet()
->getCellByColumnAndRow($col, $row)
->setValueExplicit($value, PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_STRING);

Answer 5

You can format value to text with add charater before or after value. Example add after value charater ";"
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->setCellValueByColumnAndRow(1, $row,$user->msisdn.';' );

Answer 6

Try this :
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->setCellValueExplicit("A1","yourvalue",PHPExcel_Cell_DataType::TYPE_STRING);
please see here setCellValueExplicit function : https://github.com/PHPOffice/PHPExcel/blob/1.8/Classes/PHPExcel/Worksheet.php