Pros of Spout

• Faster and more memory-efficient for large files
• Simpler API for basic read/write operations
• Streaming approach for handling big datasets

Cons of Spout

• Limited formatting options compared to PhpSpreadsheet
• Fewer advanced features (e.g., charts, formulas)
• Read-only support for XLSX files (write support for CSV and ODS)

Code Comparison

PhpSpreadsheet example:

$spreadsheet = new Spreadsheet();
$sheet = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet();
$sheet->setCellValue('A1', 'Hello World!');
$writer = new Xlsx($spreadsheet);
$writer->save('hello_world.xlsx');

Spout example:

$writer = WriterFactory::create(Type::XLSX);
$writer->openToFile('hello_world.xlsx');
$writer->addRow(['Hello World!']);
$writer->close();

Both libraries offer ways to create and manipulate spreadsheets, but Spout's API is more streamlined for simple operations. PhpSpreadsheet provides more flexibility and advanced features at the cost of increased complexity and resource usage. Choose Spout for high-performance, memory-efficient operations on large datasets, while PhpSpreadsheet is better suited for complex spreadsheet manipulations with extensive formatting options.

Pros of PHP_XLSXWriter

• Lightweight and focused solely on writing XLSX files
• Faster performance and lower memory usage for large datasets
• Simpler API for basic spreadsheet creation tasks

Cons of PHP_XLSXWriter

• Limited functionality compared to PhpSpreadsheet's extensive feature set
• Lacks support for reading existing spreadsheets or other file formats
• Less active development and community support

Code Comparison

PHP_XLSXWriter:

$writer = new XLSXWriter();
$writer->writeSheetHeader('Sheet1', array('Name' => 'string', 'Age' => 'integer'));
$writer->writeSheetRow('Sheet1', array('John Doe', 30));
$writer->writeToFile('example.xlsx');

PhpSpreadsheet:

$spreadsheet = new Spreadsheet();
$sheet = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet();
$sheet->setCellValue('A1', 'Name')->setCellValue('B1', 'Age');
$sheet->setCellValue('A2', 'John Doe')->setCellValue('B2', 30);
$writer = new Xlsx($spreadsheet);
$writer->save('example.xlsx');

Both libraries offer straightforward ways to create simple spreadsheets, but PhpSpreadsheet provides more flexibility and advanced features at the cost of increased complexity and resource usage. PHP_XLSXWriter is better suited for generating large, simple spreadsheets quickly, while PhpSpreadsheet excels in handling complex spreadsheet operations and working with existing files.

Pros of simplexlsx

• Lightweight and simple to use
• No external dependencies required
• Faster parsing for large files

Cons of simplexlsx

• Limited functionality compared to PhpSpreadsheet
• Less actively maintained and fewer contributors
• Lacks advanced features like writing Excel files

Code Comparison

simplexlsx:

$xlsx = SimpleXLSX::parse('file.xlsx');
foreach ($xlsx->rows() as $row) {
    print_r($row);
}

PhpSpreadsheet:

$spreadsheet = \PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\IOFactory::load("file.xlsx");
$worksheet = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet();
foreach ($worksheet->getRowIterator() as $row) {
    // Process row
}

simplexlsx focuses on simplicity and ease of use, making it ideal for basic Excel file parsing. It's lightweight and has no dependencies, which can be advantageous in certain scenarios. However, it lacks the extensive feature set and active development of PhpSpreadsheet.

PhpSpreadsheet offers a more comprehensive solution for working with spreadsheets, including advanced features like writing Excel files and manipulating cell styles. It has a larger community and more frequent updates but comes with a steeper learning curve and additional dependencies.

Choose simplexlsx for quick and simple Excel parsing tasks, while PhpSpreadsheet is better suited for more complex spreadsheet operations and long-term project maintenance.

Pros of php-ext-xlswriter

• Significantly faster performance due to being a PHP extension written in C
• Lower memory usage, especially for large spreadsheets
• Simpler API for basic spreadsheet operations

Cons of php-ext-xlswriter

• Less feature-rich compared to PhpSpreadsheet
• Requires compilation and installation as a PHP extension
• Limited support for complex formatting and advanced Excel features

Code Comparison

PhpSpreadsheet:

$spreadsheet = new Spreadsheet();
$sheet = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet();
$sheet->setCellValue('A1', 'Hello World');
$writer = new Xlsx($spreadsheet);
$writer->save('hello_world.xlsx');

php-ext-xlswriter:

$excel = new \Vtiful\Kernel\Excel(['path' => './']);
$filePath = $excel->fileName('hello_world.xlsx')
    ->header(['A1' => 'Hello World'])
    ->output();

Both libraries allow for creating and manipulating Excel files, but php-ext-xlswriter offers a more concise API for basic operations. PhpSpreadsheet provides more flexibility and features at the cost of increased complexity and resource usage.