php-ext-xlswriter

Pros of PhpSpreadsheet

• More feature-rich, supporting a wider range of spreadsheet operations
• Pure PHP implementation, making it easier to install and use across different environments
• Actively maintained with regular updates and a large community

Cons of PhpSpreadsheet

• Slower performance, especially when dealing with large datasets
• Higher memory consumption due to its PHP-based implementation
• Steeper learning curve due to its extensive API and 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:

$config = ['path' => './'];
$excel = new \Vtiful\Kernel\Excel($config);
$filePath = $excel->fileName('tutorial.xlsx')
    ->header(['name', 'age'])
    ->output();

PhpSpreadsheet offers a more intuitive API for complex operations, while php-ext-xlswriter provides a simpler interface for basic tasks. The latter's C extension-based implementation results in significantly better performance, especially for large datasets or when generating multiple files.

Pros of PHPExcel

• Pure PHP implementation, making it easier to install and use without additional system dependencies
• More comprehensive feature set, including advanced formatting options and chart creation
• Wider compatibility with various Excel file formats, including older versions

Cons of PHPExcel

• Slower performance, especially when dealing with large datasets
• Higher memory consumption, which can be problematic for large files
• Less actively maintained, with the last major release in 2015

Code Comparison

PHPExcel:

$objPHPExcel = new PHPExcel();
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->setCellValue('A1', 'Hello World');
$objWriter = PHPExcel_IOFactory::createWriter($objPHPExcel, 'Excel2007');
$objWriter->save('myfile.xlsx');

php-ext-xlswriter:

$config = ['path' => './'];
$excel = new \Vtiful\Kernel\Excel($config);
$filePath = $excel->fileName('tutorial.xlsx')
    ->header(['name', 'age'])
    ->output();

php-ext-xlswriter is a PHP extension that offers significantly better performance and lower memory usage compared to PHPExcel. It's particularly well-suited for handling large datasets and high-volume Excel file generation. However, it requires compilation and installation as a PHP extension, which may be more challenging in some environments. php-ext-xlswriter also has a more limited feature set compared to PHPExcel, focusing primarily on efficient data writing and basic formatting.

Pros of PHP_XLSXWriter

• Pure PHP implementation, no external dependencies required
• Easy to install and use in any PHP environment
• Supports older PHP versions (5.2+)

Cons of PHP_XLSXWriter

• Generally slower performance compared to php-ext-xlswriter
• Limited advanced Excel features and formatting options
• May consume more memory for large datasets

Code Comparison

PHP_XLSXWriter:

$writer = new XLSXWriter();
$writer->writeSheetHeader('Sheet1', array('Col1' => 'string', 'Col2' => 'string'));
$writer->writeSheetRow('Sheet1', array('A1', 'B1'));
$writer->writeToFile('example.xlsx');

php-ext-xlswriter:

$excel = new \Vtiful\Kernel\Excel(['path' => './']);
$filePath = $excel->fileName('tutorial.xlsx')
    ->header(['Name', 'Age'])
    ->data([['viest', 21]])
    ->output();

Both libraries offer straightforward APIs for creating Excel files, but php-ext-xlswriter provides a more concise syntax and potentially better performance due to its C implementation.

Pros of XlsxWriter

• Cross-platform compatibility: Works on various operating systems
• Rich feature set: Supports a wide range of Excel functionalities
• Pure Python implementation: Easy to install and use without external dependencies

Cons of XlsxWriter

• Performance: May be slower for large datasets compared to C extensions
• Memory usage: Can consume more memory for complex spreadsheets
• Limited real-time writing: Primarily designed for writing entire workbooks at once

Code Comparison

XlsxWriter:

import xlsxwriter

workbook = xlsxwriter.Workbook('example.xlsx')
worksheet = workbook.add_worksheet()
worksheet.write('A1', 'Hello, World!')
workbook.close()

php-ext-xlswriter:

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

Both libraries offer straightforward APIs for creating Excel files, but php-ext-xlswriter is specifically designed for PHP and leverages C extensions for improved performance. XlsxWriter, being a Python library, provides a more Pythonic approach and may be easier to integrate into existing Python projects.

Pros of Spout

• Pure PHP library, no extensions required
• Supports reading and writing multiple formats (XLSX, CSV, ODS)
• Memory-efficient streaming for large files

Cons of Spout

• Slower performance compared to native extensions
• Limited formatting options for Excel files
• Lacks advanced Excel features like formulas and charts

Code Comparison

Spout:

$writer = WriterFactory::create(Type::XLSX);
$writer->openToFile($filePath);
$writer->addRow($rowData);
$writer->close();

php-ext-xlswriter:

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

Both libraries offer straightforward APIs for creating Excel files, but php-ext-xlswriter provides a more compact syntax. Spout's approach is more verbose but offers greater flexibility in terms of supported file formats.

php-ext-xlswriter, being a native extension, generally offers better performance for large datasets and complex operations. However, Spout's pure PHP implementation makes it more portable and easier to deploy in various environments.

Spout excels in memory efficiency and handling large files through streaming, while php-ext-xlswriter leverages C extensions for speed and advanced Excel features. The choice between the two depends on specific project requirements, performance needs, and deployment constraints.

Pros of simplexlsx

• Pure PHP implementation, no extensions required
• Easy to install and use, especially in shared hosting environments
• Supports reading both XLSX and XLS formats

Cons of simplexlsx

• Generally slower performance compared to php-ext-xlswriter
• Limited writing capabilities, primarily focused on reading Excel files
• May consume more memory for large files

Code Comparison

simplexlsx (reading):

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

php-ext-xlswriter (writing):

$config = ['path' => './'];
$excel = new \Vtiful\Kernel\Excel($config);
$filePath = $excel->fileName('file.xlsx')
    ->header(['name', 'age'])
    ->data([['John', 28], ['Jane', 25]])
    ->output();

Both libraries serve different primary purposes: simplexlsx focuses on reading Excel files, while php-ext-xlswriter excels at writing Excel files. simplexlsx is more accessible and easier to set up, especially in environments where installing extensions is challenging. However, php-ext-xlswriter offers better performance and more advanced writing capabilities, making it suitable for generating complex Excel files or handling large datasets.