Another vote for Flexcel here, since the rewritten and updated Flexcel came out a year or two ago, I only use that. Mostly I use it to read XLS and XLSX files, which it does much faster and more flexibly than Excel automation, in my experience. If you also need to write XLS and XLSX files (which I do occasionally) Flexcel has the most amazing utility named 'ApiMate'. You can design your output report in Excel, including only a minimum of actual data, but with all the detailed formatting, headings, and column, row and cell properties you need. Then point ApiMate at the Excel file, and it generates a Delphi program to write the entire XLS file using the Flexcel API, with all the attributes matching those you created in Excel itself. It is then the work of a few moments to adapt the ApiMate-created functions to handle your real data. Magic! Flexcel support is prompt and helpful, too.
- Tim Frost
Flexcel is an essential tool for working with Excel files in .NET. It is far less expensive to to develop Excel functionality in .NET with Flexcel than without it. I save several thousand dollars per year just in development, not including additional costs related to maintaining Office applications. TMS Flexcel Studio saves me enough money each year to buy many licenses for Office.
I'm also very happy with the licensing and how much value TMS Software provides with my purchase. Even paid upgrades are a much better value than upgrades from other vendors. I enthusiastically endorse TMS Software and Flexcel Studio for .NET.
- Steve Parrish
I am very impressed with the flexibility of your DBPlanner. As I am just writing a test application to make sure all work as I planned, it does so far. I tried VisualPlanIt and could not get the same flexibility. None of the other components suggested does the things the same way.
- Petrus van Breda via email
We have built several windows (both .NET and Delphi) solutions using FlexCel and we have experienced the good evolution of the product. We like it mainly for the three following reasons: Value for the money: There is no need for any other component to have a full reporting solution. Performance: From the real experience we have performed, FlexCel is very well engineered and the performance you can obtain with it is impressive! The source code is available, and it's very important if you are involved in the development of competitive solutions and products.
- Luis del Ser
Thanks for your quick replies! We are happy to be using TMS components. We are happy that the installation is straightforward, and that you are there to answer questions.