using IronXL; using System; using System.Linq; // Supported for XLSX, XLS, XLSM, XLTX, CSV and TSV WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); // Select worksheet at index 0 WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets[0]; // Get any existing worksheet WorkSheet firstSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet; // Select a cell and return the converted value int cellValue = workSheet["A2"].IntValue; // Read from ranges of cells elegantly. foreach (var cell in workSheet["A2:A10"]) { Console.WriteLine("Cell {0} has value '{1}'", cell.AddressString, cell.Text); } // Calculate aggregate values such as Min, Max and Sum decimal sum = workSheet["A2:A10"].Sum(); // Linq compatible decimal max = workSheet["A2:A10"].Max(c => c.DecimalValue);

using IronSoftware.Drawing; using IronXL; using IronXL.Styles; using System.Linq; WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xls"); WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First(); var range = workSheet["A1:H10"]; var cell = range.First(); // Set background color of the cell with an rgb string cell.Style.SetBackgroundColor("#428D65"); // Apply styling to the whole range. // Set underline property to the font // FontUnderlineType is enum that stands for different types of font underlying range.Style.Font.Underline = FontUnderlineType.SingleAccounting; // Define whether to use horizontal line through the text or not range.Style.Font.Strikeout = false; // Define whether the font is bold or not range.Style.Font.Bold = true; // Define whether the font is italic or not range.Style.Font.Italic = false; // Get or set script property of a font // Font script enum stands for available options range.Style.Font.FontScript = FontScript.Super; // Set the type of the border line // There are also TopBorder,LeftBorder,RightBorder,DiagonalBorder properties // BorderType enum indicates the line style of a border in a cell range.Style.BottomBorder.Type = BorderType.MediumDashed; // Indicate whether the cell should be auto-sized range.Style.ShrinkToFit = true; // Set alignment of the cell range.Style.VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Bottom; // Set border color range.Style.DiagonalBorder.SetColor("#20C96F"); // Define border type and border direction as well range.Style.DiagonalBorder.Type = BorderType.Thick; // DiagonalBorderDirection enum stands for direction of diagonal border inside cell range.Style.DiagonalBorderDirection = DiagonalBorderDirection.Forward; // Set background color of cells range.Style.SetBackgroundColor(Color.Aquamarine); // Set fill pattern of the cell // FillPattern enum indicates the style of fill pattern range.Style.FillPattern = FillPattern.Diamonds; // Set the number of spaces to intend the text range.Style.Indention = 5; // Indicate if the text is wrapped range.Style.WrapText = true; workBook.SaveAs("stylingOptions.xls");

Published June 21, 2023

How To Set Background Color in Excel Cell Using C#

Looking for C# Library that can set the background color in Excel?

In C#, Excel is a widely used application for working with spreadsheets, and it offers various formatting options to enhance the appearance of data. One such formatting option is setting the background color of individual cells, which can help improve readability or highlight specific information.

In this article, we will discuss the C# Excel library that can be used to manage and manipulate Excel files using C#

IronXL is a popular C# library that provides a comprehensive set of features for working with Excel files. It allows you to read, write, and manipulate Excel spreadsheets using a simple and intuitive API. IronXL supports various formatting options, including setting the background color of cells and also font color.

1. IronXL

In the world of software development, working with Excel files is a common requirement, whether it's for data processing, reporting, or data analysis. To facilitate Excel manipulation in C# applications, the IronXL library comes to the rescue.

IronXL provides developers with a comprehensive set of APIs and functionalities to interact with Excel workbooks, worksheets, cells, formulas, styles, and more. It leverages the capabilities of the Office Open XML (OOXML) format, which is the default file format for Excel since Microsoft Office 2007. This means that IronXL is compatible with a wide range of Excel versions, making it a versatile choice for Excel automation tasks.

With IronXL, you can effortlessly create, edit, and manipulate Excel files programmatically using C#. It offers an intuitive and straightforward API that simplifies complex tasks such as reading data from multiple worksheets, writing data to specific cells, applying formatting and styling, performing calculations, and even generating charts.

2. Prerequisites

Prerequisites for working with IronXL:

Development Environment: You should have an integrated development environment (IDE) such as Visual Studio installed on your computer.
C# Knowledge: Basic knowledge C# programming language
IronXL: You need to have the IronXL library installed in your project. This can be done using the NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio or through the command line interface.
Excel File: You should have an existing Excel file, or create a new one that you want to modify and set the background color of specific cells.

3. Create a new C# Project

To work with IronXL first you need to create a new project in Visual Studio.

Open Visual Studio, and go to Files and click on New Project.
A new window will appear, in this new window select "Console Application" and click on next.
In the last window Select the target framework and set the location and name of this new project, and click on Create button.

Your New project in Visual Studio is created.

4. Installing IronXL

IronXL offers many ways to install this library, but we will only discuss the two of these those are:

Install IronXL Using NuGet Package Manager
Install IronXL Using NuGet Package Manager Console

4.1 Install IronXL Using NuGet Package Manager

To add the IronXL library to your Visual Studio project using the NuGet Package Manager, and search for IronXL in the Browse tab:

After finding IronXL in the search results, simply choose the package and initiate the installation process. Once the installation is finished, you can begin utilizing the IronXL library within your project.

The following screenshot demonstrates the process of accessing the NuGet Package Manager within Visual Studio.

How To Set Background Color in Excel Cell Using C#: Figure 3

IronXL in search results:

How To Set Background Color in Excel Cell Using C#: Figure 4

4.2 Using the Visual Studio Command Line

A popular method among developers for package installation is through the command line interface. To install IronXL using the command line, follow these steps:

In Visual Studio, navigate to Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Package Manager Console.
Open the Package Manager Console tab.
Enter the following line in the console:
```
:PackageInstall
```
Press Enter to execute the command. This will initiate the download and installation of the IronXL package for the current project.

Once the process is complete, you can start utilizing the IronXL library in your project.

How To Set Background Color in Excel Cell Using C#: Figure 5

5. Setting Cell Background Color In Excel file Using IronXL

IronXL is the best choice when it comes to manipulate Excel files and change its cells background color. In this Section we will see how you can easily set the Excel Cell background color in Excel Document. First we need a sample Excel document to change its cell color.

How To Set Background Color in Excel Cell Using C#: Figure 6

The following source code will show how to do so.

using IronXL;
using IronXL.Styles;
using System.Linq;

// class program
WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("datatable.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First();

var range = workSheet["A1:A10"];

var cell = range.First();

// Set background color of the cell with an rgb string style
cell.Style.SetBackgroundColor("#428D65");

// Save the modified workbook
workBook.SaveAs("stylingOptions3.xlsx");

using IronXL;
using IronXL.Styles;
using System.Linq;

// class program
WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("datatable.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First();

var range = workSheet["A1:A10"];

var cell = range.First();

// Set background color of the cell with an rgb string style
cell.Style.SetBackgroundColor("#428D65");

// Save the modified workbook
workBook.SaveAs("stylingOptions3.xlsx");

Imports IronXL
Imports IronXL.Styles
Imports System.Linq

' class program
Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("datatable.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First()

Private range = workSheet("A1:A10")

Private cell = range.First()

' Set background color of the cell with an rgb string style
cell.Style.SetBackgroundColor("#428D65")

' Save the modified workbook
workBook.SaveAs("stylingOptions3.xlsx")

VB C#

The above code example opens Excel file using the WorkBook.Load method. Then, it loads the first worksheet using the workBook.WorkSheets.First method. The next line of code, cell.Style.SetBackgroundColor("#428D65"), adds color to the selected cell. Finally, we save the Excel workbook file using workBook.SaveAs.

Here is an Output Screenshot of the above source code example.

How To Set Background Color in Excel Cell Using C#: Figure 7

As you can clearly see the background color of cell A1 in column A is changed to green.

6. Conclusion

Setting the background color of Excel cells using C# can be achieved with the help of libraries like IronXL. IronXL provides a comprehensive set of APIs and functionalities to interact with Excel files, allowing you to read, write, and manipulate Excel spreadsheets programmatically. By using IronXL, you can easily set the background color of cells in an Excel file by specifying the RGB color code. This can be beneficial for improving readability and highlighting important information in your Excel spreadsheets.

With its intuitive API and compatibility with various Excel versions, IronXL is a powerful and versatile choice for Excel automation tasks in C#.

You can get a related tutorial at the following link. For more information on IronXL visit the website at this link. To know more about the class calls of interface IStyle class visit link.

IronXL is available to users for a free trial and can be licensed for commercial use with its Lite package starting from $749 only.