USING IRONXL

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial

ByRegan Pun

December 9, 2021

Updated June 2, 2025

Working with various Excel formats often requires reading data and then reconfiguring it programmatically. In this article, we will learn how to read a CSV file and parse data from an Excel spreadsheet in C# using IronXL, the perfect tool for the job.

What is CSV?

CSV is a simple data format, but there can be many differences; it can be difficult to read programmatically in our C# projects because it uses several delimiters for distinguishing between rows and columns of data. This article will show you how to use the IronXL library to read CSV files.

1. How to read a CSV File in C#

Before you can make use of IronXL to read CSV files in MVC, ASP.NET or .NET Core, you need to install it. Here is a quick walk-through.

In Visual Studio, select the Project menu
Manage NuGet Packages
Search for IronXL.Excel
Install

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 1: Search for IronXL in NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio Search for IronXL in NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio

When you need to read CSV files in C#, IronXL is the perfect tool. You can read a CSV file with commas, or any other delimiter, as seen in the code segments below.

// Load a CSV file and interpret it as an Excel-like workbook
WorkBook workbook = WorkBook.LoadCSV("Weather.csv", fileFormat: ExcelFileFormat.XLSX, ListDelimiter: ",");

// Access the default worksheet in the workbook
WorkSheet ws = workbook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Save the workbook to a new Excel file
workbook.SaveAs("Csv_To_Excel.xlsx");

// Load a CSV file and interpret it as an Excel-like workbook
WorkBook workbook = WorkBook.LoadCSV("Weather.csv", fileFormat: ExcelFileFormat.XLSX, ListDelimiter: ",");

// Access the default worksheet in the workbook
WorkSheet ws = workbook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Save the workbook to a new Excel file
workbook.SaveAs("Csv_To_Excel.xlsx");

' Load a CSV file and interpret it as an Excel-like workbook

Dim workbook As WorkBook = WorkBook.LoadCSV("Weather.csv", fileFormat:= ExcelFileFormat.XLSX, ListDelimiter:= ",")



' Access the default worksheet in the workbook

Dim ws As WorkSheet = workbook.DefaultWorkSheet



' Save the workbook to a new Excel file

workbook.SaveAs("Csv_To_Excel.xlsx")

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Output:

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 2: Output CSV file with comma delimiter Output CSV file with comma delimiter

Code Explanation:

A WorkBook object is created. The LoadCSV method for the WorkBook object is then used to specify the name of the CSV, its format, and which delimiters are used in the CSV file being read. In this case, commas are used as delimiters.

A WorkSheet object is then created. This is where the contents of the CSV file will be placed. The file is saved under a new name and format.

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 3: Data displayed in Microsoft Excel Data displayed in Microsoft Excel

2. IronXL for Excel Files

Use IronXL for your project as a streamlined way to work with Excel file formats in C#. You can either install IronXL via direct download. Alternatively, you can use NuGet Install for Visual Studio. The software is free for development.

dotnet add package IronXL.Excel

3. Load `WorkBook` and Access `WorkSheet`

WorkBook is the class of IronXL whose object provides full access to the Excel file and all of its functions. For example, if we want to access an Excel file, we'd use the code:

// Load the Excel file
WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); // Excel file path

// Load the Excel file
WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); // Excel file path

' Load the Excel file

Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") ' Excel file path

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To access the specific worksheet of an Excel file, IronXL provides the WorkSheet class.

// Access a specific worksheet by name
WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // by sheet name

// Access a specific worksheet by name
WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // by sheet name

' Access a specific worksheet by name

Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1") ' by sheet name

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Once you have obtained the Excel worksheet ws, you can extract any type of data from it and perform all Excel functions on it. Data can be accessed from the Excel worksheet ws through this process:

using IronXL;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Iterate through a range of cells and display their values
        foreach (var cell in ws["A2:A10"])
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Value is: {0}", cell.Text);
        }
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

using IronXL;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Iterate through a range of cells and display their values
        foreach (var cell in ws["A2:A10"])
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Value is: {0}", cell.Text);
        }
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

Imports IronXL



Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")

		Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1")



		' Iterate through a range of cells and display their values

		For Each cell In ws("A2:A10")

			Console.WriteLine("Value is: {0}", cell.Text)

		Next cell

		Console.ReadKey()

	End Sub

End Class

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4. Reading an Excel WorkSheet as a DataTable

Using IronXL, it is very easy to operate with an Excel WorkSheet as a DataTable.

DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true); // Converts the worksheet to a DataTable, using the first row as column names

DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true); // Converts the worksheet to a DataTable, using the first row as column names

Dim dt As DataTable = ws.ToDataTable(True) ' Converts the worksheet to a DataTable, using the first row as column names

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Use the following namespaces:

using IronXL;
using System.Data;

using IronXL;
using System.Data;

Imports IronXL

Imports System.Data

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Write the following code:

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx"); // Your Excel file Name
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Parse worksheet into datatable
        DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true); // Parse Sheet1 of sample.xlsx file into DataTable

        // Iterate through rows and columns to display their values
        foreach (DataRow row in dt.Rows) // Access rows
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < dt.Columns.Count; i++) // Access columns of corresponding row
            {
                Console.Write(row[i] + "  ");
            }
            Console.WriteLine();
        }
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx"); // Your Excel file Name
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Parse worksheet into datatable
        DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true); // Parse Sheet1 of sample.xlsx file into DataTable

        // Iterate through rows and columns to display their values
        foreach (DataRow row in dt.Rows) // Access rows
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < dt.Columns.Count; i++) // Access columns of corresponding row
            {
                Console.Write(row[i] + "  ");
            }
            Console.WriteLine();
        }
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx") ' Your Excel file Name

		Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1")



		' Parse worksheet into datatable

		Dim dt As DataTable = ws.ToDataTable(True) ' Parse Sheet1 of sample.xlsx file into DataTable



		' Iterate through rows and columns to display their values

		For Each row As DataRow In dt.Rows ' Access rows

			For i As Integer = 0 To dt.Columns.Count - 1 ' Access columns of corresponding row

				Console.Write(row(i) & "  ")

			Next i

			Console.WriteLine()

		Next row

	End Sub

End Class

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Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 4: Console output from a DataTable object Console output from a DataTable object

In this example, we will look at how to use an Excel file as a DataSet.

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and convert it to a DataSet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        DataSet ds = wb.ToDataSet(); // Parse WorkBook wb into DataSet

        // Iterate through tables to display their names
        foreach (DataTable dt in ds.Tables)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(dt.TableName);
        }
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and convert it to a DataSet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        DataSet ds = wb.ToDataSet(); // Parse WorkBook wb into DataSet

        // Iterate through tables to display their names
        foreach (DataTable dt in ds.Tables)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(dt.TableName);
        }
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and convert it to a DataSet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")

		Dim ds As DataSet = wb.ToDataSet() ' Parse WorkBook wb into DataSet



		' Iterate through tables to display their names

		For Each dt As DataTable In ds.Tables

			Console.WriteLine(dt.TableName)

		Next dt

	End Sub

End Class

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Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 5: Access sheet name from DataSet object Access sheet name from DataSet object

Let's look at another example of how to access each cell value across all Excel sheets. Here, we can access each cell value of every WorkSheet in an Excel file.

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and convert it to a DataSet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx");
        DataSet ds = wb.ToDataSet(); // Treat the complete Excel file as DataSet

        // Iterate through each table and its rows and columns
        foreach (DataTable dt in ds.Tables) // Treat Excel WorkSheet as DataTable
        {
            foreach (DataRow row in dt.Rows) // Corresponding Sheet's Rows
            {
                for (int i = 0; i < dt.Columns.Count; i++) // Sheet columns of corresponding row
                {
                    Console.Write(row[i] + "  ");
                }
                Console.WriteLine();
            }
        }
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and convert it to a DataSet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx");
        DataSet ds = wb.ToDataSet(); // Treat the complete Excel file as DataSet

        // Iterate through each table and its rows and columns
        foreach (DataTable dt in ds.Tables) // Treat Excel WorkSheet as DataTable
        {
            foreach (DataRow row in dt.Rows) // Corresponding Sheet's Rows
            {
                for (int i = 0; i < dt.Columns.Count; i++) // Sheet columns of corresponding row
                {
                    Console.Write(row[i] + "  ");
                }
                Console.WriteLine();
            }
        }
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and convert it to a DataSet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx")

		Dim ds As DataSet = wb.ToDataSet() ' Treat the complete Excel file as DataSet



		' Iterate through each table and its rows and columns

		For Each dt As DataTable In ds.Tables ' Treat Excel WorkSheet as DataTable

			For Each row As DataRow In dt.Rows ' Corresponding Sheet's Rows

				For i As Integer = 0 To dt.Columns.Count - 1 ' Sheet columns of corresponding row

					Console.Write(row(i) & "  ")

				Next i

				Console.WriteLine()

			Next row

		Next dt

	End Sub

End Class

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Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 6: Console output of Dataset object Console output of Dataset object

5. CSV parsing in C# .NET

CSV files have an abundance of issues with how line breaks are handled in fields, or how fields can be contained in quotes that completely block a simple string split approach. I have recently discovered the following options when converting CSV in C# .NET by specifying a customizable delimiter instead of using string.Split(',') to separate the values in a comma.

6. Reading CSV Data in C# Records

This process advances the reader through the next file. We read the CSV field files in TryGetField. We use the read function on field fields of the CSV files as record fields.

// Load a CSV file, specify the file format and delimiter
WorkBook workbook = WorkBook.LoadCSV("Weather.csv", fileFormat: ExcelFileFormat.XLSX, ListDelimiter: ",");

// Access the default worksheet from the workbook
WorkSheet ws = workbook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Convert worksheet to DataTable    
DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true); // Parse Sheet1 of sample.xlsx file into DataTable

// Iterate through rows and columns to display their values
foreach (DataRow row in dt.Rows) // Access rows
{
    for (int i = 0; i < dt.Columns.Count; i++) // Access columns of corresponding row
    {
        Console.Write(row[i] + "  ");
    }
    Console.WriteLine();
}

// Load a CSV file, specify the file format and delimiter
WorkBook workbook = WorkBook.LoadCSV("Weather.csv", fileFormat: ExcelFileFormat.XLSX, ListDelimiter: ",");

// Access the default worksheet from the workbook
WorkSheet ws = workbook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Convert worksheet to DataTable    
DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true); // Parse Sheet1 of sample.xlsx file into DataTable

// Iterate through rows and columns to display their values
foreach (DataRow row in dt.Rows) // Access rows
{
    for (int i = 0; i < dt.Columns.Count; i++) // Access columns of corresponding row
    {
        Console.Write(row[i] + "  ");
    }
    Console.WriteLine();
}

' Load a CSV file, specify the file format and delimiter

Dim workbook As WorkBook = WorkBook.LoadCSV("Weather.csv", fileFormat:= ExcelFileFormat.XLSX, ListDelimiter:= ",")



' Access the default worksheet from the workbook

Dim ws As WorkSheet = workbook.DefaultWorkSheet



' Convert worksheet to DataTable    

Dim dt As DataTable = ws.ToDataTable(True) ' Parse Sheet1 of sample.xlsx file into DataTable



' Iterate through rows and columns to display their values

For Each row As DataRow In dt.Rows ' Access rows

	For i As Integer = 0 To dt.Columns.Count - 1 ' Access columns of corresponding row

		Console.Write(row(i) & "  ")

	Next i

	Console.WriteLine()

Next row

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Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 7: Console output from DataTable Console output from DataTable

7. Getting Data from Excel Files

Now we can easily get any type of data, using a variety of methods, from the open Excel WorkSheet. In the following example, we can see how to access a specific cell value and parse it to string:

// Access the data by cell addressing
string val = ws["Cell Address"].ToString();

// Access the data by cell addressing
string val = ws["Cell Address"].ToString();

' Access the data by cell addressing

Dim val As String = ws("Cell Address").ToString()

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In the line above, ws is the WorkSheet, which was defined in Step 2. This is 'the simple' approach, but you can read more and see different examples of how to access Excel file data.

8. How to Parse Excel Files in C#

When using Excel Spreadsheets for application builds, we often analyze the results based on data and need to parse Excel file data within C# into the required format to get the right results. Parsing data into different formats is made easy in the C# environment with the use of IronXL; see the steps below.

using IronXL;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Parse Excel cell value into string
        string str_val = ws["B3"].Value.ToString();

        // Parse Excel cell value into Int32
        Int32 int32_val = ws["G3"].Int32Value;

        // Parse Excel cell value into Decimal
        decimal decimal_val = ws["E5"].DecimalValue;

        // Output parsed values to the console
        Console.WriteLine("Parse B3 Cell Value into String: {0}", str_val);
        Console.WriteLine("Parse G3 Cell Value into Int32: {0}", int32_val);
        Console.WriteLine("Parse E5 Cell Value into decimal: {0}", decimal_val);

        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

using IronXL;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Parse Excel cell value into string
        string str_val = ws["B3"].Value.ToString();

        // Parse Excel cell value into Int32
        Int32 int32_val = ws["G3"].Int32Value;

        // Parse Excel cell value into Decimal
        decimal decimal_val = ws["E5"].DecimalValue;

        // Output parsed values to the console
        Console.WriteLine("Parse B3 Cell Value into String: {0}", str_val);
        Console.WriteLine("Parse G3 Cell Value into Int32: {0}", int32_val);
        Console.WriteLine("Parse E5 Cell Value into decimal: {0}", decimal_val);

        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

Imports IronXL



Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")

		Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1")



		' Parse Excel cell value into string

		Dim str_val As String = ws("B3").Value.ToString()



		' Parse Excel cell value into Int32

		Dim int32_val As Int32 = ws("G3").Int32Value



		' Parse Excel cell value into Decimal

		Dim decimal_val As Decimal = ws("E5").DecimalValue



		' Output parsed values to the console

		Console.WriteLine("Parse B3 Cell Value into String: {0}", str_val)

		Console.WriteLine("Parse G3 Cell Value into Int32: {0}", int32_val)

		Console.WriteLine("Parse E5 Cell Value into decimal: {0}", decimal_val)



		Console.ReadKey()

	End Sub

End Class

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9. How to Parse Excel Data Into Numeric & Boolean Values

Now we move to how to parse Excel file data. First, we look at how to deal with numeric Excel data, and then how to parse it into our required format.

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 8: Summary table for each data type Summary table for each data type

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Parse Excel cell value into string
        string str_val = ws["B3"].Value.ToString();

        // Parse Excel cell value into Int32
        Int32 int32_val = ws["G3"].Int32Value;

        // Parse Excel cell value into Decimal
        decimal decimal_val = ws["E5"].DecimalValue;

        // Output parsed values to the console
        Console.WriteLine("Parse B3 Cell Value into String: {0}", str_val);
        Console.WriteLine("Parse G3 Cell Value into Int32: {0}", int32_val);
        Console.WriteLine("Parse E5 Cell Value into decimal: {0}", decimal_val);

        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Parse Excel cell value into string
        string str_val = ws["B3"].Value.ToString();

        // Parse Excel cell value into Int32
        Int32 int32_val = ws["G3"].Int32Value;

        // Parse Excel cell value into Decimal
        decimal decimal_val = ws["E5"].DecimalValue;

        // Output parsed values to the console
        Console.WriteLine("Parse B3 Cell Value into String: {0}", str_val);
        Console.WriteLine("Parse G3 Cell Value into Int32: {0}", int32_val);
        Console.WriteLine("Parse E5 Cell Value into decimal: {0}", decimal_val);

        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")

		Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1")



		' Parse Excel cell value into string

		Dim str_val As String = ws("B3").Value.ToString()



		' Parse Excel cell value into Int32

		Dim int32_val As Int32 = ws("G3").Int32Value



		' Parse Excel cell value into Decimal

		Dim decimal_val As Decimal = ws("E5").DecimalValue



		' Output parsed values to the console

		Console.WriteLine("Parse B3 Cell Value into String: {0}", str_val)

		Console.WriteLine("Parse G3 Cell Value into Int32: {0}", int32_val)

		Console.WriteLine("Parse E5 Cell Value into decimal: {0}", decimal_val)



		Console.ReadKey()

	End Sub

End Class

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This code will display the following output:

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 9: Console output with correct data type Console output with correct data type

And we can see the values of the Excel file sample.xlsx here:

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 10: Display correct data type in Excel Display correct data type in Excel

To parse Excel file data into Boolean data type, IronXL provides the BoolValue function. It can be used as follows:

// Access a cell value as a boolean
bool Val = ws["Cell Address"].BoolValue;

// Access a cell value as a boolean
bool Val = ws["Cell Address"].BoolValue;

' Access a cell value as a boolean

Dim Val As Boolean = ws("Cell Address").BoolValue

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10. How to Parse Excel Files into C# Collections

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Convert a range into an array
        var array = ws["B6:F6"].ToArray();

        // Get the count of items in the array
        int item = array.Count();

        // Get the first item as a string
        string total_items = array[0].Value.ToString();

        // Output information about the array to the console
        Console.WriteLine("First item in the array: {0}", item);
        Console.WriteLine("Total items from B6 to F6: {0}", total_items);

        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Convert a range into an array
        var array = ws["B6:F6"].ToArray();

        // Get the count of items in the array
        int item = array.Count();

        // Get the first item as a string
        string total_items = array[0].Value.ToString();

        // Output information about the array to the console
        Console.WriteLine("First item in the array: {0}", item);
        Console.WriteLine("Total items from B6 to F6: {0}", total_items);

        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")

		Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1")



		' Convert a range into an array

		Dim array = ws("B6:F6").ToArray()



		' Get the count of items in the array

		Dim item As Integer = array.Count()



		' Get the first item as a string

		Dim total_items As String = array(0).Value.ToString()



		' Output information about the array to the console

		Console.WriteLine("First item in the array: {0}", item)

		Console.WriteLine("Total items from B6 to F6: {0}", total_items)



		Console.ReadKey()

	End Sub

End Class

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10.1 How to Parse an Excel `WorkSheet` into a DataTable

One excellent feature of IronXL is that we can easily convert a specific Excel WorkSheet into a DataTable. For this purpose, we can use the .ToDataTable() function of IronXL as follows:

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Parse Sheet1 of sample.xlsx file into DataTable
        // Setting 'true' makes the first row in Excel as the column names in DataTable
        DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true);
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Parse Sheet1 of sample.xlsx file into DataTable
        // Setting 'true' makes the first row in Excel as the column names in DataTable
        DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true);
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")

		Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1")



		' Parse Sheet1 of sample.xlsx file into DataTable

		' Setting 'true' makes the first row in Excel as the column names in DataTable

		Dim dt As DataTable = ws.ToDataTable(True)

	End Sub

End Class

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10.2 How to Parse an Excel File into a DataSet

If we want to parse a complete Excel file into a DataSet, then for this purpose we can use the .ToDataSet() function in IronXL.

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load an entire workbook into a DataSet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");

        // Convert workbook to DataSet
        DataSet ds = wb.ToDataSet();

        // We can also get a DataTable from the DataSet which corresponds to a WorkSheet
        DataTable dt = ds.Tables[0];
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load an entire workbook into a DataSet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");

        // Convert workbook to DataSet
        DataSet ds = wb.ToDataSet();

        // We can also get a DataTable from the DataSet which corresponds to a WorkSheet
        DataTable dt = ds.Tables[0];
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load an entire workbook into a DataSet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")



		' Convert workbook to DataSet

		Dim ds As DataSet = wb.ToDataSet()



		' We can also get a DataTable from the DataSet which corresponds to a WorkSheet

		Dim dt As DataTable = ds.Tables(0)

	End Sub

End Class

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10.3 Reading Excel Data within a Specific Range

IronXL provides an intelligent method for reading Excel file data within a specific range. The range can be applied to both rows and columns.

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Get specified range values by loop
        foreach (var item in ws["B3:B8"])
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Value is: {0}", item);
        }
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Get specified range values by loop
        foreach (var item in ws["B3:B8"])
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Value is: {0}", item);
        }
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")

		Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1")



		' Get specified range values by loop

		For Each item In ws("B3:B8")

			Console.WriteLine("Value is: {0}", item)

		Next item

		Console.ReadKey()

	End Sub

End Class

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The above code displays the following output:

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 11: Console output to access all values in range B3:B8 Console output to access all values in range B3:B8

And produces the Excel file sample.xlsx values:

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 12: Data display from sample.xlsx Data display from sample.xlsx

Additionally, IronXL is also compatible with many Excel methods to interact with cells including styling and border, math functions, conditional formatting or creating charts from available data.

11. How to Read Boolean Data in an Excel File

In application development, we need to make decisions based on the Boolean data type in Excel files.

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Traverse a range and output boolean values
        foreach (var item in ws["G1:G10"])
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Condition is: {0}", item.BoolValue);
        }
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Traverse a range and output boolean values
        foreach (var item in ws["G1:G10"])
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Condition is: {0}", item.BoolValue);
        }
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")

		Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1")



		' Traverse a range and output boolean values

		For Each item In ws("G1:G10")

			Console.WriteLine("Condition is: {0}", item.BoolValue)

		Next item

		Console.ReadKey()

	End Sub

End Class

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From this, we get the output:

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 13: Console output from getting Boolean Data Console output from getting Boolean Data

And the Excel file sample.xlsx with values from C1 to C10:

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 14: Excel sample to compare with Console output Excel sample to compare with Console output

12. How to Read a Complete Excel WorkSheet

It is simple to read a complete Excel WorkSheet by using rows and columns indexes. For this purpose, we use two loops: one for traversing all rows, and the second for traversing all columns of a specific row. Then we can easily obtain all the cell values within the entire Excel WorkSheet.

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx"); // Your Excel File Name
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Traverse all rows of Excel WorkSheet
        for (int i = 0; i < ws.Rows.Count(); i++)
        {
            // Traverse all columns of specific Row
            for (int j = 0; j < ws.Columns.Count(); j++)
            {
                // Get the values
                string val = ws.Rows[i].Columns[j].Value.ToString();
                Console.WriteLine("Value of Row {0} and Column {1} is: {2}", i, j, val);
            }
        }
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet
        WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx"); // Your Excel File Name
        WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1");

        // Traverse all rows of Excel WorkSheet
        for (int i = 0; i < ws.Rows.Count(); i++)
        {
            // Traverse all columns of specific Row
            for (int j = 0; j < ws.Columns.Count(); j++)
            {
                // Get the values
                string val = ws.Rows[i].Columns[j].Value.ToString();
                Console.WriteLine("Value of Row {0} and Column {1} is: {2}", i, j, val);
            }
        }
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load the workbook and access a specific worksheet

		Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx") ' Your Excel File Name

		Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1")



		' Traverse all rows of Excel WorkSheet

		For i As Integer = 0 To ws.Rows.Count() - 1

			' Traverse all columns of specific Row

			For j As Integer = 0 To ws.Columns.Count() - 1

				' Get the values

				Dim val As String = ws.Rows(i).Columns(j).Value.ToString()

				Console.WriteLine("Value of Row {0} and Column {1} is: {2}", i, j, val)

			Next j

		Next i

		Console.ReadKey()

	End Sub

End Class

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Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 15: Console output from reading all values Console output from reading all values

13. How to Read Excel Files without Interop

IronXL is an Excel Library for C# and .NET which allows developers to read and edit Excel data from XLS and XLSX Documents without using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.

The API allows us to create, read, manipulate, save and export Excel files intuitively for:

.NET Framework 4.5+
.NET Core 2+
.NET Standard
Xamarin
Windows Mobile
Mono
& Azure Cloud Hosting
Blazor
.NET MAUI

Add the following namespaces:

using IronXL;
using System;
using System.Linq;

using IronXL;
using System;
using System.Linq;

Imports IronXL

Imports System

Imports System.Linq

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Now write the following code inside the main function.

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load an Excel file and access the first worksheet
        WorkBook workbook = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx");
        WorkSheet sheet = workbook.WorkSheets.First();

        // Select cells easily in Excel notation and return the calculated value
        int cellValue = sheet["A2"].IntValue;

        // Read from ranges of cells elegantly
        foreach (var cell in sheet["A2:A10"])
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Cell {0} has value '{1}'", cell.AddressString, cell.Text);
        }
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Load an Excel file and access the first worksheet
        WorkBook workbook = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx");
        WorkSheet sheet = workbook.WorkSheets.First();

        // Select cells easily in Excel notation and return the calculated value
        int cellValue = sheet["A2"].IntValue;

        // Read from ranges of cells elegantly
        foreach (var cell in sheet["A2:A10"])
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Cell {0} has value '{1}'", cell.AddressString, cell.Text);
        }
    }
}

Friend Class Program

	Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

		' Load an Excel file and access the first worksheet

		Dim workbook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("Weather.xlsx")

		Dim sheet As WorkSheet = workbook.WorkSheets.First()



		' Select cells easily in Excel notation and return the calculated value

		Dim cellValue As Integer = sheet("A2").IntValue



		' Read from ranges of cells elegantly

		For Each cell In sheet("A2:A10")

			Console.WriteLine("Cell {0} has value '{1}'", cell.AddressString, cell.Text)

		Next cell

	End Sub

End Class

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Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 16: Console output from each cell Console output from each cell

IronXL also fully supports ASP.NET, MVC, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android Mobile application development.

14. Conclusion and Iron XL Special Offer

In addition to CSV parsing in C#, IronXL converts CSV files to Excel with just two lines of code!

Using C# or VB.NET, it is very easy to use IronXL's Excel API without the need for Interop. You can read, edit, and create Excel spreadsheets or work with other Excel formats such as XLS/XLSX/CSV/TSV. With the support of multiple frameworks, you can buy 5 products for the price of two. Click on our pricing page for further information.

Reading CSV Files in C#: a Tutorial, Figure 17: 5 products of Iron Suite 5 products of Iron Suite

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CSV and why is it difficult to read programmatically in C#?

CSV is a simple data format with several delimiters used for distinguishing between rows and columns, making it difficult to read programmatically in C# projects.

How can I read a CSV file in C# using IronXL?

To read a CSV file in C# using IronXL, you need to install the IronXL library via NuGet in Visual Studio, then use the WorkBook.LoadCSV method to load and interpret the CSV file.

What are the prerequisites for using IronXL in a C# project?

Before using IronXL in a C# project, you need to install it via NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio. The library supports .NET Framework 4.5+, .NET Core 2+, and other platforms.

How do you convert a worksheet to a DataTable using IronXL?

You can convert a worksheet to a DataTable using the WorkSheet.ToDataTable method, which parses the worksheet into a DataTable object.

How can I read data from a specific range of cells in an Excel sheet using IronXL?

You can read data from a specific range of cells in an Excel sheet using a loop to iterate through the desired range, utilizing IronXL's indexing capabilities.

Is it possible to parse Excel file data into numeric and boolean values in C#?

Yes, IronXL allows parsing Excel cell values into numeric (e.g., Int32, Decimal) and boolean data types using methods like Int32Value and BoolValue.

How do I read a complete Excel worksheet using IronXL?

To read a complete Excel worksheet, you can use nested loops to traverse all rows and columns, extracting cell values using IronXL's methods.

Does IronXL require Microsoft Office Interop to function?

No, IronXL does not require Microsoft Office Interop. It is a standalone library that allows developers to read and edit Excel data without using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.

How can I install IronXL in a C# project?

You can install IronXL by using the NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio. Search for IronXL.Excel and install it in your project.

What are the benefits of using IronXL for handling Excel files?

IronXL offers benefits like easy installation, no dependency on Interop, support for multiple Excel formats (XLS, XLSX, CSV, TSV), and compatibility with various .NET frameworks and platforms.

Regan Pun

Chat with engineering team now

Software Engineer

Regan graduated from the University of Reading, with a BA in Electronic Engineering. Before joining Iron Software, his previous job roles had him laser-focused on single tasks; and what he most enjoys at Iron Software is the spectrum of work he gets to undertake, whether it’s adding value to sales, technical support, product development or marketing. He enjoys understanding the way developers are using the Iron Software library, and using that knowledge to continually improve documentation and develop the products.

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