IronXL Get Started C# Excel Interop C# Excel Interop Workaround ByChaknith Bin June 17, 2020 Updated June 22, 2025 Share: Many projects use Excel to communicate clearly, but if you are using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel, then you have likely had to face many complicated lines of code. In this tutorial, we will use IronXL as a C# Excel Interop workaround, so you don't have to use Interop in order to finish your project. You can use Excel file data, create Excel files, edit, and manipulate all using C# programming. View the IronXL YouTube Playlist Many projects use Excel to communicate clearly, but if you are using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel, then you have likely had to face many complicated lines of code. In this tutorial, we will use IronXL as a C# Excel Interop workaround, so you don't have to use Interop in order to finish your project. You can use Excel file data, create Excel files, edit, and manipulate all using C# programming. C# Excel No Interop Download Excel No Interop Library Access Excel file in C# Create a new Excel file and insert data programmatically Modify existing files, update and replace cell values, remove rows, and more How to Use Excel Interop Alternatively Install an Excel library to process Excel files. Open the Workbook and add the current Excel file. Set the default Worksheet. Read the value from the Excel Workbook. Process and show the value. Step 1 1. Download IronXL Library Download IronXL Library or install with NuGet to access the free library and then follow step by step to work through this tutorial on using Excel without Interop. Licenses available if you want to go live with your project. Install-Package IronXL.Excel How to Tutorial 2. Access Excel File Data To develop business applications, we need easy and perfect access to data from Excel files and the ability to manipulate them programmatically according to a variety of requirements. With IronXL, use the WorkBook.Load() function, which grants access to reading a specific Excel file. After accessing the WorkBook, you can then choose a specific WorkSheet using the WorkBook.GetWorkSheet() function. Now you have all Excel file data available. See the following example for how we used these functions to get Excel file data in a C# project. // Import the IronXL library to access its functionality using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Access Excel file WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); // Access WorkSheet of Excel file WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Get a specific cell value, convert it to a string, and print it string a = ws["A5"].Value.ToString(); Console.WriteLine("Getting Single Value:\n\n Value of Cell A5: {0}", a); Console.WriteLine("\nGetting Many Cells Value using Loop:\n"); // Get multiple cell values using range function and iterate through them foreach (var cell in ws["B2:B10"]) { Console.WriteLine(" Value is: {0}", cell.Text); } Console.ReadKey(); // Pause the console to view output } // Import the IronXL library to access its functionality using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Access Excel file WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); // Access WorkSheet of Excel file WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Get a specific cell value, convert it to a string, and print it string a = ws["A5"].Value.ToString(); Console.WriteLine("Getting Single Value:\n\n Value of Cell A5: {0}", a); Console.WriteLine("\nGetting Many Cells Value using Loop:\n"); // Get multiple cell values using range function and iterate through them foreach (var cell in ws["B2:B10"]) { Console.WriteLine(" Value is: {0}", cell.Text); } Console.ReadKey(); // Pause the console to view output } ' Import the IronXL library to access its functionality Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic Imports IronXL Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String) ' Access Excel file Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") ' Access WorkSheet of Excel file Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1") ' Get a specific cell value, convert it to a string, and print it Dim a As String = ws("A5").Value.ToString() Console.WriteLine("Getting Single Value:" & vbLf & vbLf & " Value of Cell A5: {0}", a) Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Getting Many Cells Value using Loop:" & vbLf) ' Get multiple cell values using range function and iterate through them For Each cell In ws("B2:B10") Console.WriteLine(" Value is: {0}", cell.Text) Next cell Console.ReadKey() ' Pause the console to view output End Sub $vbLabelText $csharpLabel This code will produce the following outcome: With the Excel file looking like this: We can see that our Excel file, sample.xlsx, has small business in the A5 cell. The other values from B2 to B10 are the same and displayed in the output. DataSet and DataTables We can also work with Excel files as a dataset and datatables using these directions. // Access WorkBook and WorkSheet WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Convert workbook to DataSet DataSet ds = wb.ToDataSet(); // Convert worksheet to DataTable DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true); // Access WorkBook and WorkSheet WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Convert workbook to DataSet DataSet ds = wb.ToDataSet(); // Convert worksheet to DataTable DataTable dt = ws.ToDataTable(true); ' Access WorkBook and WorkSheet Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1") ' Convert workbook to DataSet Dim ds As DataSet = wb.ToDataSet() ' Convert worksheet to DataTable Dim dt As DataTable = ws.ToDataTable(True) $vbLabelText $csharpLabel You can read more about how to work with Excel DataSet and DataTables, which provides more code examples and explanations on the process. Now, we will see another aspect, which is about creating a new Excel file in our C# project. 3. Create New Excel File We can easily create a new Excel spreadsheet and insert data in it programmatically in our C# project. To accomplish this, IronXL provides the WorkBook.Create() function, which creates a new Excel file. We can then create as many WorkSheets as needed using the WorkBook.CreateWorkSheet() function. After that, we can also insert data, as shown in the example below: // Import the IronXL library using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Create a new WorkBook WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Create(); // Create a new WorkSheet in the workbook WorkSheet ws = wb.CreateWorkSheet("sheet1"); // Insert data into cells ws["A1"].Value = "New Value A1"; ws["B2"].Value = "New Value B2"; // Save the newly created Excel file wb.SaveAs("NewExcelFile.xlsx"); } // Import the IronXL library using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Create a new WorkBook WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Create(); // Create a new WorkSheet in the workbook WorkSheet ws = wb.CreateWorkSheet("sheet1"); // Insert data into cells ws["A1"].Value = "New Value A1"; ws["B2"].Value = "New Value B2"; // Save the newly created Excel file wb.SaveAs("NewExcelFile.xlsx"); } ' Import the IronXL library Imports IronXL Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String) ' Create a new WorkBook Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Create() ' Create a new WorkSheet in the workbook Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.CreateWorkSheet("sheet1") ' Insert data into cells ws("A1").Value = "New Value A1" ws("B2").Value = "New Value B2" ' Save the newly created Excel file wb.SaveAs("NewExcelFile.xlsx") End Sub $vbLabelText $csharpLabel The above code will create a new Excel file with the name NewExcelFile.xlsx, and insert new data in cell addresses A1 and B2 with values New Value A1 and New Value B2 respectively. With this setup, you can insert data in the same way, as much as you need. Note: If you are creating a new Excel file or modifying an existing one, don't forget to save the file as shown in the example above. Dig deeper into how to Create new Excel SpreadSheets using C# and try the code in your project. 4. Modify Existing Excel File We can modify existing Excel files and insert updated data in them programmatically. In Excel file modifications, we will see the following aspects: Update the cell value Replace old values with new ones Remove rows or columns Let's see how to implement the above topics in our C# project. Update Cell Value It is very simple to update the cell value of an existing Excel spreadsheet. Just access the Excel file in the project and specify its WorkSheet, and then update its data as shown in the example below: // Import the IronXL library using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Access the WorkBook and WorkSheet WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Update A3 cell value ws["A3"].Value = "New Value of A3"; // Save the updated Excel file wb.SaveAs("sample.xlsx"); } // Import the IronXL library using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Access the WorkBook and WorkSheet WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Update A3 cell value ws["A3"].Value = "New Value of A3"; // Save the updated Excel file wb.SaveAs("sample.xlsx"); } ' Import the IronXL library Imports IronXL Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String) ' Access the WorkBook and WorkSheet Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1") ' Update A3 cell value ws("A3").Value = "New Value of A3" ' Save the updated Excel file wb.SaveAs("sample.xlsx") End Sub $vbLabelText $csharpLabel The above code will update the value of cell A3 with New Value of A3. We can also update multiple cells with a static value, using the range function: ws["A3:C3"].Value = "New Value"; ws["A3:C3"].Value = "New Value"; ws("A3:C3").Value = "New Value" $vbLabelText $csharpLabel This will update row number 3 from A3 to C3 cells with the New Value in the Excel file. Learn more about using the Range Function in C# with these examples. Replace Cell Values One of the strengths of IronXL is its ability to easily replace old values with new values in existing Excel files, covering all the following aspects: Replace values of a complete WorkSheet: ws.Replace("old value", "new value"); ws.Replace("old value", "new value"); ws.Replace("old value", "new value") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Replace values of a specific row: ws.Rows[RowIndex].Replace("old value", "new value"); ws.Rows[RowIndex].Replace("old value", "new value"); ws.Rows(RowIndex).Replace("old value", "new value") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Replace values of a specific column: ws.Columns[ColumnIndex].Replace("old value", "new Value"); ws.Columns[ColumnIndex].Replace("old value", "new Value"); ws.Columns(ColumnIndex).Replace("old value", "new Value") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Replace values in a specific range: ws["From:To"].Replace("old value", "new value"); ws["From:To"].Replace("old value", "new value"); ws("From:To").Replace("old value", "new value") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Let's view an example to clearly see how to use the above functions in our C# Project to replace the values. In this example, we'll use the replace function to replace a value in a specific range. // Import the IronXL library using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Access the WorkBook and WorkSheet WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Specify a range from B5 to G5 and replace "Normal" value with "Good" ws["B5:G5"].Replace("Normal", "Good"); // Save the updated Excel file wb.SaveAs("sample.xlsx"); } // Import the IronXL library using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Access the WorkBook and WorkSheet WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Specify a range from B5 to G5 and replace "Normal" value with "Good" ws["B5:G5"].Replace("Normal", "Good"); // Save the updated Excel file wb.SaveAs("sample.xlsx"); } ' Import the IronXL library Imports IronXL Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String) ' Access the WorkBook and WorkSheet Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1") ' Specify a range from B5 to G5 and replace "Normal" value with "Good" ws("B5:G5").Replace("Normal", "Good") ' Save the updated Excel file wb.SaveAs("sample.xlsx") End Sub $vbLabelText $csharpLabel The above code will replace the Normal value with Good from B5 to G5, and the rest of the WorkSheet remains the same. See more about how to Edit Excel Cell Values in a Range using this function of IronXL. Remove Rows of Excel File In application development, we sometimes need to remove whole rows of existing Excel files programmatically. For this task, we use the Remove() function of IronXL. Here's an example: // Import the IronXL library using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Access the WorkBook and WorkSheet WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Remove the row number 2 ws.Rows[2].Remove(); // Save the updated Excel file wb.SaveAs("sample.xlsx"); } // Import the IronXL library using IronXL; static void Main(string[] args) { // Access the WorkBook and WorkSheet WorkBook wb = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet ws = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1"); // Remove the row number 2 ws.Rows[2].Remove(); // Save the updated Excel file wb.SaveAs("sample.xlsx"); } ' Import the IronXL library Imports IronXL Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String) ' Access the WorkBook and WorkSheet Dim wb As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") Dim ws As WorkSheet = wb.GetWorkSheet("Sheet1") ' Remove the row number 2 ws.Rows(2).Remove() ' Save the updated Excel file wb.SaveAs("sample.xlsx") End Sub $vbLabelText $csharpLabel The above code will remove row number 2 of sample.xlsx. Tutorial Quick Access IronXL Reference Read the API Reference for IronXL to read more about all the functions, features, classes, and namespaces. IronXL Reference Frequently Asked Questions What is this C# library for Excel? IronXL is a C# library that allows developers to read, create, and modify Excel files without using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel. How do I download the library? You can download IronXL from their website or install it via NuGet using the command: Install-Package IronXL.Excel. Can this library be used to create Excel files programmatically? Yes, IronXL allows you to create new Excel files and insert data programmatically using the WorkBook.Create() and WorkSheet.CreateWorkSheet() functions. How can I access Excel file data using this library? You can access Excel file data in IronXL by loading the file with WorkBook.Load() and selecting a worksheet with WorkBook.GetWorkSheet(). Is it possible to modify existing Excel files using this library? Yes, IronXL allows you to modify existing Excel files, including updating cell values, replacing old values, and removing rows or columns. How do I update a cell value in an Excel worksheet using this library? To update a cell value, access the worksheet using WorkBook.GetWorkSheet() and assign a new value to the desired cell location, then save the file. Can I replace values in a specific range using this library? Yes, you can replace values in a specific range using the Replace() function on the worksheet or range object in IronXL. What are the benefits of using this library over Interop? IronXL simplifies Excel file manipulation in C# by eliminating the need for complex Interop code and providing a more straightforward API. How can I remove a row from an Excel file using this library? To remove a row, use the Remove() function on the specified row object of the worksheet in IronXL. Does this library support working with Excel DataSets and DataTables? Yes, IronXL can convert workbooks to DataSets and worksheets to DataTables, providing more flexibility in data handling. Chaknith Bin Chat with engineering team now Software Engineer Chaknith works on IronXL and IronBarcode. He has deep expertise in C# and .NET, helping improve the software and support customers. His insights from user interactions contribute to better products, documentation, and overall experience. Ready to Get Started? Free NuGet Download Total downloads: 1,482,367 View Licenses