How to Add Freeze Pane in Excel with C#

How Do I Add Freeze Pane in Excel?

Freeze panes lock rows and columns in place, allowing them to remain visible while scrolling. This feature keeps header columns or rows in place while quickly comparing information. This functionality is particularly valuable when working with large datasets or when you need to maintain context while navigating through extensive spreadsheets.

The freeze pane feature in IronXL mimics Excel's native functionality, making it intuitive for developers familiar with Excel's interface. Unlike Excel Interop solutions, IronXL provides a more efficient and server-friendly approach to implementing freeze panes programmatically.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/add-freeze-panes-add.cs

using IronXL;
using System.Linq;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First();

// Create freeze pane from column(A-B) and row(1-3)
workSheet.CreateFreezePane(2, 3);

workBook.SaveAs("createFreezePanes.xlsx");

Imports IronXL
Imports System.Linq

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First()

' Create freeze pane from column(A-B) and row(1-3)
workSheet.CreateFreezePane(2, 3)

workBook.SaveAs("createFreezePanes.xlsx")

What Does Freeze Pane Look Like in Action?

How Do I Remove Freeze Pane?

Use the RemovePane method to remove all existing freeze panes from your spreadsheet. This is useful when you need to reset the view or apply different freeze settings based on user preferences or data changes.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/add-freeze-panes-remove.cs

// Remove all existing freeze or split pane
workSheet.RemovePane();

' Remove all existing freeze or split pane
workSheet.RemovePane()

What Are the Advanced Freeze Pane Options?

The CreateFreezePane method offers an advanced option to create freeze panes with pre-scrolling functionality. This feature is useful when you want to focus attention on a specific area of the spreadsheet while maintaining the freeze pane functionality.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/add-freeze-panes-advance.cs

using IronXL;
using System.Linq;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First();

// Overwriting freeze or split pane to column(A-E) and row(1-5) as well as applying prescroll
// The column will show E,G,... and the row will show 5,8,...
workSheet.CreateFreezePane(5, 5, 6, 7);

workBook.SaveAs("createFreezePanes.xlsx");

Imports IronXL
Imports System.Linq

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First()

' Overwriting freeze or split pane to column(A-E) and row(1-5) as well as applying prescroll
' The column will show E,G,... and the row will show 5,8,...
workSheet.CreateFreezePane(5, 5, 6, 7)

workBook.SaveAs("createFreezePanes.xlsx")

What Does Advanced Freeze Pane Look Like?

Practical Use Cases for Freeze Panes

Freeze panes are invaluable in various business scenarios:

1. Financial Reports: Keep month/quarter headers visible while scrolling through yearly data
2. Employee Databases: Lock employee names and IDs while viewing performance metrics
3. Inventory Management: Fix product codes and names while reviewing stock levels
4. Sales Dashboards: Maintain visibility of product categories while analyzing regional sales data

When combined with Excel formulas, freeze panes enhance data analysis efficiency significantly.

Complete Example: Building a Data Report with Freeze Panes

Here's a comprehensive example showing how to create a formatted report with freeze panes:

using IronXL;
using IronXL.Styles;

// Create a new workbook
WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Create();
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.CreateWorkSheet("Sales Report");

// Add headers
workSheet["A1"].Value = "Product ID";
workSheet["B1"].Value = "Product Name";
workSheet["C1"].Value = "Q1 Sales";
workSheet["D1"].Value = "Q2 Sales";
workSheet["E1"].Value = "Q3 Sales";
workSheet["F1"].Value = "Q4 Sales";
workSheet["G1"].Value = "Total";

// Style headers
var headerRange = workSheet["A1:G1"];
headerRange.Style.Font.Bold = true;
headerRange.Style.BackgroundColor = "#4472C4";
headerRange.Style.Font.Color = "#FFFFFF";

// Add sample data
for (int i = 2; i <= 50; i++)
{
    workSheet[$"A{i}"].Value = $"P{i-1:D3}";
    workSheet[$"B{i}"].Value = $"Product {i-1}";
    workSheet[$"C{i}"].Value = Random.Shared.Next(1000, 5000);
    workSheet[$"D{i}"].Value = Random.Shared.Next(1000, 5000);
    workSheet[$"E{i}"].Value = Random.Shared.Next(1000, 5000);
    workSheet[$"F{i}"].Value = Random.Shared.Next(1000, 5000);
    workSheet[$"G{i}"].Formula = $"=SUM(C{i}:F{i})";
}

// Apply freeze pane to keep headers visible
workSheet.CreateFreezePane(0, 1);

// Auto-size columns for better visibility
workSheet.AutoSizeColumn(0, 6);

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

using IronXL;
using IronXL.Styles;

// Create a new workbook
WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Create();
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.CreateWorkSheet("Sales Report");

// Add headers
workSheet["A1"].Value = "Product ID";
workSheet["B1"].Value = "Product Name";
workSheet["C1"].Value = "Q1 Sales";
workSheet["D1"].Value = "Q2 Sales";
workSheet["E1"].Value = "Q3 Sales";
workSheet["F1"].Value = "Q4 Sales";
workSheet["G1"].Value = "Total";

// Style headers
var headerRange = workSheet["A1:G1"];
headerRange.Style.Font.Bold = true;
headerRange.Style.BackgroundColor = "#4472C4";
headerRange.Style.Font.Color = "#FFFFFF";

// Add sample data
for (int i = 2; i <= 50; i++)
{
    workSheet[$"A{i}"].Value = $"P{i-1:D3}";
    workSheet[$"B{i}"].Value = $"Product {i-1}";
    workSheet[$"C{i}"].Value = Random.Shared.Next(1000, 5000);
    workSheet[$"D{i}"].Value = Random.Shared.Next(1000, 5000);
    workSheet[$"E{i}"].Value = Random.Shared.Next(1000, 5000);
    workSheet[$"F{i}"].Value = Random.Shared.Next(1000, 5000);
    workSheet[$"G{i}"].Formula = $"=SUM(C{i}:F{i})";
}

// Apply freeze pane to keep headers visible
workSheet.CreateFreezePane(0, 1);

// Auto-size columns for better visibility
workSheet.AutoSizeColumn(0, 6);

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

IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com

This example demonstrates how freeze panes work with cell styling and formulas to create professional reports. The header row remains visible as users scroll through the 50 rows of sales data.

Performance Considerations

When implementing freeze panes in large spreadsheets:

• Apply freeze panes after populating data for optimal performance
• Consider using conditional formatting to highlight important data in frozen sections
• Test with your target data volume to ensure smooth scrolling performance

For applications handling extensive datasets, explore exporting to different formats or implementing pagination strategies alongside freeze panes.