Read Excel Files in ASP.NET MVC Using C# with IronXL

Why Does Visual Studio 2022 Work Best for This?

Using Visual Studio 2022, create a new ASP.NET project. Visual Studio 2022 provides excellent support for .NET 6+ frameworks, improved IntelliSense for IronXL methods, and better performance when working with large Excel files. The IDE's NuGet integration makes installing IronXL particularly straightforward.

What Project Template Should I Choose?

For reading Excel files in ASP.NET, choose the "ASP.NET Core Web App (Model-View-Controller)" template. This template provides a clean MVC structure that separates data processing (Excel reading) from presentation logic. The MVC pattern works perfectly with IronXL's DataTable conversion, allowing you to load spreadsheets in controllers and display them in views seamlessly.

Which .NET Version Is Recommended?

IronXL works with .NET Framework 4.6.2+ and .NET Core 3.1+. For new ASP.NET MVC projects, use .NET 6.0 or higher for optimal performance and security. These versions offer improved memory management when processing large Excel files and better async/await support for converting spreadsheet file types.

What Are the Installation Requirements?

Start using IronXL in your project today with a free trial.

First Step:

Start for Free

Which Installation Method Is Fastest?

After creating the new project, install the IronXL library. Follow these steps to install IronXL. Open the NuGet Package Manager Console and run the following command:

Install-Package IronXL.Excel

How Can I Verify the Installation?

To verify IronXL is properly installed, check your project's dependencies in Solution Explorer. You should see "IronXL" listed under "Dependencies > Packages". Additionally, try adding using IronXL; at the top of your controller file - IntelliSense should recognize the namespace immediately. For troubleshooting installation issues, visit the licensing guide.

What Code Goes in the Controller Action?

Open the default controller in your ASP.NET project (e.g., HomeController.cs) and replace the Index method with the following code:

using IronXL;
using System.Data;

public ActionResult Index()
{
    // Load the Excel workbook from a specified path.
    WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load(@"C:\Files\Customer Data.xlsx");

    // Access the first worksheet from the workbook.
    WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First();

    // Convert the worksheet data to a DataTable object.
    // The 'true' parameter uses the first row as column headers
    var dataTable = workSheet.ToDataTable(true);

    // Send the DataTable to the view for rendering.
    return View(dataTable);
}

using IronXL;
using System.Data;

public ActionResult Index()
{
    // Load the Excel workbook from a specified path.
    WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load(@"C:\Files\Customer Data.xlsx");

    // Access the first worksheet from the workbook.
    WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First();

    // Convert the worksheet data to a DataTable object.
    // The 'true' parameter uses the first row as column headers
    var dataTable = workSheet.ToDataTable(true);

    // Send the DataTable to the view for rendering.
    return View(dataTable);
}

IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com

Why Use DataTable Instead of Other Formats?

In the Index action method, load the Excel file using IronXL's Load method. The path of the Excel file (including the filename) is provided as a parameter to the method call. Next, select the first Excel sheet as the working sheet and load the data contained in it into a DataTable object. Finally, send the DataTable to the frontend.

DataTable is ideal for ASP.NET MVC because it integrates seamlessly with Razor views and provides built-in support for iterating through rows and columns. Unlike custom objects, DataTable doesn't require model mapping and handles mixed data types automatically. You can also export DataSet and DataTable back to Excel when needed.

What About Error Handling for Missing Files?

Robust error handling ensures your application doesn't crash when Excel files are missing or corrupted. Here's an enhanced version with proper exception handling:

public ActionResult Index()
{
    try
    {
        string filePath = @"C:\Files\Customer Data.xlsx";

        // Check if file exists before attempting to load
        if (!System.IO.File.Exists(filePath))
        {
            ViewBag.Error = "Excel file not found at specified location.";
            return View(new DataTable());
        }

        // Load workbook with error handling
        WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load(filePath);

        // Verify worksheet exists
        if (workBook.WorkSheets.Count == 0)
        {
            ViewBag.Error = "No worksheets found in the Excel file.";
            return View(new DataTable());
        }

        WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First();
        var dataTable = workSheet.ToDataTable(true);

        return View(dataTable);
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        // Log the exception (consider using a logging framework)
        ViewBag.Error = $"Error reading Excel file: {ex.Message}";
        return View(new DataTable());
    }
}

public ActionResult Index()
{
    try
    {
        string filePath = @"C:\Files\Customer Data.xlsx";

        // Check if file exists before attempting to load
        if (!System.IO.File.Exists(filePath))
        {
            ViewBag.Error = "Excel file not found at specified location.";
            return View(new DataTable());
        }

        // Load workbook with error handling
        WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load(filePath);

        // Verify worksheet exists
        if (workBook.WorkSheets.Count == 0)
        {
            ViewBag.Error = "No worksheets found in the Excel file.";
            return View(new DataTable());
        }

        WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.WorkSheets.First();
        var dataTable = workSheet.ToDataTable(true);

        return View(dataTable);
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        // Log the exception (consider using a logging framework)
        ViewBag.Error = $"Error reading Excel file: {ex.Message}";
        return View(new DataTable());
    }
}

IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com

How Can I Select Different Worksheets?

IronXL provides multiple ways to select and work with specific worksheets. You can access worksheets by index, name, or iterate through all available sheets:

// Method 1: Select by worksheet name
WorkSheet namedSheet = workBook.GetWorkSheet("Sales Data");

// Method 2: Select by index (zero-based)
WorkSheet secondSheet = workBook.WorkSheets[1];

// Method 3: Select the default/active worksheet
WorkSheet defaultSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Method 4: Iterate through all worksheets
foreach (WorkSheet sheet in workBook.WorkSheets)
{
    string sheetName = sheet.Name;
    // Process each worksheet
}

// Method 1: Select by worksheet name
WorkSheet namedSheet = workBook.GetWorkSheet("Sales Data");

// Method 2: Select by index (zero-based)
WorkSheet secondSheet = workBook.WorkSheets[1];

// Method 3: Select the default/active worksheet
WorkSheet defaultSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Method 4: Iterate through all worksheets
foreach (WorkSheet sheet in workBook.WorkSheets)
{
    string sheetName = sheet.Name;
    // Process each worksheet
}

IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com

What View Code Is Required?

The next example shows how to display the DataTable returned in the previous example in a web browser.

The working Excel file used in this example is shown below:

Excel file

Open the index.cshtml (index view) and replace the code with the following HTML code:

@{
    ViewData["Title"] = "Home Page";
}

@using System.Data
@model DataTable

<div class="text-center">
    <h1 class="display-4">Welcome to IronXL Read Excel MVC</h1>
</div>

@* Check for errors first *@
@if (ViewBag.Error != null)
{
    <div class="alert alert-danger">
        @ViewBag.Error
    </div>
}

@* Display table only if data exists *@
@if (Model != null && Model.Rows.Count > 0)
{
    <table class="table table-dark">
        <tbody>
            @foreach (DataRow row in Model.Rows)
            {
                <tr>
                    @for (int i = 0; i < Model.Columns.Count; i++)
                    {
                        <td>@row[i]</td>
                    }
                </tr>
            }
        </tbody>
    </table>
}
else
{
    <p>No data to display.</p>
}

@{
    ViewData["Title"] = "Home Page";
}

@using System.Data
@model DataTable

<div class="text-center">
    <h1 class="display-4">Welcome to IronXL Read Excel MVC</h1>
</div>

@* Check for errors first *@
@if (ViewBag.Error != null)
{
    <div class="alert alert-danger">
        @ViewBag.Error
    </div>
}

@* Display table only if data exists *@
@if (Model != null && Model.Rows.Count > 0)
{
    <table class="table table-dark">
        <tbody>
            @foreach (DataRow row in Model.Rows)
            {
                <tr>
                    @for (int i = 0; i < Model.Columns.Count; i++)
                    {
                        <td>@row[i]</td>
                    }
                </tr>
            }
        </tbody>
    </table>
}
else
{
    <p>No data to display.</p>
}

IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com

Why Use Bootstrap for Table Styling?

The above code uses the DataTable returned from the Index method as a model. Each row from the table is printed on the webpage using a @for loop, including Bootstrap formatting for decoration.

Bootstrap provides responsive table designs that automatically adjust to different screen sizes - crucial for modern web applications. The table-dark class creates an attractive dark-themed table that's easy to read. For more advanced Excel formatting like cell borders and alignment or background patterns and colors, you can apply custom CSS classes based on the original Excel styling.

What Does the Final Output Look Like?

Running the project produces the results shown below:

Bootstrap Table

How Can I Add Headers to the Table?

To display column headers from your Excel file, modify the view code to include a table header section. When calling ToDataTable(true), IronXL automatically uses the first row as column names:

@if (Model != null && Model.Rows.Count > 0)
{
    <table class="table table-dark">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                @foreach (DataColumn column in Model.Columns)
                {
                    <th>@column.ColumnName</th>
                }
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            @foreach (DataRow row in Model.Rows)
            {
                <tr>
                    @for (int i = 0; i < Model.Columns.Count; i++)
                    {
                        <td>@row[i]</td>
                    }
                </tr>
            }
        </tbody>
    </table>
}

@if (Model != null && Model.Rows.Count > 0)
{
    <table class="table table-dark">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                @foreach (DataColumn column in Model.Columns)
                {
                    <th>@column.ColumnName</th>
                }
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            @foreach (DataRow row in Model.Rows)
            {
                <tr>
                    @for (int i = 0; i < Model.Columns.Count; i++)
                    {
                        <td>@row[i]</td>
                    }
                </tr>
            }
        </tbody>
    </table>
}

IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com

This enhancement displays proper column headers like "Customer Name", "Shipping Cost", and "Unit Price" from your Excel file. For more complex scenarios involving named ranges or named tables, IronXL provides additional methods to access structured data directly.