Worksheet::writeString

Worksheet::writeString – Write a string to the specified row and column (zero indexed).

Synopsis

require_once "Spreadsheet/Excel/Writer.php";

void Worksheet::writeString ( integer $row , integer $col , string $str , mixed $format=0 )

Description

Write a string to the specified row and column (zero indexed). NOTE: there is an Excel 5 defined limit of 255 characters. $format is optional. Returns 0 : normal termination -1 : insufficient number of arguments -2 : row or column out of range -3 : long string truncated to 255 chars

Parameter

integer $row - Zero indexed row
integer $col - Zero indexed column
string $str - The string to write
mixed $format - The XF format for the cell

Note

This function can not be called statically.

Example

Using writeString()


<?php

?>

Write a double to the specified row and column (zero indexed). (Previous) Writes a note associated with the cell given by the row and column. (Next)

Last updated: Sat, 16 Feb 2019 — Download Documentation

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User Notes:

Note by: alan@akbkhome.com

2009-09-21 06:50 UTC

There appears to be a limit even with $workbook->setVersion(8); of somewhere over 2048 characters (eg 4096 breaks output of future lines, 2048 works)

Note by: Jason M

2009-03-11 12:49 UTC

After playing around with the 'newline' problem I discovered the real solution is using "\n" and also setting 'TextWrap' on the cell. For example:

$fmt = $book->addFormat(array('TextWrap' => 1));
$sheet->write(0,0, "Line1\rLine2\rLine3", $fmt);

If you don't enable TextWrap on the cell then the text will not break when viewed in the spreadsheet table (but it will break if you edit it in the formula bar).

I hope this helps those that continue to have this problem.

Note by: user@example.com

2008-06-19 16:27 UTC

Thanks for the ' $workbook->setVersion(8); ' tip. It really solved my problem, now I can export long strings into cells for .csv files!!

Note by: user@example.com

2007-10-10 03:22 UTC

For working on strings longer than 255 chars:

$workbook->setVersion(8); // Use Excel97/2000 Format
$worksheet->writeString(0, 0, $str);

Note by: marisa@datasmithconsulting.net

2007-09-11 01:49 UTC

Is there any way around the 255 limit on a cell? If I have a file open in Excel, I can paste more than 255 characters into a cell, but I can't seem to accomplish this when generating a spreadsheet with this package. I could do it as a Note, but I really want to have the text in a cell.

Note by: basstradamus@trygues.com

2007-08-08 15:34 UTC

To break a line use: $twoLines = "line1".chr(10)."line2".

Note by: chris@chris-hughes.net

2007-06-08 10:20 UTC

You need to define a wrap format for Excel
e.g.

$wrap_format =& $xls->addFormat();
$wrap_format->setTextWrap();

$sheet->writeString(0,4,"Count \n Items, $wrap_format");

Note by: kirh

2007-06-08 10:20 UTC

Hi,

just write \x0a for the new line.

Note by: mrjoops@yahoo.no

2007-05-30 17:16 UTC

I tried to write a string with some line breaks in. So I add some "\n" to my string.
The result in Openoffice looks exactly like I want, however in Excel, all the text appear on the same line but when I edit the cell, the text appears with the line breaks and I have to effectively "enter" the edited text to make it display correctly on the worksheet.
Is there a method to make the text display correctly on Excel opening ?

Note by: cconstantine

2007-05-30 15:16 UTC

mrjoops linebreak question: Try including DOS-style line breaks. Instead of adding the newline character ("\n") to your string, try adding the CARRIAGE-RETURN/NEWLINE character pair ("\r\n").