- What is nikazooz/laravel-simplesheet used for?
- Laravel SimpleSheet is a thin Laravel wrapper around a streaming spreadsheet reader and writer. It is used to import spreadsheet rows into arrays and export data to Excel or CSV files from controllers, jobs, or commands. Its main appeal is a small, expressive API and flat memory use on large files rather than full-workbook loading.
- How do I install nikazooz/laravel-simplesheet?
- Run composer require nikazooz/laravel-simplesheet and let Laravel package discovery register the service provider and facade. Before installing, check the package's composer.json constraints against your app's PHP and illuminate/* versions, because dependency resolution will fail on unsupported Laravel releases. Then publish any provided config if your setup needs it.
- Do I need to publish a config file for laravel-simplesheet?
- The package follows Laravel conventions that include a publishable config file, so you can publish it with the vendor:publish command when you need to override defaults. Many applications can use the package without custom configuration. Check the package README or service provider for the exact config key and publish tag, since the archived repository may not document every option clearly.
- Does laravel-simplesheet support Laravel 9, 10, 11, or 12?
- A package last released in May 2021 most likely targets the Laravel 6 through 8 era and PHP 7.3 through 8.0. It is not a safe assumption that it resolves on Laravel 9, 10, 11, or 12. Run composer why-not nikazooz/laravel-simplesheet in the target app and read its composer.json before planning any adoption.
- Is laravel-simplesheet still maintained?
- No. The repository is archived, it has a single maintainer, about 15 stars, and no release since 2021-05-05. It also wraps the older box/spout line, which was renamed and re-homed as OpenSpout, so upstream fixes and PHP 8.1+ compatibility are not flowing through. Treat existing usage as internal code you own, not as a maintained dependency.
- How does laravel-simplesheet handle large Excel files and memory usage?
- The package is built around row-by-row streaming, so memory stays relatively flat instead of loading an entire workbook into PHP memory. That makes it a better fit for large exports and imports than PhpSpreadsheet-style full-workbook approaches, but your actual limits still depend on row size, column count, and the underlying Spout version. Measure p95 duration and peak memory on your largest real files before trusting it in a job or queue.
- Can laravel-simplesheet import and export CSV files?
- Yes, the package is designed for both spreadsheet and CSV import/export and for integrating file uploads or Laravel storage with minimal boilerplate. You can read rows into arrays and write data to Excel or CSV files from a controller, job, or command. For uploads, validate the file type and size first and store files on the disk appropriate for your app.
- Does laravel-simplesheet support Excel formulas, styling, and formatting?
- Streaming writers in the Spout lineage generally support a narrower feature set than full workbook libraries, so do not assume rich styling, formulas, or complex formatting will work. The package's focus is fast row-oriented import and export, not building formatted reports. If your exports depend on formulas, merged cells, or visual styling, verify those features against the underlying library before committing.
- How should I test imports and exports built with laravel-simplesheet?
- Test the import and export paths at the boundaries: feed a small fixture file through the importer, assert the resulting arrays or database changes, and assert exported file contents or row counts. Use Laravel's storage fake and queue fake where relevant so tests do not depend on real disks or background workers. Add at least one larger fixture that exercises streaming behavior and memory-sensitive code paths.
- What are the alternatives to laravel-simplesheet and how do I migrate?
- For a new Laravel 9+ application, do not adopt laravel-simplesheet; use OpenSpout directly or a maintained Laravel Excel package, and keep the import/export logic behind a small service class. If the package is already in production, fork it into your own VCS, pin the exact commit, add CI on the PHP versions you deploy, and isolate the call sites. Because it is MIT licensed, forking and vendoring are legally clean; plan a migration if you cannot name an internal owner.