xlex

# xlex

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  <img src="logo.png" alt="xlex logo" width="640">
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  <strong>A CLI Excel tool designed for AI agents — let Cursor, Cursor, Cursor and other coding agents read, write, and manipulate Excel files.</strong>
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  <a href="https://github.com/yen0304/xlex/actions/workflows/ci.yml"><img src="https://github.com/yen0304/xlex/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg" alt="CI"></a>
  <a href="https://codecov.io/gh/yen0304/xlex"><img src="https://codecov.io/gh/yen0304/xlex/graph/badge.svg" alt="codecov"></a>
  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/xlex"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/xlex.svg" alt="npm"></a>
  <a href="https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg" alt="License: MIT"></a>
  <a href="https://blog.rust-lang.org/2024/07/25/Rust-1.80.0.html"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/MSRV-1.80-blue.svg" alt="MSRV"></a>
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  English | <a href="README.zh-TW.md">繁體中文</a>
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## Why xlex?

AI coding agents (Cursor, Cursor, Claude Code, etc.) can run CLI commands but can't open Excel files directly. xlex bridges this gap — agents use simple CLI commands to read, write, style, and transform `.xlsx` files without any SDK or library integration.

## Features

- **Agent-Friendly**: Structured JSON output, deterministic exit codes, dry-run support
- **Skill Files Included**: Ready-to-use [agent skill files](docs/skills/xlex-agent/) so agents know every command
- **Session Management**: Git-like `open → batch → commit` workflow for multi-step edits
- **Batch Writes**: In-process batch execution — single open/save cycle, ideal for AI agents
- **Streaming Architecture**: Handle files up to 200MB without memory exhaustion
- **Multiple Output Formats**: Text, JSON, CSV, NDJSON
- **Template System**: Variable substitution with `{{placeholder}}` syntax
- **Import/Export**: CSV, JSON, YAML, TSV, Markdown support
- **Cross-Platform**: