Xlsx

---
name: xlsx
description: "Use this skill for local .xlsx, .xls, .csv, or .tsv files as input or output. This skill edits and validates local workbooks."
default_enabled: true
ankole-runtime: background_job
category: productivity
tags: [xlsx, spreadsheet, excel, officecli]
metadata:
  upstream: https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/tree/v1.0.144/skills/officecli-xlsx
  modified_for: Ankole Agent Plugin runtime
---

# OfficeCLI XLSX Skill

For visual styling, use `design-md` when the user requests the internal design system or VIS, skip it when they opt out or choose another style instead, and treat it as optional when no style source is specified.

## Setup

The Worker image build installs OfficeCLI and checks its version. Run `officecli --version` and `officecli help xlsx`. If both commands succeed, continue with the installed CLI. Version numbers in upstream references and known-issue notes are not runtime requirements. If either command fails, report the command and error as the runtime blocker. Worker image maintenance happens outside the Job.

## Playbooks

A Playbook carries the extra rules for one kind of workbook. Before you plan the workbook, list the Playbooks and read every one that matches the request:

```bash
bun /repo/app/library/agent-plugins/office/tools/list_playbooks.ts xlsx
```

Each line gives the Playbook name, its absolute path, and the condition that selects it. A Playbook inherits every rule in this skill and adds to it, so read this skill first and keep both. When no Playbook matches, build from this skill alone.

## ⚠️ Help-First Rule

**This skill teaches what good xlsx looks like, not every command flag. When a property name, enum value, or alias is uncertain, consult help BEFORE guessing.**

```bash
officecli help xlsx                         # List all xlsx elements
officecli help xlsx <element>               # Full element schema (e.g. pivottable, chart, cf)
officecli help xlsx <verb> <element>        # Verb-scoped (e.g. add chart, set cell)
officecli help xlsx <element> --json        # Machine-readable schema
```

Help reflects the installed CLI version. When this skill and help disagree, **help is authoritative**.

`officecli help xlsx ...` covers schema elements only. Use a top-level command's own help for its syntax, such as `officecli import --help`, `officecli batch --help`, or `officecli open --help`. In 1.0.144, `officecli help xlsx import` is invalid because `import` is a command, not an xlsx element.

## Shell & Execution Discipline

**Shell quoting (zsh / bash).** Excel paths contain `[]`, and number formats contain `$`. Both are shell metacharacters. Rules:

- ALWAYS quote element paths: `"/Sheet1/row[1]"`, not `/Sheet1/row[1]`.
- Use **single quotes** for any prop value containing `$`: `numFmt='$#,##0'`.
- For formulas with cross-sheet `!` references, use `batch` with a `<<'EOF'` heredoc (see Known Issues).
- `\n` and `\t` in a prop value ARE interpreted by the CLI — `\n` is a real in-cell line break (pair with `--prop wrapText=true`), `\t` a tab. Double them (`\\n`) for a literal backslash-n (rarely wanted). (`$` is the shell layer above — single-quote it.)

**Incremental execution.** Run commands one at a time and read each exit code. `officecli` mutates the file on every call; a 50-command script that fails at command 3 will cascade silently. One command → check output → continue.

## Requirements for Outputs

Before reaching for a command, know what a good xlsx looks like. These are the deliverable standards every workbook MUST meet.

### All Excel files

**Zero formula errors.** Every delivered workbook MUST have ZERO `#REF!`, `#DIV/0!`, `#VALUE!`, `#NAME?`, `#N/A`. No exceptions — guard denominators with `IFERROR` or `IF(x=0,...)`.

**Formulas, not hardcoded values.** If a number can be computed from other cells, it is a formula. Hardcoding `5000` where `=SUM(B2:B9)` belongs breaks the contract that the workbook stays live when inputs change. This is the single most important rule in this skill.

**Professional font.** Use one consistent, professional font across the workbook (Arial / Calibri / Times New Roman). Don't mix four fonts because one sheet came from CSV.

**Explicit widths.** There is no auto-fit. Any column the user will read MUST have `width` set — default 8.43 chars clips everything. Sensible starts: labels 20-25, numbers 12-15, dates 12, short codes 8-10.

**Preserve existing templates.** When editing a file that already has a look, match it. Existing conventions override these guidelines.

### Visual delivery floor (applies to EVERY workbook)

Before you declare done, run `officecli view "$FILE" html -o "${FILE%.xlsx}.html"` and Read the explicit HTML output file to confirm all of these:

- **No `###` in any cell.** `###` means a column is too narrow for its widest value. Every column the user reads needs an explicit `width`. `###` in a delivered file is unfinished work, never "a small visual nit".
- **No truncated titles.** Sheet titles, section headers, long labels must fit. Widen the column or apply `wrapText=true` on the cell.
- **No placeholder tokens rendered as data.** `$fy$24`, `{var}`, `<TODO>`, `xxxx` must never appear in a cell, chart title, series name, or legend. These are build-time tokens that escaped replacement.
- **Pie / doughnut slices have distinct fill colors.** If the slices render same-colored, switch to `bar` / `column` or set `colors=...` explicitly.
- **No empty trailing pages / empty chart anchors.** `anchor=D2:J18` over empty source cells looks like a broken chart.

If any of the above fails, STOP and fix before declaring done.

**Print layout.** Any sheet the user may print or send as a board pack needs page setup. Default portrait + no fit-to-page splits wide tables and charts mid-way. Pick the fit mode by sheet shape:

```bash
# Summary / chart / dashboard sheet (small, up to approximately 40 rows): fit to a single page.
officecli set "$FILE" "/Summary" --prop orientation=landscape --prop fitToPage=true
# Tall data table: fit the width to one page and let the height paginate.
officecli set "$FILE" "/Data" --prop orientation=landscape --prop fitToPage=1x0
```

`fitToPage=true` is `1x1`, so use it only when the sheet is already short. `1x0` means one page wide with unlimited pages tall. Apply a print layout when a sheet holds a chart, has more than eight columns, or the user requests a print, board, or investor deliverable.

### Financial models only — skip this section if you are building a template, tracker, CSV import, or operational sheet

Scope: budgets, forecasts, 3-statement models, valuation, any `$`-heavy analytical workbook. A customer-support tracker or onboarding template does not need this section.

**Color coding — industry standard.** Five core colors used as a language, not decoration. A reviewer should tell what a cell IS by color alone — before reading the formula.

| Color | Role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Blue text `0000FF` | Hardcoded inputs, scenario variables | `font.color=0000FF` |
| Black text `000000` | ALL formulas and calculations | default |
| Green text `008000` | Cross-sheet links inside this workbook | `font.color=008000` |
| Red text `FF0000` | Links to external files / workbooks | `font.color=FF0000` |
| Yellow fill `FFFF00` | Key assumptions needing review | `fill=FFFF00` |

A reviewer should tell what a cell IS just by its color — before reading the formula. This is a communication contract, not a cosmetic preference.

**Number formatting — standards, not preferences.**

- **Years** are text, not numbers. Format `2026` not `2,026` — use `numFmt="@"` or set `type=string`.
- **Currency** carries its unit in the header (`Revenue ($mm)`), not in every cell.
- **Zeros display as `-`**, not `0`. Use `$#,##0;($#,##0);"-"`.
- **Percentages** default to one decimal: `0.0%`.
- **Negatives use parentheses**: `(1,234)` not `-1,234`.
- **Valuation multiples** use `0.0x` format (EV/EBITDA, P/E, etc.).

**Assumptions live in cells, not inside formulas.** `=B5*(1+$B$6)` is correct; `=B5*1.05` is a bug. Document each blue hardcoded input with an adjacent source note in the next cell or a cell comment:

```
Source: Company 10-K, FY2024, Page 45, Revenue Note
Source: Bloomberg, 2026-05-02, AAPL US Equity
Source: Management guidance, Q2 2026 earnings call
```

Any hardcoded number without a source is an undocumented assumption — a reviewer cannot audit it.

## Common Workflow

Six steps. Every non-trivial build follows this shape.

1. **Use one resident phase.** Run ordinary edits through one `open` ... `close` phase. `save` flushes to disk and keeps the resident warm; `close` flushes and releases it. Do not run CSV or TSV import inside that phase. In 1.0.144 the top-level `import` command bypasses the resident, and an import-only handler can report success without retaining the worksheet changes. Use the non-resident batch recipe below, prove that the imported cells exist, and only then open a resident for later edits. For many cells, use `batch`: **50 ops per block are recommended; pure value-set payloads have been tested above 80 ops. Run cross-sheet formula batches non-resident in one heredoc (see Known Issues).**
2. **Create or load.** `officecli create "$FILE"` (new) or `officecli view "$FILE" outline` (existing — get the lay of the land first).
3. **Build incrementally.** One command, read the output, continue. After any structural op (new sheet, chart, named range, pivot), run `get` on it to confirm shape before stacking more on top.
4. **Format.** Column widths, number formats, freeze panes, tab colors, header fills. Formatting is not optional polish — per "Requirements for Outputs" it is part of the deliverable.
5. **Save, then reckon with the cache.** `officecli save <file>` writes to disk. Newly-added formulas ship without cached values; when a human opens the file in a spreadsheet app, the app recalculates and populates them. **But your downstream `INDEX/MATCH`, `SUMPRODUCT`, or any formula that references an upstream formula will cache whatever the upstream cached at write-time — often `0` or a stale value — and that cached lie survives into non-recalculating readers.** After any multi-formula build involving array formulas (`SUMPRODUCT`, `SUMIFS` with dynamic criteria) or cross-sheet chains, **re-touch every downstream cell** (run `set` again with the same formula) so the engine recomputes its cache from the freshly-cached upstream. ⚠️ Re-touch on cross-sheet chains via resident is unreliable (see Batch / resident caveats) — prefer non-resident `set` for the re-touch pass. Then `officecli get` a few downstream cells and eyeball that their `cachedValue=` is plausible. `validate` is safe with a resident open and itself flushes pending edits to disk (same as docx / pptx).
6. **QA — assume there are problems.** See the QA section. You are not done when your last command exited 0; you are done after one fix-and-verify cycle finds zero new issues.

## Quick Start

Minimal viable xlsx: 3 months of revenue + a total formula + column widths + a currency format. Adapt, don't copy-paste — your file, your data.

```bash
officecli create "$FILE"
officecli open "$FILE"
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/A1 --prop value=Month --prop bold=true
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/B1 --prop value=Revenue --prop bold=true
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/A2 --prop value=Jan
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/A3 --prop value=Feb
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/A4 --prop value=Mar
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/B2 --prop value=42000 --prop numFmt='$#,##0'
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/B3 --prop value=45000 --prop numFmt='$#,##0'
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/B4 --prop value=48000 --prop numFmt='$#,##0'
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/A5 --prop value=Total --prop bold=true
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/B5 --prop formula="SUM(B2:B4)" --prop bold=true --prop numFmt='$#,##0'
officecli set "$FILE" "/Sheet1/col[A]" --prop width=12
officecli set "$FILE" "/Sheet1/col[B]" --prop width=15
officecli close "$FILE"
officecli validate "$FILE"
```

Verified: `validate` returns `no errors found`, `B5` resolves to `135000`. This is the shape of every build: open → set cells/formulas → format → close → validate.

## CSV / bulk import

**OfficeCLI 1.0.144 import phase.** `import` is a top-level command, so its syntax comes from `officecli import --help`. Do not use a standalone `officecli import` in a delivery workflow: 1.0.144 can print an imported row count while an import-only handler leaves the on-disk sheet unchanged. Close any resident, then run the import and a real workbook mutation in one non-resident batch. The `calc.fullCalcOnLoad` write below is the persistence fence and also tells spreadsheet applications to recalculate imported formulas.

```bash
officecli close "$FILE" 2>/dev/null
jq -Rs '[
  {"command":"import","parent":"/Sheet1","text":.,"props":{"header":"true"}},
  {"command":"set","path":"/","props":{"calc.fullCalcOnLoad":"true"}}
]' data.csv \
  | OFFICECLI_NO_AUTO_RESIDENT=1 officecli batch "$FILE" --stop-on-error

# Accept the import only after a fresh non-resident read finds cells on disk.
OFFICECLI_NO_AUTO_RESIDENT=1 officecli query "$FILE" cell --json \
  | jq -e '.data.results | length > 0'
OFFICECLI_NO_AUTO_RESIDENT=1 officecli view "$FILE" outline
```

For TSV, add `"format":"tsv"` to the import item's `props`. For another anchor, add `"start-cell":"B2"`. `--header` maps to `"header":"true"`. Column widths and `numFmt` still need a follow-up pass.

**Python + batch fallback** — use when you need custom type coercion, formula injection, or the CSV lives inside another data pipeline. Recipe for 600-6000+ cells:

```python
# gen_batch.py — produces batch chunks of 80 value-set ops each
import csv, json
ops = []
with open("data.csv") as f:
    reader = csv.reader(f)
    for r, row in enumerate(reader, start=1):
        for c, val in enumerate(row):
            col = chr(ord('A') + c)
            ops.append({"command":"set","path":f"/Data/{col}{r}",
                        "props":{"value": val}})
for i in range(0, len(ops), 80):
    print(json.dumps(ops[i:i+80]))
```

```bash
python gen_batch.py | while IFS= read -r chunk; do
  printf '%s\n' "$chunk" | officecli batch "$FILE"
done
```

Outcome: 648-row retail CSV (6490 cells) loads in ~30s, zero failures. Tune: start at 80 ops/chunk, drop to 40 if any chunk fails. Numeric type inference and formulas come later via targeted `set` — batch in this recipe is pure value injection.

## Reading & Analysis

Start wide, then narrow. `outline` first tells you what sheets exist and where the data is; jump into `view` / `get` / `query` only once you know where to look.

**Open the rendered workbook to eyeball your own work.**
- `officecli view $FILE html` — Read the returned HTML to audit the rendered output. Each sheet is addressable, charts render inline. Catches `###`, placeholder leakage, pivot layout, row-height clipping.
- `officecli watch $FILE` keeps a live preview running for the human user — they open it at their own discretion. Use when the user wants to watch along; agent self-check uses `view html` above.
Use `view html` as your **first visual check after a batch of edits** — fix at source. For final visual verification, the user opens the `.xlsx` in their Excel / WPS / Numbers viewer.

**Orient.** Sheets, dimensions, formula counts.

```bash
officecli view "$FILE" outline
```

**Extract.** Plain text dump for content QA or LLM context; scope with `--start` / `--end` / `--cols` for big files.

```bash
officecli view "$FILE" text --start 1 --end 50 --cols A,B,C
```

Other `view` modes worth knowing: `annotated` (cell values + types/formulas + warnings), `stats` (numeric summaries), `issues` (broken formulas, empty sheets, missing refs).

**Round-trip dump.** `officecli dump "$FILE" [path]` serializes the workbook — or one worksheet (`/Sheet1`, `/sheet[N]`) — into a replayable batch JSON; create the target with `officecli create new.xlsx`, then replay it with `officecli batch new.xlsx --input dump.json`. Use it to learn from an existing workbook's structure or clone/adapt a template instead of reading raw OOXML. Coverage per `dump --help`; subtree dumps don't carry workbook-level resources (settings, named ranges) — the replay target must already define them.

```bash
officecli dump "$FILE" -o blueprint.json            # whole workbook
officecli dump "$FILE" /Sheet1 -o sheet.json        # one worksheet
officecli create new.xlsx
officecli batch new.xlsx --input blueprint.json
```

**Inspect one element.** Use XPath-style paths. Always quote — shells glob `[N]`.

```bash
officecli get "$FILE" "/Sheet1/A1"            # one cell
officecli get "$FILE" "/Sheet1/A1:D10"        # range
officecli get "$FILE" "/Sheet1/chart[1]"      # chart
officecli get "$FILE" "/Sheet1/table[1]"      # ListObject
officecli get "$FILE" "/namedrange[1]"        # workbook-level named range
```

Add `--depth N` to expand children; add `--json` for machine output. Full element list: `officecli help xlsx`.

**Query across the workbook.** CSS-like selectors. Use for systematic checks (formula coverage, error cells, empty headers) rather than hand-walking.

```bash
officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:has(formula)'       # every formula cell
officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:contains("#REF!")'  # broken references
officecli query "$FILE" 'cell[type=Number]'       # typed filter
officecli query "$FILE" 'Sheet1!B[value!=0]'      # sheet-scoped
```

Operators: `=`, `!=`, `~=` (contains), `>=`, `<=`, `[attr]` (exists).

**Merge cells shortcut.** `officecli query $FILE merge` or `mergedrange` — both are aliases for `mergeCell`. Returns every merged range in the workbook without hand-walking `<mergeCell>` entries.

**When the data is big enough that a row-walk is useless**, reach for Excel's own analytical elements:

- Build a **pivot table** with `officecli add` (`--type pivottable`) to group/aggregate without writing 20 SUMIFs. Attach a **slicer** (`--type slicer`) to give the reader a filter UI.
- Drop a **sparkline** (`--type sparkline`) in a row to show per-row trends — cheaper than one line chart per row and they print inline. `type` is a strict enum: **`line | column | stacked`** (plus aliases `winloss` / `win-loss` → `stacked`). Invalid `type=` values hard-fail — no silent fallback to `line` anymore.
- Run `officecli help xlsx pivottable`, `officecli help xlsx slicer`, `officecli help xlsx sparkline` for the exact prop names.

## Creating & Editing

Ninety percent of a build is cells, formulas, formatting, and one or two charts. The verbs: `add` (new element), `set` (change a prop), `remove`, `move`, `swap`, `batch`.

### Cells and formulas

Set a value and its format in one call. Never write `=` at the start of a formula — the CLI strips it.

```bash
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/B5 --prop formula="SUM(B2:B4)" --prop numFmt='$#,##0'
officecli set "$FILE" /Sheet1/C5 --prop formula="B5/A5" --prop numFmt="0.0%"
```

Structural properties (width, height, freeze, tabColor) live on row / col / sheet nodes:

```bash
officecli set "$FILE" "/Sheet1/col[A]" --prop width=20
officecli set "$FILE" "/Sheet1/row[1]" --prop height=22
officecli set "$FILE" "/Sheet1" --prop freeze=A2 --prop tabColor=1F4E79
```

### Named ranges

Prefer named ranges over `$B$6` in formulas. They self-document (`GrowthRate` beats `$B$6`) and they let you move the assumption cell without breaking formulas. Because `ref` values contain both `!` and `$`, add them through a batch heredoc:

```bash
cat <<'EOF' | officecli batch "$FILE"
[
  {"command":"add","parent":"/","type":"namedrange","props":{"name":"GrowthRate","ref":"Sheet1!$B$6"}}
]
EOF
```

See `officecli help xlsx namedrange` for the full schema.

**Batch JSON does NOT accept shell aliases.** Inside batch `props`, always use the full dotted name — `"font.color": "FF0000"`, `"font.size": 14`, never `"color": "FF0000"` (ambiguous: text vs fill). On a bare cell, even the shell form is rejected: `--prop color=1F4E79` errors with `ambiguous in cell context — use 'font.color' (text) or 'fill' (bg)`. Rule: in any batch JSON or cell prop, write `font.color` / `fill` explicitly. `parent` should be `"/"` for workbook-level elements and `"/SheetName"` for sheet-scoped; empty string is not equivalent.

### Charts

Chart types live under `officecli help xlsx chart` — the enum is long (20+). Pick the right one for the message: column for category comparison, line for time series, pie only when slices are self-evidently proportional, scatter for correlation. Avoid exotic types unless they answer a specific question.

**Three ways to feed chart data. Pick one per chart — mixing them at add-time is a common trap.**

| Form | Shape | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| (a) inline `data` | `--prop data="Sales:100,200,300" --prop categories="Jan,Feb,Mar"` | Tiny demo charts, numbers you will not edit. Source of truth lives in the chart XML, not a cell. |
| (b) 2D `dataRange` | `--prop dataRange="Sheet1!A1:B4"` (first col = categories, first row = header / series name) | Normal case. Must be **2-D** — single column fails with "Chart requires data". |
| (c) dotted per-series | `--prop series1.name=Sales --prop series1.values="Sheet1!B2:B4" --prop series1.categories="Sheet1!A2:A4"` | Multi-series charts where each series points at non-contiguous ranges, or you want explicit series naming. `series1.values` alone (no `categories`) emits a chart with `1,2,3` as the x-axis. |

**The single-column trap.** `dataRange="Sheet1!B2:B13"` looks like "value column" but the engine rejects it with `Chart requires data`. Either widen the range to include the category column (`A2:B13`), or switch to form (c) with explicit `series1.categories`.

**Move / resize a chart after create:** `set chart[N] --prop anchor="F5:N25"` (also `--prop x= --prop y= --prop width= --prop height=`). **Series are still immutable** — to add/change a series, `officecli remove` the chart and `officecli add` with the full series list. Note `remove chart[1]` shifts `chart[2] → chart[1]` and re-add **appends at the end** — to preserve chart order, remove all and rebuild in order.

**Anchor sizing.** No auto-fit. A column chart with 5-6 categories + 2 series needs roughly `A5:L22` (12 cols × 18 rows) to show all labels uncut. Narrower and X-axis labels clip; wider and the chart can split across pages on print/export. If in doubt, start narrow, preview via `view html` (Read the explicit HTML output file), widen in increments. Page layout (below) is the other half of the fix.

**Chart `dataRange` — always prefix with the sheet.** Even when the chart lives on the same sheet, write `dataRange="Summary!A17:C22"`, not `A17:C22`. The sheet-less form works inconsistently; the prefixed form is 100% reliable.

officecli adds extended chart types the classic Excel object model lacks: `boxWhisker`, `waterfall`, `funnel`, `histogram`, `treemap`, `sunburst`, `pareto`. Use them when the data calls for them.

**NEVER put unreplaced template tokens in chart title / series name / legend / axis title.** `$fy$24`, `{var}`, `<TODO>`, `$VAR`, `{{placeholder}}` render **literally** in the legend — validate passes, but a CFO sees `$fy$24` where "FY2024" should be. Always bind to final text or a cell reference (`title="FY2024 Revenue"` or `series1.name="Sheet1!A1"`).

### Conditional formatting

Three common flavors, each with its own prop shape (consult `officecli help xlsx cf`):

- **Color scales**: cells shaded on a gradient by value — `type=colorscale` with `minColor` / `midColor` / `maxColor`.
- **Data bars**: in-cell bars showing magnitude — `type=databar`. Set explicit `min` / `max` for consistent scaling across a column; defaults are valid if you omit them.
- **Formula rules** (the `formulacf` element): highlight row when a condition is true — `type=formula` with `formula="$C2>1000"` and a fill/font.

Rule: apply CF sparingly. A workbook where every cell is colored tells the reader nothing.

### Data validation

Input cells in trackers and templates MUST carry data validation. It's cheap and it stops entire classes of downstream bugs. **Three list-source patterns** — pick based on where the allowed values live.

**(a) Inline list** — allowed values are short and fixed in the rule itself.

```bash
officecli add "$FILE" /Sheet1 --type validation \
  --prop sqref="C2:C100" --prop type=list \
  --prop formula1="Yes,No,Maybe" \
  --prop showError=true --prop errorTitle="Invalid" --prop error="Select from list"
```

**(b) Named range (preferred for cross-sheet lookups)** — allowed values live in another sheet and may grow. Define the named range first, then reference it. Use a batch heredoc because `ref` contains `!` and `$`:

```bash
cat <<'EOF' | officecli batch "$FILE"
[
  {"command":"add","parent":"/","type":"namedrange","props":{"name":"StatusList","ref":"Lookups!$A$2:$A$4"}},
  {"command":"add","parent":"/Sheet1","type":"validation","props":{"sqref":"B2:B100","type":"list","formula1":"=StatusList"}}
]
EOF
```

**(c) Direct cross-sheet range** — no named range, raw `Lookups!$A$2:$A$4` inside `formula1`. Also needs a batch heredoc to keep `!` and `$` intact:

```bash
cat <<'EOF' | officecli batch "$FILE"
[
  {"command":"add","parent":"/Sheet1","type":"validation","props":{"sqref":"C2:C100","type":"list","formula1":"Lookups!$A$2:$A$4"}}
]
EOF
```

If you write the cross-sheet variant as `--prop formula1=...` on the shell, the `!` gets shell-mangled into `\!` and the dropdown will silently fall back to no list. Verify with `officecli get "$FILE" /Sheet1/validation[N]` — `formula1=` must show a plain `!`, no backslash.

Other common `type` values: `decimal`, `whole`, `date`, `textLength`, `custom`. See `officecli help xlsx validation` for operators and the full prop list.

### Other elements (one-liners)

- **Tables** (ListObjects) — `add --type table` with a range; gives auto-filter + structured refs. `officecli help xlsx table`.
- **Comments** — `add --type comment`; use for documenting hardcoded assumptions. `officecli help xlsx comment`.
- **Sheet reordering** — `officecli move`, not `swap`. `swap` only works on row/cell paths.

## Chart Axis-by-Role

Editing a chart axis in place is cheaper than rebuilding the chart. Address axes by **role** (`value` = Y, `category` = X), not by index — the XML order isn't stable.

```bash
officecli get "$FILE" "/Sheet1/chart[1]/axis[@role=value]"
officecli set "$FILE" "/Sheet1/chart[1]/axis[@role=value]" --prop min=0 --prop max=100000
officecli set "$FILE" "/Sheet1/chart[1]/axis[@role=category]" --prop title="Month"
```

Safe props: `title`, `min`, `max`, `majorGridlines`, `visible`, `labelRotation`.

## QA (Required)

**Assume there are problems. Your job is to find them.**

Your first workbook is almost never correct. Treat QA as a bug hunt, not a confirmation step. If you found zero issues on first inspection, you were not looking hard enough. The formulas look fine **until** you check two of them against source cells.

### Minimum cycle before "done"

1. `officecli view "$FILE" issues` — empty sheets, broken formulas, missing refs.
2. `officecli view "$FILE" annotated` (sample ranges) — values + types + warnings.
3. For every Excel error type, query it:
   ```bash
   officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:contains("#REF!")'
   officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:contains("#DIV/0!")'
   officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:contains("#VALUE!")'
   officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:contains("#NAME?")'
   officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:contains("#N/A")'
   ```
4. `officecli validate "$FILE"` — safe with a resident open; `validate` flushes pending edits to disk itself.
5. **Visual pass — walk every sheet via the HTML preview.** Run `officecli view "$FILE" html -o "${FILE%.xlsx}.html"` and Read the explicit HTML output file. Each sheet renders with charts inline. Scan for `###`, truncated titles, placeholder tokens (`$fy$24`, `{var}`, `<TODO>`), sliced charts, white-slice pie charts, empty chart anchors — **STOP and fix before declaring done**. "validate pass" is not delivery; "the preview looks like a real workbook" is delivery. For human preview, run `officecli watch "$FILE"` (user opens the live preview at their own discretion) or have them open the `.xlsx` directly in Excel / WPS / Numbers.
6. **Print layout fix (wide tables / multi-chart sheets).** When a sheet holds a chart or a wide table and the user will print it, match the fit mode to the sheet height:
   ```bash
   # Short summary or chart sheet: fit to one page.
   officecli set "$FILE" "/Summary" --prop orientation=landscape --prop fitToPage=true
   # Tall data table: fit the width only.
   officecli set "$FILE" "/Data" --prop orientation=landscape --prop fitToPage=1x0
   ```
   Charts and wide tables then avoid horizontal splits, while tall tables keep readable row heights across natural page breaks. Apply this to every sheet that holds a chart or a table with more than eight columns.
7. If anything failed, fix, then **rerun the full cycle**. One fix commonly creates another problem.

`officecli view issues` + `view html` are the structural QA pair: `issues` catches broken formulas and empty sheets; `view html` (Read the explicit HTML output file) catches `###`, truncation, and token leakage. Chart fill colors / theme tints can vary across viewers — spot-check in the user's target viewer when color fidelity matters.

### Formula verification checklist

- [ ] Pick 2-3 formulas at random. Run `officecli get` on each. Confirm the formula string is what you intended **and** `cachedValue=` is what you expect — arithmetic in your head.
- [ ] **Cached value sanity on every summary cell.** Any cell that aggregates (COUNTA / COUNTIF / SUMPRODUCT / INDEX&MATCH) must have a plausible `cachedValue`. If a progress tracker shows `199 / 199 / 100%` on a blank template, the cache is lying — re-touch the formula via `set` (forces recompute) or manually set a correct cached value. Do NOT ship "validate passes but the numbers are fiction".
- [ ] **Spot-check one cell per numeric column.** `%` columns showing integer `0.0%` throughout means the denominator is wrong or the numerator is cached stale — investigate one cell, fix the pattern.
- [ ] Ranges include every row: off-by-one on `SUM(B2:B12)` when data goes to `B13` is the most common bug.
- [ ] Cross-sheet formulas (`Sheet1!A1`) contain no `\!`. If `officecli get` shows `Sheet1\!A1`, the `!` was shell-corrupted — delete and re-enter via batch/heredoc.
- [ ] Named ranges (`officecli get "$FILE" "/namedrange[1]"`) point at what their names claim.
- [ ] Every `/` denominator is guarded — `IFERROR(x/y, 0)` or `IF(y=0, 0, x/y)`.
- [ ] Chart data vs source cells: for every chart with inline data, spot-check data points against `officecli get` of the source cells.
- [ ] Chart title / series name / legend contain **no** unreplaced tokens (`$...$`, `{var}`, `<TODO>`). Grep the chart via `officecli get /Sheet1/chart[N]`.

### Template QA

When editing a template, check for leftover placeholders — they look like content and slip past `validate`:

```bash
officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:contains("{{")'
officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:contains("xxxx")'
officecli query "$FILE" 'cell:contains("TBD")'
```

### Fresh eyes

When you finish a workbook, open it fresh. Read `view text` / HTML preview top-to-bottom as if you are a new reviewer — look for formulas, numbers that look off, formatting inconsistency, missing data.

### Honest limit

`validate` catches schema errors, not design errors. A workbook can pass `validate` with every number wrong. The checklist above — especially spot-checking formulas against source cells — is how you catch what validation can't.

## Known Issues & Pitfalls

### The cross-sheet `!` trap (short)

Shells (bash history expansion, zsh splitting) and CLI arg parsing mangle `!` in `Sheet1!A1` into `\!`. A formula containing `\!` is silently broken — it renders as literal text and references nothing.

**Fix.** Use a batch heredoc with single-quoted delimiter (`<<'EOF'`), which disables all shell expansion:

```bash
cat <<'EOF' | officecli batch "$FILE"
[{"command":"set","path":"/Summary/B2","props":{"formula":"Revenue!B13"}}]
EOF
```

**Verify.** After writing, `officecli get` the cell; `formula=` must show a plain `!` with no backslash.

### CLI bug backlog (short)

CLI behavior and known gaps.

- **Chart series are immutable after create** — to add/change a series: `remove` + `add` with the full series list. (Position is mutable: `set chart[N] --prop anchor=` / `x/y/width/height`.) `remove chart[N]` shifts subsequent indices down; re-add appends at end.
- **Standalone import does not persist reliably in 1.0.144** — it can print `Imported N rows x M cols` while the next fresh read sees an empty sheet. Use the non-resident import batch in CSV / bulk import; its second mutation makes the batch durable, and the required fresh read rejects an empty result.
- **Cross-sheet formula batches and serial writers** — cross-sheet formula batches and pure value-set batches (50–80+ ops) run through one resident process. If you hit a hang, fall back to one non-resident batch or individual `set` calls. OfficeCLI canonicalizes symlinked path identities, but concurrent writers are not safe: keep one serial writer for each file.
- **Conditional formatting naming asymmetry** — the element name for `--type` is `conditionalformatting`; the path suffix is `/cf[N]`. Use `officecli help xlsx conditionalformatting` for schema, `/cf[N]` for paths.
- **Sheet `position` prop on add** — help says Add processes `position`, but the prop is often ignored. Reorder with `officecli move --index` / `--after` / `--before` after creating the sheet.
- **Sheet rename in OfficeCLI 1.0.158** — `set "$FILE" "/Source Data" --prop name=Renamed` updates references in data validation, conditional formatting, sparklines, and named ranges, including sheet names with spaces or apostrophes. These references do not require removal before rename.
- **Sheet removal rules in 1.0.158** — the intended rules are to reject removal while validation, conditional formatting, sparklines, or internal hyperlinks reference the sheet. An unused named range is removed with its sheet. If a formula on another sheet uses that name, removal must be rejected. Remove or repoint these dependencies before sheet removal. The gaps below can bypass these rules.
- **Sheet lifecycle gaps in 1.0.158** — a sheet name with an apostrophe can bypass dependency checks on removal. Quoted sheet references in named ranges can escape both cleanup and use checks. Internal hyperlinks with absolute coordinates can remain in relationships that rename does not update and removal does not check. Work on a copy, inspect references after each operation, and test internal links in the target viewer. Exit code 0 and `validate` do not prove that references are intact.
- **Batch JSON rejects cell `color` alias** — inside batch `props`, `"color": "FF0000"` errors `ambiguous in cell context — use 'font.color' (text) or 'fill' (bg)`. The CLI at shell level accepts `--prop color=...` / `--prop size=14` as aliases on non-cell elements, but inside batch JSON on a cell always write the full dotted name: `"font.color"`, `"font.size"`, `"font.name"`.

### Renderer caveats (cross-viewer color fidelity)

`officecli view html` is the right tool for structural QA (overflow, truncation, placeholder leakage, layout) — Read the explicit HTML output file. Some chart rendering details vary across the viewer the end user opens the file in. Observed divergences:

- **Pie / doughnut fill colors may collapse to a single theme tint** in some viewers (slices look "all white" or "all one color"). The file may be fine in the user's target viewer.
- **Line chart / column chart series colors may drift** from the workbook theme in some viewers.
- **Form-control checkboxes may render as double-boxed** in some viewers.

Before calling a color or chart "broken", open the file in the user's actual target viewer. If it looks correct there, the problem is viewer rendering, not data — do not chase it. The CLI's structural checks (`###`, truncation, placeholder text, layout) remain authoritative.

### Escape layers (shell quoting is above; these are the extras)

`$` is the shell layer (single-quote it, above). `\n` / `\t` in a prop value ARE interpreted by the CLI into a real newline / tab. Two more layers:

- **JSON level (batch).** Standard JSON escapes — `"\n"`, `"\t"`, `"\""`. A real backslash in the final string is `"\\\\"`.
- **Excel level.** `\n` in a cell is a real line break — pair with `--prop wrapText=true` so Excel shows the wrap. Works in a shell-quoted prop directly (`--prop value='a\nb'`); `"\n"` inside batch JSON gives the same. When in doubt, `officecli get` the cell and compare character-for-character.

### Other common pitfalls

| Pitfall | Fix |
|---|---|
| `--name "foo"` | All attrs go through `--prop`: `--prop name="foo"` |
| Guessing a prop name | `officecli help xlsx <element>` — don't improvise |
| `--prop color=...` on a cell | Ambiguous — use `font.color` (text) or `fill` (bg). Also applies inside batch JSON: always use full dotted names, never shell aliases |
| `#FF0000` hex colors | Drop the `#`: `FF0000` |
| `--index` vs `[N]` | `--index` is 0-based (array); `[N]` paths are 1-based (XPath) |
| Unquoted `[N]` in zsh/bash | Quote every path: `"/Sheet1/row[1]"` |
| Sheet name with spaces | Quote full path: `"/My Sheet/A1"` |
| Year showing as `2,026` | `--prop type=string` or `numFmt="@"` |
| Modifying a file open in Excel | Close it in Excel first |
| `swap` not reordering sheets | `swap` is for rows/cells. Use `move --after` / `--before` / `--index` for sheets |
| Cached values missing after write | New formulas get cached values when a human opens the file; `validate` accepts them either way |