/officecli-xlsx

name: officecli-xlsx
description: "Use this skill any time a .xlsx file is involved -- as input, output, or both. This includes: creating spreadsheets, financial models, dashboards, or trackers; reading, parsing, or extracting data from any .xlsx file; editing, modifying, or updating existing workbooks; working with formulas, charts, pivot tables, or templates; importing CSV/TSV data into Excel format. Trigger whenever the user mentions 'spreadsheet', 'workbook', 'Excel', 'financial model', 'tracker', 'dashboard', or references a .xlsx/.csv filename."

OfficeCLI XLSX Skill

Setup

If `officecli` is missing:

• **macOS / Linux**: `curl -fsSL https://d.officecli.ai/install.sh | bash`
• **Windows (PowerShell)**: `irm https://d.officecli.ai/install.ps1 | iex`

Verify with `officecli --version` (open a new terminal if PATH hasn't picked up). If install fails, download a binary from https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/releases.

⚠️ 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.**

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**.

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).
• NEVER hand-write `\$`, `\t`, `\n` inside executable examples. The CLI does not interpret backslash escapes; they will land in your file as literal characters.

**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` and Read the returned HTML path 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. Apply per sheet:

officecli set "$FILE" "/Summary" --prop orientation=landscape --prop fitToPage=true

Trigger: sheet holds a chart, or > 8 columns, or the user's ask mentions print / board / investor.

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 cosme