Microsoft Office interop performance issue

Question

I am try to exporting datagridview data to excel file in my C# 4.0 Windows application.

we used Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel dll version 12.0.0.0. It's works well and everything

is fine. But i when i try to export more than 1000 datagridview records it's take too long

time.How can i improve the performance.

Please see this Excel helper code below.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;
using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel;
using Microsoft.Office.Core;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices; // For COMException
using System.Reflection; // For Missing.Value and BindingFlags
using System.Diagnostics; // to ensure EXCEL process is really killed

namespace Export.Excel
{

    #region InstanceFields

    //Instance Fields
    //public delegate void ProgressHandler(object sender, ProgressEventArgs e);
    //public event ProgressHandler prg;
    private System.Data.DataView dv;
    private Style styleRows;
    private Style styleColumnHeadings;
    private Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application EXL;
    private Workbook workbook;
    private Sheets sheets;
    private Worksheet worksheet;
    private string[,] myTemplateValues;
    private int position;
    private System.Globalization.CultureInfo cl;
    private Type _ResourceType;

    #endregion

    #region Constructor

    //Constructs a new export2Excel object. The user must
    //call the createExcelDocument method once a valid export2Excel
    //object has been instantiated

    public ExportExcelFormat(string culture, Type type)
    {
        cl = new System.Globalization.CultureInfo(culture);
        _ResourceType = type;
    }

    #endregion


    #region EXCEL : ExportToExcel
    //Exports a DataView to Excel. The following steps are carried out
    //in order to export the DataView to Excel
    //Create Excel Objects
    //Create Column & Row Workbook Cell Rendering Styles
    //Fill Worksheet With DataView
    //Add Auto Shapes To Excel Worksheet
    //Select All Used Cells
    //Create Headers/Footers
    //Set Status Finished
    //Save workbook & Tidy up all objects
    //@param dv : DataView to use
    //@param path : The path to save/open the EXCEL file to/from
    //@param sheetName : The target sheet within the EXCEL file
    public void ExportToExcel(System.Data.DataView dv, string path, string sheetName, string[] UnWantedColumns)
    {
        try
        {
            //Assign Instance Fields
            this.dv = dv;

            #region NEW EXCEL DOCUMENT : Create Excel Objects

            //create new EXCEL application
            EXL = new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.ApplicationClass();
            //index to hold location of the requested sheetName in the workbook sheets
            //collection
            int indexOfsheetName;

            #region FILE EXISTS
            //Does the file exist for the given path
            if (File.Exists(path))
            {

                //Yes file exists, so open the file
                workbook = EXL.Workbooks.Open(path,
                    0, false, 5, "", "", false, Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.XlPlatform.xlWindows, "",
                    true, false, 0, true, false, false);

                //get the workbook sheets collection
                sheets = workbook.Sheets;

                //set the location of the requested sheetName to -1, need to find where
                //it is. It may not actually exist
                indexOfsheetName = -1;

                //loop through the sheets collection
                for (int i = 1; i <= sheets.Count; i++)
                {
                    //get the current worksheet at index (i)
                    worksheet = (Worksheet)sheets.get_Item(i);

                    //is the current worksheet the sheetName that was requested
                    if (worksheet.Name.ToString().Equals(sheetName))
                    {
                        //yes it is, so store its index
                        indexOfsheetName = i;

                        //Select all cells, and clear the contents
                        Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Range myAllRange = worksheet.Cells;
                        myAllRange.Select();
                        myAllRange.CurrentRegion.Select();
                        myAllRange.ClearContents();
                    }
                }

                //At this point it is known that the sheetName that was requested
                //does not exist within the found file, so create a new sheet within the
                //sheets collection
                if (indexOfsheetName == -1)
                {
                    //Create a new sheet for the requested sheet
                    Worksheet sh = (Worksheet)workbook.Sheets.Add(
                        Type.Missing, (Worksheet)sheets.get_Item(sheets.Count),
                        Type.Missing, Type.Missing);
                    //Change its name to that requested
                    sh.Name = sheetName;
                }
            }
            #endregion

            #region FILE DOESNT EXIST
            //No the file DOES NOT exist, so create a new file
            else
            {
                //Add a new workbook to the file
                workbook = EXL.Workbooks.Add(XlWBATemplate.xlWBATWorksheet);
                //get the workbook sheets collection
                sheets = workbook.Sheets;
                //get the new sheet
                worksheet = (Worksheet)sheets.get_Item(1);
                //Change its name to that requested
                worksheet.Name = sheetName;
            }
            #endregion

            #region get correct worksheet index for requested sheetName

            //get the workbook sheets collection
            sheets = workbook.Sheets;

            //set the location of the requested sheetName to -1, need to find where
            //it is. It will definately exist now as it has just been added
            indexOfsheetName = -1;

            //loop through the sheets collection
            for (int i = 1; i <= sheets.Count; i++)
            {
                //get the current worksheet at index (i)
                worksheet = (Worksheet)sheets.get_Item(i);



                //is the current worksheet the sheetName that was requested
                if (worksheet.Name.ToString().Equals(sheetName))
                {
                    //yes it is, so store its index
                    indexOfsheetName = i;
                }
            }

            //set the worksheet that the DataView should write to, to the known index of the
            //requested sheet
            worksheet = (Worksheet)sheets.get_Item(indexOfsheetName);
            #endregion

            #endregion

            // Set styles 1st
            SetUpStyles();
            //Fill EXCEL worksheet with DataView values
            fillWorksheet_WithDataView(UnWantedColumns);
            //Add the autoshapes to EXCEL
            //AddAutoShapesToExcel();
            //Select all used cells within current worksheet
            SelectAllUsedCells();

            try
            {
                workbook.Close(true, path, Type.Missing);
                EXL.UserControl = false;
                EXL.Quit();
                EXL = null;
                //kill the EXCEL process as a safety measure
                killExcel();
            }
            catch (COMException cex)
            {

            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {

            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {

        }
    }
    #endregion

    #region EXCEL : UseTemplate
    //Exports a DataView to Excel. The following steps are carried out
    //in order to export the DataView to Excel
    //Create Excel Objects And Open Template File
    //Select All Used Cells
    //Create Headers/Footers
    //Set Status Finished
    //Save workbook & Tidy up all objects
    //@param path : The path to save/open the EXCEL file to/from
    public void UseTemplate(string path, string templatePath, string[,] myTemplateValues)
    {
        try
        {
            this.myTemplateValues = myTemplateValues;
            //create new EXCEL application
            EXL = new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.ApplicationClass();
            //Yes file exists, so open the file
            workbook = EXL.Workbooks.Open(templatePath,
                0, false, 5, "", "", false, Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.XlPlatform.xlWindows, "",
                true, false, 0, true, false, false);
            //get the workbook sheets collection
            sheets = workbook.Sheets;
            //get the new sheet
            worksheet = (Worksheet)sheets.get_Item(1);
            //Change its name to that requested
            worksheet.Name = "ATemplate";
            //Fills the Excel Template File Selected With A 2D Test Array
            fillTemplate_WithTestValues();
            //Select all used cells within current worksheet
            SelectAllUsedCells();

            try
            {
                workbook.Close(true, path, Type.Missing);
                EXL.UserControl = false;
                EXL.Quit();
                EXL = null;
                //kill the EXCEL process as a safety measure
                killExcel();
            }
            catch (COMException)
            {
            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
        }
    }
    #endregion

    #region STEP 1 : Create Column & Row Workbook Cell Rendering Styles
    //Creates 2 Custom styles for the workbook These styles are
    //  styleColumnHeadings
    //  styleRows
    //These 2 styles are used when filling the individual Excel cells with the
    //DataView values. If the current cell relates to a DataView column heading
    //then the style styleColumnHeadings will be used to render the current cell.
    //If the current cell relates to a DataView row then the style styleRows will
    //be used to render the current cell.
    private void SetUpStyles()
    {
        // Style styleColumnHeadings
        try
        {
            styleColumnHeadings = workbook.Styles["styleColumnHeadings"];
        }
        // Style doesn't exist yet.
        catch
        {
            styleColumnHeadings = workbook.Styles.Add("styleColumnHeadings", Type.Missing);
            styleColumnHeadings.Font.Name = "Arial";
            styleColumnHeadings.Font.Size = 12;
            styleColumnHeadings.Font.Bold = true;
        }

        // Style styleRows
        try
        {

            styleRows = workbook.Styles["styleRows"];
        }
        // Style doesn't exist yet.
        catch
        {
            styleRows = workbook.Styles.Add("styleRows", Type.Missing);
            styleRows.Font.Name = "Verdana";
            styleRows.Font.Size = 9;
        }
    }
    #endregion

    #region STEP 2 : Fill Worksheet With DataView
    //Fills an Excel worksheet with the values contained in the DataView
    //parameter
    private void fillWorksheet_WithDataView(string[] UnWantedColumns)
    {
        position = 0;
        //Add DataView Columns To Worksheet
        int row = 1;
        int col = 1;
        // Remove unwanted columns in the loop
        int total = dv.Table.Columns.Count - UnWantedColumns.Count();
        // Loop thought the columns
        for (int i = 0; i < total; i++)
        {

            fillExcelCell(worksheet, row, col++, dv.Table.Columns[i].ToString(), styleColumnHeadings.Name, UnWantedColumns);
        }

        //Add DataView Rows To Worksheet
        row = 2;
        col = 1;

        for (int i = 0; i < dv.Table.Rows.Count; i++)
        {

            for (int j = 0; j < dv.Table.Columns.Count; j++)
            {
                fillExcelCell(worksheet, row, col++, dv[i][j].ToString(), styleRows.Name, UnWantedColumns);
            }
            col = 1;
            row++;

            position = (100 / dv.Table.Rows.Count) * row + 2;
        }
    }
    #endregion

    #region STEP 3 : Fill Individual Cell and Render Using Predefined Style
    //Formats the current cell based on the Style setting parameter name
    //provided here
    //@param worksheet : The worksheet
    //@param row : Current row
    //@param col : Current Column
    //@param Value : The value for the cell
    //@param StyleName : The style name to use
    private void fillExcelCell(Worksheet worksheet, int row, int col, Object Value, string StyleName, string[] UnWantedColumns)
    {
        if (!UnWantedColumns.Contains(Value.ToString()))
        {
            Range rng = (Range)worksheet.Cells[row, col];
            rng.NumberFormat = "@";
            rng.Select();
            rng.Value2 = Value.ToString();
            rng.Style = StyleName;
            rng.Columns.EntireColumn.AutoFit();
        }
    }
    #endregion

    #region STEP 4 : Add Auto Shapes To Excel Worksheet
    //Add some WordArt objecs to the Excel worksheet
    private void AddAutoShapesToExcel()
    {
        //Method fields
        float txtSize = 80;
        float Left = 100.0F;
        float Top = 100.0F;
        //Have 2 objects
        int[] numShapes = new int[2];
        Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Shape[] myShapes = new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Shape[numShapes.Length];

        try
        {
            //loop through the object count
            for (int i = 0; i < numShapes.Length; i++)
            {

                //Add the object to Excel
                myShapes[i] = worksheet.Shapes.AddTextEffect(MsoPresetTextEffect.msoTextEffect1, "DRAFT", "Arial Black",
                    txtSize, MsoTriState.msoFalse, MsoTriState.msoFalse, (Left * (i * 3)), Top);

                //Manipulate the object settings
                myShapes[i].Rotation = 45F;
                myShapes[i].Fill.Visible = Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoFalse;
                myShapes[i].Fill.Transparency = 0F;
                myShapes[i].Line.Weight = 1.75F;
                myShapes[i].Line.DashStyle = MsoLineDashStyle.msoLineSolid;
                myShapes[i].Line.Transparency = 0F;
                myShapes[i].Line.Visible = Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoTrue;
                myShapes[i].Line.ForeColor.RGB = (0 << 16) | (0 << 8) | 0;
                myShapes[i].Line.BackColor.RGB = (255 << 16) | (255 << 8) | 255;
            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
        }

    }
    #endregion

    #region STEP 5 : Select All Used Cells
    //Selects all used cells for the Excel worksheet
    private void SelectAllUsedCells()
    {
        Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Range myAllRange = worksheet.Cells;
        myAllRange.Select();
        myAllRange.CurrentRegion.Select();
    }
    #endregion

    #region STEP 6 : Fill Template With Test Values
    //Fills the Excel Template File Selected With A 2D Test Array parameter
    private void fillTemplate_WithTestValues()
    {
        //Initilaise the correct Start Row/Column to match the Template
        int StartRow = 3;
        int StartCol = 2;

        position = 0;

        // Display the array elements within the Output window, make sure its correct before
        for (int i = 0; i <= myTemplateValues.GetUpperBound(0); i++)
        {
            //loop through array and put into EXCEL template
            for (int j = 0; j <= myTemplateValues.GetUpperBound(1); j++)
            {
                //update position in progress bar
                position = (100 / myTemplateValues.Length) * i;

                //put into EXCEL template
                Range rng = (Range)worksheet.Cells[StartRow, StartCol++];
                rng.Select();
                rng.Value2 = myTemplateValues[i, j].ToString();
                rng.Rows.EntireRow.AutoFit();
            }
            //New row, so column needs to be reset
            StartCol = 2;
            StartRow++;
        }
    }

    #endregion

    #region Kill EXCEL
    //As a safety check go through all processes and make
    //doubly sure excel is shutdown. Working with COM
    //have sometimes noticed that the EXL.Quit() call
    //does always do the job
    private void killExcel()
    {
        try
        {
            Process[] ps = Process.GetProcesses();
            foreach (Process p in ps)
            {
                if (p.ProcessName.ToLower().Equals("excel"))
                {
                    p.Kill();
                }
            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
        }
    }
    #endregion
}

Jonna

After a lot of issues I moved to XML formats: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Office_XML_formats – Mathematical

Thank you for your valueable reply. In this method i get full control in the column width and height and Numberformat in cells. You mean change this to XML formats – Jonna

Even the XML format does, and you not need excel installed and a lot of references. Yes you need an extra work to set cells style/formatting. But it would be much faster and lighter... That's only my opinion :-) – Mathematical

Thank you very much. I using Microsoft Office XML formats method in my appliction for exporting griddata to Excel format.It's really fast. But facing a issues with accent vowels. It's not properly converted in this method. any suggestions please ... – Jonna

Answer 1

I have a few suggestions to improve the performance. Singly they may not have much impact, but together they should improve overall performance.

• Hide Excel (if it isn't already) EXL.Visible = false;. Turn off Calculation (Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual, if it isn't needed) and ScreenUpdating as well.
• Use Excel.Workbooks.Worksheets rather than the Sheets collection.

• Rather than looping through all the worksheets, try to reference the one you want, using error-handling to determine if the sheet exists:

  Excel.Worksheet worksheet = (Excel.Worksheet)workbook.Worksheets["SheetName"];
  

Avoid Select, it is rarely necessary - and slow. Replace,

//Select all cells, and clear the contents
Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Range myAllRange = worksheet.Cells;
myAllRange.Select();
myAllRange.CurrentRegion.Select();
myAllRange.ClearContents();

with

worksheet.UsedRange.ClearContents();

You should be able to remove your function SelectAllUsedCells() entirely. If you still needed to select them, then:

worksheet.UsedRange.Select();    // but shouldn't be necessary

Otherwise, if you stick with looping through the worksheets, use break; once you've found the sheet, to exit the loop.

Delete rng.Select(); from your fillExcelCell() function. However, you appear to be calling this function for every cell; is this correct? I would do all the formatting in one go afterwards. In particular, applying AutoFit to the entire range.

I would create the shape once and copy/paste it. (Not sure if it can be cloned?)

Put the Calcuation mode back to its original setting when complete.

Wariness

Answer 2

You are processing one cell at a time. The Range Excel object can represent a two-dimensional grid.

1. You can either build an array in .NET and set the Value in one shot.
2. My preference is to do it by columns. So that data and formatting can be contained in one logical unit.

Krantz

Answer 3

I apologize for not answering your exact question, but I'd like to pass a piece of advice here.

Using Interop in this way is very slow by nature: communication between applications is not the fastest thing in Windows, and Excel is doing a lot of things you don't need at each operation, even if Andy G has provided you some hints to limit its overhead.

A solid solution is not to use Excel to export data: use a .net library such as Aspose.Cells or any other one. Aspose.Cells is a bit expensive but it's very good. Note that I have no interest in Aspose, I've just used it in several of my projects. I've used Syncfusion as well, cheaper and good but a less intuitive API in my opinion. There are other ones, including the free MS OpenXml Library, which is free but very low level (I wouldn't advise it).

With such libraries it's very easy to export data to an Excel file and the performance is excellent.

Tol