MNB PHPExcelDeveloper Guide
v2.0.5
Documentation versions v2.0.5Current v2.0.4Maintenance v2.0.3Maintenance v2.0.0Initial v2 Compare versions →
Getting started

Choose a Reader Journey

Follow a focused sequence for your first workbook, a user upload, a large XLSX file, or an Excel-to-database import.

Updated

PHP 8.1+Full packageIndividual XLSXGuided path
Available sincev2.0.5Last API changev2.0.5Version guide
LevelBeginner to advancedReading time7 minPackagemnb/mnb-phpexcel or mnb/mnb-phpexcel-xlsx

What you will learn

  • Choose the shortest documentation path for the job in front of you.
  • Move from a successful first read to production validation and error handling.
  • Avoid mixing small-file, upload, large-file, and database-import concerns too early.

Choose the journey that matches your job#

01
15–25 minRead your first workbook

Install the package, open a sample workbook, select a worksheet, map headers, and print records.

  1. Install
  2. Open
  3. Select sheet
  4. Read rows
02
35–50 minProcess a user upload safely

Validate the upload, store it privately, inspect the workbook, verify headers, and return safe errors.

  1. Validate
  2. Store
  3. Inspect
  4. Process
03
30–45 minStream a large XLSX file

Choose projection and limits, stream rows, process chunks, report progress, and control memory.

  1. Plan
  2. Project
  3. Stream
  4. Measure
04
45–70 minImport Excel into a database

Confirm headers, map fields, validate rows, run a dry preview, and insert transactionally with PDO.

  1. Map
  2. Validate
  3. Preview
  4. Import
  1. Start with a known fixture

    Use a small downloadable workbook before debugging a customer file. This confirms installation, autoloading, and basic reader behavior.

  2. Inspect before selecting

    Read workbook metadata and worksheet names before assuming a sheet, header row, or row count.

  3. Configure before consuming

    Set the header row, empty-row policy, ranges, limits, and column projection before calling a terminal method.

  4. Choose a terminal method intentionally

    Use rows() for streaming, toArray() for small collected results, and structured output when you need source and skipped-row counts.

  5. Finish with a safe boundary

    Catch MnbExcelException, log structured debug context, and return a short public message.

Use the sample workbooks while learning#

The sample library gives every journey a predictable workbook with known sheets, headers, rows, formulas, and intentional validation failures.

Open sample workbooks