Grails/ Groovy: Formatting Columns using grails.plugin.jxl.builder.ExcelBuilder - grails

Question

I have a working report that results in an Emailed spreadsheet.
I want columns to be sized correctly (or to be close, based on known conditions) and for formats (currency for example) to match requirements. The searches I have done haven't gotten me anywhere, but I am a newbie.
My Controller (simplified):
def myReport = {
def destEmail = 'whositz#domain.com'
def reportDate
if(params?.reportDate){
reportDate = params.reportDate
} else {
reportDate = new Date()
}
myReportService.execute(reportEmail, reportDate)
}
The Service (also simplified):
import grails.plugin.jxl.builder.ExcelBuilder
import groovy.sql.Sql
import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext
import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware
#Mixin(ExcelBuilder)
class myReportService implements ApplicationContextAware {
ApplicationContext applicationContext
def mailService
def dataSource
def execute(String sendToEmail, Date reportDate){
if(!mailService) {
mailService = applicationContext.getBean('mailService')
}
String path = "/tmp/someReport.xls"
String reportTitle = reportDate.format('yy.MM')+ ".thisReport"
def sql = new Sql(dataSource)
def sqlText = """
SELECT ys.acct_num AS ACCTNUM, ys.st_name as ACCTNAME, SUM(i.amt_due) AS AMTDUE
FROM invoice i, yax_sax ys
WHERE ys.ss_it = true
AND i.acct_id=ys.id
AND i.is_on=true
GROUP BY ys.acct_num, ys.sort_name
ORDER BY ys.acct_num
"""
try {
workbook(path){
sheet(reportTitle){
def rowIdx = 0
cell(0,rowIdx,"Acct #")
cell(1,rowIdx,"Acct Name")
cell(2,rowIdx,"Amt Due")
cell(3,rowIdx,"Trans ID") //Trans Id is a blank field
rowIdx++
sql.eachRow(sqlText,[]){ row ->
cell(0,rowIdx, row.ACCTNUM)
cell(1,rowIdx, row.ACCTNAME)
cell(2,rowIdx, row.AMTDUE)
cell(3,rowIdx, "")
rowIdx++
}
}
}
} catch (Throwable e) {
e.printStackTrace()
throw (e)
} finally {
sql.close()
}
mailService.sendMail {
multipart true
to sendToEmail
subject "An Report for $reportDate"
body '''
Report Attached.
'''
attachBytes "someReport.xls",'application/pdf', new File(path).readBytes()
}
}
I would appreciate responses on my question as well as ways I can better format questions in order to get responses.

Answer 1

When using the plugin DSL (workbook, sheet, cell) you are basically calling methods from grails.plugin.jxl.builder.ExcelBuilder.
The ExcelBuilder#cell() method return a grails.plugin.jxl.Cell object which you can use for further manipulation of the cell format and features. The plugins offers some built-in formatting methods which are document here. However you can apply further formatting by manipulating the underlying JXL object.
For example, you can do the following for having a cell with currency format:
Controller code
class ReportController {
def reportService
def index() {
response.setContentType('application/vnd.ms-excel')
response.setHeader('Content-Disposition', 'Attachment;Filename="example.xls"')
reportService.execute(response.outputStream)
}
}
Service code
import grails.plugin.jxl.Cell
import grails.plugin.jxl.builder.ExcelBuilder
import jxl.write.NumberFormats
import jxl.write.WritableCellFormat
#Mixin(ExcelBuilder)
class ReportService {
def execute(OutputStream outputStream){
String reportTitle = new Date().format('yy.MM')+ ".thisReport"
try {
workbook(outputStream){
sheet(reportTitle){
cell(0, 0, "Currency Example")
Cell myCell = cell(0,1, 1000)
WritableCellFormat currencyFormat = new WritableCellFormat(NumberFormats.ACCOUNTING_FLOAT);
myCell.format = currencyFormat
}
}
} catch (Throwable e) {
e.printStackTrace()
throw (e)
}
}
}

Answer 2

this works for me, using the mixin, and grails 2.3.5.
def setColWidth(def sheet, def col, def width){
CellView cv = sheet.getColumnView(col);
cv.setSize(width * 256 + 100); /* Every character is 256 units wide, so scale it. */
sheet.setColumnView(col, cv);
}
def setColWidths(def sheet){
setColWidth(sheet, 0, 16)
setColWidth(sheet, 1, 14)
setColWidth(sheet, 2, 14)
setColWidth(sheet, 5, 14)
setColWidth(sheet, 6, 14)
setColWidth(sheet, 7, 14)
setColWidth(sheet, 10, 20)
}