Excel cell comments

The following example shows how to set Excel cell comment with location, text and visibility.

Sample also shows how to format individual characters and words within a comment text.

Comments reading/writing is supported in XLSX and ODS file formats.

Comments formatting is supported only in XLSX.

Screenshot of Excel cell comments set with GemBox.Spreadsheet

Output file type

C#
VB.NET

using GemBox.Spreadsheet;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using Professional version, put your serial key below.
        SpreadsheetInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        var workbook = new ExcelFile();
        var worksheet = workbook.Worksheets.Add("Comments");

        worksheet.Cells[0, 0].Value = "Comment examples:";

        worksheet.Cells[2, 1].Comment.Text = "Empty cell.";

        worksheet.Cells[4, 1].Value = 5;
        worksheet.Cells[4, 1].Comment.Text = "Cell with a number.";

        worksheet.Cells["B7"].Value = "Cell B7";

        var comment = worksheet.Cells["B7"].Comment;
        comment.Text = "Some formatted text.\nComment is:\na) multiline,\nb) large,\nc) visible, and \nd) formatted.";
        comment.IsVisible = true;
        comment.TopLeftCell = new AnchorCell(worksheet.Columns[3], worksheet.Rows[4], true);
        comment.BottomRightCell = new AnchorCell(worksheet.Columns[5], worksheet.Rows[10], false);

        // Get first 20 characters of a string.
        var characters = comment.GetCharacters(0, 20);

        // Apply color, italic and size to selected characters.
        characters.Font.Color = SpreadsheetColor.FromName(ColorName.Orange);
        characters.Font.Italic = true;
        characters.Font.Size = 300;

        // Apply color to 'formatted' part of text.
        comment.GetCharacters(5, 9).Font.Color = SpreadsheetColor.FromName(ColorName.Red);

        workbook.Save("Comments.%OutputFileType%");
    }
}

Imports GemBox.Spreadsheet

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using Professional version, put your serial key below.
        SpreadsheetInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Dim workbook = New ExcelFile
        Dim worksheet = workbook.Worksheets.Add("Comments")

        worksheet.Cells.Item(0, 0).Value = "Comment examples:"

        worksheet.Cells.Item(2, 1).Comment.Text = "Empty cell."

        worksheet.Cells.Item(4, 1).Value = 5
        worksheet.Cells.Item(4, 1).Comment.Text = "Cell with a number."

        worksheet.Cells.Item("B7").Value = "Cell B7"

        Dim comment = worksheet.Cells("B7").Comment
        comment.Text = "Some formatted text. Comment is:" & ChrW(10) & "a) multiline," & ChrW(10) & "b) large," & ChrW(10) & "c) visible, and " & ChrW(10) & "d) formatted."
        comment.IsVisible = True
        comment.TopLeftCell = New AnchorCell(worksheet.Columns(3), worksheet.Rows(4), True)
        comment.BottomRightCell = New AnchorCell(worksheet.Columns(5), worksheet.Rows(10), False)

        ' Get first 20 characters of a string.
        Dim characters = comment.GetCharacters(0, 20)

        ' Apply color, italic and size to selected characters.
        characters.Font.Color = SpreadsheetColor.FromName(ColorName.Orange)
        characters.Font.Italic = True
        characters.Font.Size = 300

        ' Apply color to 'formatted' part of text.
        comment.GetCharacters(5, 9).Font.Color = SpreadsheetColor.FromName(ColorName.Red)

        workbook.Save("Comments.%OutputFileType%")
    End Sub
End Module

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