Convert RST to XLSX

Why Convert RST to XLSX?

Converting reStructuredText (RST) documents to Excel XLSX format allows you to extract tabular data from documentation into a spreadsheet for analysis, reporting, or sharing with business stakeholders who work primarily with Excel.

Technical documentation often contains valuable data in table format - configuration options, API parameters, feature matrices, pricing tables, and more. Converting to XLSX makes this data immediately usable in Excel's powerful analysis tools, with the ability to sort, filter, create charts, and perform calculations.

The conversion is particularly valuable for bridging the gap between development teams and business units. While developers maintain documentation in RST for Sphinx, business analysts and managers can work with the same data in familiar Excel format for presentations, reports, and decision-making.

XLSX files support rich formatting that can make data more presentable than plain RST tables. Headers can be styled, cells can have borders and colors, and columns can be auto-sized for optimal readability in spreadsheet applications.

Key Benefits of Converting RST to XLSX:

• Business Compatibility: Share data with non-technical stakeholders
• Data Analysis: Use Excel's formulas, pivot tables, and charts
• Filtering/Sorting: Quickly explore large datasets
• Visual Formatting: Professional presentation with colors and styles
• Easy Editing: Update data without markup knowledge
• Report Generation: Create charts and visualizations
• Data Validation: Check data integrity with Excel tools

Practical Examples

Example 1: Configuration Options

Input RST file (config.rst):

Configuration Options
=====================

+----------------+----------+-------------------------+
| Option         | Default  | Description             |
+================+==========+=========================+
| debug          | false    | Enable debug logging    |
+----------------+----------+-------------------------+
| max_connections| 100      | Maximum DB connections  |
+----------------+----------+-------------------------+
| timeout        | 30       | Request timeout (sec)   |
+----------------+----------+-------------------------+
| cache_size     | 1024     | Cache size in MB        |
+----------------+----------+-------------------------+

Output XLSX file structure:

Sheet: Configuration Options
    A               B           C
1   Option          Default     Description
2   debug           false       Enable debug logging
3   max_connections 100         Maximum DB connections
4   timeout         30          Request timeout (sec)
5   cache_size      1024        Cache size in MB

[Header row formatted with bold and background color]

Example 2: API Endpoints Reference

Input RST file (api.rst):

API Endpoints
=============

+---------+------------------+--------+----------------+
| Method  | Endpoint         | Auth   | Description    |
+=========+==================+========+================+
| GET     | /api/users       | Yes    | List all users |
+---------+------------------+--------+----------------+
| POST    | /api/users       | Yes    | Create user    |
+---------+------------------+--------+----------------+
| GET     | /api/users/{id}  | Yes    | Get user by ID |
+---------+------------------+--------+----------------+
| PUT     | /api/users/{id}  | Yes    | Update user    |
+---------+------------------+--------+----------------+
| DELETE  | /api/users/{id}  | Admin  | Delete user    |
+---------+------------------+--------+----------------+

Output XLSX file structure:

Sheet: API Endpoints
    A        B                C       D
1   Method   Endpoint         Auth    Description
2   GET      /api/users       Yes     List all users
3   POST     /api/users       Yes     Create user
4   GET      /api/users/{id}  Yes     Get user by ID
5   PUT      /api/users/{id}  Yes     Update user
6   DELETE   /api/users/{id}  Admin   Delete user

[Filterable columns, conditional formatting for Auth]

Example 3: Feature Comparison Matrix

Input RST file (features.rst):

Feature Comparison
==================

+------------------+------+-----+-----------+
| Feature          | Free | Pro | Enterprise|
+==================+======+=====+===========+
| Basic Support    | Yes  | Yes | Yes       |
+------------------+------+-----+-----------+
| API Access       | No   | Yes | Yes       |
+------------------+------+-----+-----------+
| Custom Branding  | No   | No  | Yes       |
+------------------+------+-----+-----------+
| SLA Guarantee    | No   | No  | Yes       |
+------------------+------+-----+-----------+
| Price (Monthly)  | $0   | $29 | $199      |
+------------------+------+-----+-----------+

Output XLSX file structure:

Sheet: Feature Comparison
    A               B       C       D
1   Feature         Free    Pro     Enterprise
2   Basic Support   Yes     Yes     Yes
3   API Access      No      Yes     Yes
4   Custom Branding No      No      Yes
5   SLA Guarantee   No      No      Yes
6   Price (Monthly) $0      $29     $199

[Conditional formatting: Yes=green, No=red]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What RST content converts to XLSX?

A: Tables in RST (both grid and simple tables) are extracted and converted to Excel worksheets. Each table can become a separate sheet or all tables can be combined. Non-table content (paragraphs, code blocks, etc.) is typically not included in XLSX output.

Q: Will Excel formulas be created?

A: The basic conversion extracts data as static values. Excel formulas are not automatically generated since RST tables contain text, not formula definitions. However, once in Excel, you can easily add formulas to perform calculations on the data.

Q: How are merged cells handled?

A: RST grid tables with spanning cells convert to merged cells in Excel where possible. Simple RST tables don't support cell spanning, so they convert to regular Excel cells. Complex merge patterns may need manual adjustment.

Q: Can I open XLSX in Google Sheets?

A: Yes! Google Sheets fully supports XLSX format. You can upload the converted file directly to Google Drive and open it in Sheets. Most formatting and data will be preserved, though some advanced Excel features may differ.

Q: What about LibreOffice Calc?

A: LibreOffice Calc has excellent XLSX support. The converted files open correctly with proper formatting, data types, and structure. LibreOffice can also save back to XLSX format for sharing with Excel users.

Q: How do I process XLSX in Python?

A: Use openpyxl for reading/writing XLSX files, or pandas for data analysis: `df = pd.read_excel('file.xlsx')`. For creating styled XLSX files, xlsxwriter offers extensive formatting options.

Q: Are there file size limitations?

A: XLSX files can handle up to 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns per worksheet. For typical documentation tables, this is far more than enough. Very large tables convert without issues.

Q: Can I convert XLSX back to RST?

A: Yes, though it requires additional tooling. You can use Python with pandas to read Excel data and generate RST table syntax, or use Pandoc with appropriate input formats. This is useful for maintaining documentation from spreadsheet data.