Convert XLSX to Textile

Why Convert XLSX to Textile?

Converting XLSX to Textile markup allows you to transform Excel spreadsheet data into formatted tables that render beautifully in Textile-powered platforms like Redmine and Textpattern. If you manage projects in Redmine or publish content through Textpattern CMS, having your tabular data in Textile format means you can paste it directly into wiki pages, issues, and articles.

Textile's table syntax is particularly well-suited for representing spreadsheet data. The |_. notation clearly distinguishes header cells from data cells, and the pipe-delimited structure maintains readability in plain text while producing properly structured HTML tables. This makes it easy to review table content in source form and see exactly how it will render.

Another advantage of converting to Textile is version control compatibility. Textile files are plain text, so every change to your table data produces meaningful diffs in Git and other version control systems. This is especially valuable in Redmine-based project management where wiki content is tracked alongside code.

Our converter reads the XLSX workbook, extracts data from the first sheet, and generates properly formatted Textile table markup with header cells marked using the |_. syntax. The output is ready to paste directly into any Textile-compatible platform.

Key Benefits of Converting XLSX to Textile:

• Redmine Integration: Paste Excel data directly into Redmine wiki pages and issues
• CMS Publishing: Use spreadsheet data in Textpattern and other Textile-powered platforms
• Clean HTML Output: Textile produces well-formed XHTML tables from simple markup
• Readable Source: Table content remains human-readable in plain text form
• Version Control: Track table changes in Git with meaningful text diffs
• Header Support: Automatic header cell formatting with |_. syntax

Practical Examples

Example 1: Employee Directory

Input XLSX file (employees.xlsx):

Excel Spreadsheet - Sheet1:
+--------+-----------+-------------+--------+
| Name   | Title     | Department  | Ext    |
+--------+-----------+-------------+--------+
| Alice  | Engineer  | R&D         | 1201   |
| Bob    | Designer  | UX          | 1305   |
| Carol  | Manager   | Operations  | 1102   |
+--------+-----------+-------------+--------+

Output Textile file (employees.textile):

|_. Name  |_. Title    |_. Department |_. Ext  |
| Alice   | Engineer   | R&D          | 1201   |
| Bob     | Designer   | UX           | 1305   |
| Carol   | Manager    | Operations   | 1102   |

Example 2: Bug Tracker Summary

Input XLSX file (bugs.xlsx):

Excel Spreadsheet - Sheet1:
+--------+---------------------+----------+----------+
| ID     | Summary             | Priority | Status   |
+--------+---------------------+----------+----------+
| #1042  | Login timeout error | High     | Open     |
| #1043  | CSS misalignment    | Low      | Resolved |
| #1044  | API rate limit bug  | Critical | Open     |
| #1045  | Broken pagination   | Medium   | Assigned |
+--------+---------------------+----------+----------+

Output Textile file (bugs.textile):

|_. ID    |_. Summary             |_. Priority |_. Status   |
| #1042   | Login timeout error   | High       | Open       |
| #1043   | CSS misalignment      | Low        | Resolved   |
| #1044   | API rate limit bug    | Critical   | Open       |
| #1045   | Broken pagination     | Medium     | Assigned   |

Example 3: Server Configuration

Input XLSX file (servers.xlsx):

Excel Spreadsheet - Sheet1:
+----------+----------------+------+-------+-----------+
| Hostname | IP Address     | CPU  | RAM   | OS        |
+----------+----------------+------+-------+-----------+
| web-01   | 192.168.1.10   | 4    | 16 GB | Ubuntu 22 |
| db-01    | 192.168.1.20   | 8    | 64 GB | CentOS 9  |
| cache-01 | 192.168.1.30   | 2    | 8 GB  | Debian 12 |
+----------+----------------+------+-------+-----------+

Output Textile file (servers.textile):

|_. Hostname |_. IP Address   |_. CPU |_. RAM   |_. OS        |
| web-01      | 192.168.1.10   | 4     | 16 GB   | Ubuntu 22   |
| db-01       | 192.168.1.20   | 8     | 64 GB   | CentOS 9    |
| cache-01    | 192.168.1.30   | 2     | 8 GB    | Debian 12   |

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is Textile markup format?

A: Textile is a lightweight markup language created by Dean Allen in 2002. It converts plain text with simple formatting notation into well-structured XHTML. Textile is known for its intuitive table syntax using pipe characters (|) and header cell markers (|_.), and is used primarily in Redmine project management and Textpattern CMS platforms.

Q: Which worksheet is converted from the XLSX file?

A: The converter processes the first (active) worksheet in the XLSX workbook. If your file contains multiple sheets, the data from the first sheet will be extracted and converted into a Textile table. You can reorder sheets in Excel before conversion if you need a different sheet converted.

Q: Are Excel formulas preserved in the Textile output?

A: Textile does not support formulas or calculations. The converter extracts the computed values from formula cells and includes the results as plain text in the Textile table. The formula expressions themselves are not transferred.

Q: How are header rows handled?

A: The first row of your XLSX spreadsheet is treated as the header row. Header cells in Textile are prefixed with |_. (pipe, underscore, period) which renders them as <th> elements in the generated HTML. Data cells use a simple | (pipe) prefix and render as <td> elements.

Q: Can I use the output directly in Redmine?

A: Yes, the generated Textile markup is fully compatible with Redmine's wiki formatting. You can paste the output directly into Redmine wiki pages, issue descriptions, or comments, and the table will render with proper header styling and formatting.

Q: Is cell formatting (bold, colors) preserved?

A: Cell formatting such as bold text, font colors, and background colors from Excel is not preserved. The converter extracts raw cell values. However, after conversion, you can apply Textile inline formatting like *bold* or _italic_ to individual cell content manually.

Q: How are merged cells handled?

A: Merged cells in the XLSX file are unmerged during conversion. The content appears in the first cell position, and remaining cells from the merge are left empty. Textile supports column spans using \N. syntax (e.g., \2. for spanning 2 columns), but automatic span detection is not performed.

Q: How does the converter handle large spreadsheets?

A: The converter processes spreadsheets of any reasonable size. Textile tables can become lengthy with many rows, but Textile renderers handle large tables without issues. For very large datasets, the Textile output remains compact since it uses minimal markup compared to raw HTML.