Apache POI xls column Remove

Question

I don\'t find how to remove a column with the Apache POI API.
I would appreciate a sample code or help on this point.

Answer 1

Alan Williamson on the mailing list wrote a small helper for column removal

package org.alanwilliamson.openbd.plugin.spreadsheet;

import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Cell;
import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Row;
import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Sheet;


/*
 * Helper functions to aid in the management of sheets
 */
public class SheetUtility extends Object {


    /**
     * Given a sheet, this method deletes a column from a sheet and moves
     * all the columns to the right of it to the left one cell.
     * 
     * Note, this method will not update any formula references.
     * 
     * @param sheet
     * @param column
     */
    public static void deleteColumn( Sheet sheet, int columnToDelete ){
        int maxColumn = 0;
        for ( int r=0; r < sheet.getLastRowNum()+1; r++ ){
            Row row = sheet.getRow( r );

            // if no row exists here; then nothing to do; next!
            if ( row == null )
                continue;

            // if the row doesn't have this many columns then we are good; next!
            int lastColumn = row.getLastCellNum();
            if ( lastColumn > maxColumn )
                maxColumn = lastColumn;

            if ( lastColumn < columnToDelete )
                continue;

            for ( int x=columnToDelete+1; x < lastColumn + 1; x++ ){
                Cell oldCell    = row.getCell(x-1);
                if ( oldCell != null )
                    row.removeCell( oldCell );

                Cell nextCell   = row.getCell( x );
                if ( nextCell != null ){
                    Cell newCell    = row.createCell( x-1, nextCell.getCellType() );
                    cloneCell(newCell, nextCell);
                }
            }
        }


        // Adjust the column widths
        for ( int c=0; c < maxColumn; c++ ){
            sheet.setColumnWidth( c, sheet.getColumnWidth(c+1) );
        }
    }


    /*
     * Takes an existing Cell and merges all the styles and forumla
     * into the new one
     */
    private static void cloneCell( Cell cNew, Cell cOld ){
        cNew.setCellComment( cOld.getCellComment() );
        cNew.setCellStyle( cOld.getCellStyle() );

        switch ( cNew.getCellType() ){
            case Cell.CELL_TYPE_BOOLEAN:{
                cNew.setCellValue( cOld.getBooleanCellValue() );
                break;
            }
            case Cell.CELL_TYPE_NUMERIC:{
                cNew.setCellValue( cOld.getNumericCellValue() );
                break;
            }
            case Cell.CELL_TYPE_STRING:{
                cNew.setCellValue( cOld.getStringCellValue() );
                break;
            }
            case Cell.CELL_TYPE_ERROR:{
                cNew.setCellValue( cOld.getErrorCellValue() );
                break;
            }
            case Cell.CELL_TYPE_FORMULA:{
                cNew.setCellFormula( cOld.getCellFormula() );
                break;
            }
        }

    }
}