npm installed node-xlsx does not provide xlsx.utils. Use the npm 'xlsx' package instead.

[bronius]

Hi - Writing for a friend.. hope it helps someone else.

I was (and am still) mixing up libraries when I found myself banging my head against all examples pointing to npm install node-xlsx and then simply cite xlsx.utils.XYZ, but for me, .utils was not an object. Elsewhere I found this debug snippet:

...
xlsx = require('node-xlsx'),
...
console.log(Object.keys(xlsx));  // not even down to .utils, just main xlsx

Output of this is: [ 'parse', 'build', 'default' ]

Ah hah. So I was in fact using the wrong npm. Instead of node-xlsx I needed just node install --save xlsx and all works as expected. console.log(Object.keys(xlsx)); gives this and .utils gives that. This:

  'stream',
  'parse_xlscfb',
  'parse_ods',
  'parse_fods',
  'write_ods',
  'parse_zip',
  'read',
  'readFile',
  'readFileSync',
  'write',
  'writeFile',
  'writeFileSync',
  'writeFileAsync',
  'utils',
  'SSF',
  'CFB' ]

That:

  'encode_row',
  'encode_cell',
  'encode_range',
  'decode_col',
  'decode_row',
  'split_cell',
  'decode_cell',
  'decode_range',
  'format_cell',
  'get_formulae',
  'make_csv',
  'make_json',
  'make_formulae',
  'sheet_add_aoa',
  'sheet_add_json',
  'aoa_to_sheet',
  'json_to_sheet',
  'table_to_sheet',
  'table_to_book',
  'sheet_to_csv',
  'sheet_to_txt',
  'sheet_to_json',
  'sheet_to_html',
  'sheet_to_dif',
  'sheet_to_slk',
  'sheet_to_eth',
  'sheet_to_formulae',
  'sheet_to_row_object_array',
  'consts',
  'book_new',
  'book_append_sheet',
  'book_set_sheet_visibility',
  'cell_set_number_format',
  'cell_set_hyperlink',
  'cell_set_internal_link',
  'cell_add_comment',
  'sheet_set_array_formula' ]```
Thanks for listening.

[reviewher]

@bronius tell your friend that node-xlsx and xlsx are in fact different projects. It's confusing. Someone else also published js-xlsx on npm so it gets even more confusing.

[bronius]

Ok thanks for validating my observation, psychological framework, and even including a little humor. :D I assure you my friend feels better.