List to XLS Pro

Overview

List to XLS Pro is the ultimate Excel export solution for Bubble applications, enabling you to export any data to professionally formatted Excel spreadsheets with advanced styling, calculations, and formatting options.

Transform your Bubble data into beautiful, structured Excel files with features like automatic calculations, custom formatting, RTL language support, and seamless integration with Bubble's file system - all without requiring external services or complex integrations.

Key Features

• Professional Excel Export: Generate fully formatted .xlsx files with custom headers, styling, and layouts
• Automatic Calculations: Built-in SUM functionality for numeric columns with automatic formatting
• Advanced Styling: Custom header colors, fonts, borders, and text alignment
• RTL Language Support: Perfect support for Arabic, Hebrew, and other right-to-left languages
• Flexible Data Handling: Support for multiple data formats including dates, currencies, percentages, and text
• Column Customization: Custom column ordering, widths, and types for perfect data presentation
• Date Formatting: Intelligent date detection and formatting with custom format support
• Seamless Integration: Automatic file upload to Bubble's file system with generated URLs
• Dual Execution: Works both client-side (browser) and server-side for maximum flexibility

Getting Started

Adding the Plugin to Your App

1. Go to Plugins tab in your Bubble editor
2. Click Add plugins
3. Search for "List to XLS Pro"
4. Click Install

Basic Setup

1. Add the "List to XLS Pro" action to your workflow
2. Configure the data source with your headers and data
3. Set basic properties like file name and styling options
4. Execute the action to generate and download your Excel file

Properties

Data Configuration

Property	Description
Headers	Define your column headers as key-value pairs (e.g., "Name", "Email", "Date")
Data Source	The data to export - can be from repeating groups, custom states, or any Bubble data source
Columns Order	Specify custom column ordering using semicolon-separated column keys
Column Type	Define data types for each column (general, number, date, currency, percentage)
Columns Width	Set custom column widths in characters (single value applies to all, or specify per column)

Export Configuration

Property	Description
File Name	Name of the exported Excel file (defaults to "exported_data.xlsx")
Website Home URL	Your Bubble app's home URL for automatic file upload (server-side only)

Calculation Features

Property	Description
Sum Columns	Specify which columns to calculate totals for (semicolon-separated column keys)
Sum Row Label	Custom label for the totals row (defaults to "Total")

Formatting & Styling

Property	Description
Text Alignment	Set text direction - LTR (Left-to-Right) or RTL (Right-to-Left)
Date Format	Custom date format pattern (e.g., "dd-mm-yyyy", "yyyy/mm/dd", "mm/dd/yy")
Header Background Color	Custom background color for column headers (supports hex, RGB, and RGBA)
Header Bold	Make header text bold
Header Italic	Make header text italic

States

State	Type	Description
success	Boolean	True if the export completed successfully
file_url	Text	URL of the generated Excel file (when uploaded to Bubble's file system)
filename	Text	Name of the generated Excel file
file_size	Number	Size of the generated file in bytes
error	Text	Error message if the export failed

Advanced Usage

Custom Column Ordering

You can control the exact order of columns in your Excel file:

1. Set the Columns Order property with semicolon-separated column keys
2. Example: "Name;Email;Phone;Department;Salary"
3. Columns not specified will be added at the end in their original order

Column Width Customization

1. Single width for all columns: Set one value (e.g., "20")
2. Individual column widths: Use semicolon-separated values (e.g., "15;25;30;20;35")
3. Auto-fit: Leave blank for automatic width calculation based on content

Date Formatting

The plugin intelligently handles various date formats:

1. Automatic detection: Recognizes ISO 8601 dates automatically
2. Custom formats: Use the Date Format property for specific patterns
3. Common formats supported:
   • dd-mm-yyyy (European format)
   • mm/dd/yyyy (US format)
   • yyyy-mm-dd (ISO format)
   • dd/mm/yy (Short format)

Currency and Percentage Handling

The plugin automatically recognizes and formats:

• Currency symbols: $, €, and other currency indicators
• Percentages: Values ending with % symbol
• Numeric calculations: Automatically handles these formats in SUM calculations

RTL Language Support

For Arabic, Hebrew, and other RTL languages:

1. Set Text Alignment to RTL
2. All text, numbers, and dates will automatically align right-to-left
3. Headers and data will display correctly in RTL reading order

Server vs Client Execution

Client-side execution (Browser):

• Generates and downloads files directly to user's browser
• Faster for smaller datasets
• No server costs or dependencies

Server-side execution:

• Processes data on Bubble's servers
• Automatically uploads files to Bubble's file system
• Better for large datasets or complex calculations
• Returns file URLs for use in your application

Use Cases

• Data Analysis: Export filtered datasets for analysis in Excel
• Reporting: Generate custom reports with calculations and formatting
• Data Migration: Export data for backup or migration purposes
• User Data Export: Allow users to download their data as Excel files
• Business Intelligence: Create formatted reports for stakeholders
• Financial Reports: Export financial data with automatic SUM calculations
• Inventory Management: Export product lists with custom formatting
• Customer Data: Generate customer lists with proper formatting
• Sales Reports: Create sales reports with totals and custom styling
• Multi-language Applications: Export data with proper RTL formatting

Integration Examples

Basic Export Workflow

1. Create a button with workflow action "List to XLS Pro"
2. Set headers: "Product Name;Price;Quantity;Total"
3. Connect your data source (repeating group or custom state)
4. Add filename: "product_export.xlsx"
5. Execute to download the file

Advanced Export with Calculations

1. Configure SUM columns: "Price;Total"
2. Set sum row label: "Grand Total"
3. Apply custom styling with header colors
4. Enable RTL if needed for international users
5. Execute to generate formatted report with totals

Automated Export System

1. Use the server-side action for automated exports
2. Set up scheduled workflows to export data regularly
3. Store file URLs in your database for user access
4. Send email notifications with download links

Best Practices

Performance Optimization

• Large datasets: Use server-side execution for better performance
• Column widths: Set explicit widths for consistent formatting
• Data preparation: Clean and format your data before export
• Memory management: For very large exports, consider pagination

Data Quality

• Consistent data types: Ensure consistent data types in your source data
• Handle empty values: The plugin gracefully handles null/empty values
• Date standardization: Use consistent date formats in your source data
• Text cleaning: Clean special characters if needed

Styling Consistency

• Brand colors: Use your brand colors for header backgrounds
• Consistent fonts: Apply bold/italic consistently across headers
• Column alignment: Use RTL for international applications
• Professional appearance: Use appropriate column widths and styling

Troubleshooting

Export Fails or Downloads Don't Work

• Check data source: Ensure your data source contains valid data
• Verify headers: Make sure headers are properly configured
• Browser permissions: Check if browser blocks downloads
• File size limits: Large files may require server-side execution

Formatting Issues

• Column widths: Adjust column width settings for better fit
• Date formats: Specify custom date format if automatic detection fails
• RTL languages: Ensure Text Alignment is set to RTL
• Header styling: Check color format (supports hex, RGB, RGBA)

SUM Calculations Not Working

• Numeric data: Ensure columns contain valid numbers
• Currency/percentage: Plugin automatically handles $ and % symbols
• Column selection: Verify Sum Columns property contains correct column keys
• Data types: Check that source data contains parseable numbers

Server-Side Upload Issues

• Home URL: Ensure Website Home URL is correctly set
• File permissions: Check Bubble's file upload permissions
• Network issues: Verify server connectivity
• File size: Large files may timeout - consider client-side execution

FAQ

Q: Can I export data from repeating groups?
A: Yes, you can export data from any Bubble data source including repeating groups, custom states, database queries, and API responses.

Q: How do I handle different data types in export?
A: The plugin automatically detects and formats dates, currencies, percentages, and text. You can also specify column types for more control.

Q: Can I customize the Excel file structure?
A: Yes, you can customize column ordering, widths, headers, styling, calculations, and file naming.

Q: What's the difference between client-side and server-side execution?
A: Client-side runs in the user's browser and downloads files directly. Server-side runs on Bubble's servers, uploads to Bubble's file system, and returns file URLs.

Q: Can I export very large datasets?
A: Yes, but for very large datasets, server-side execution is recommended to avoid browser memory limitations.

Q: Does it support international languages and RTL text?
A: Yes, full RTL support for Arabic, Hebrew, and other right-to-left languages with proper text alignment and formatting.

Q: How do I add totals and calculations to my export?
A: Use the Sum Columns property to specify which columns should have automatic totals calculated and displayed.

Q: Can I style the headers with colors and fonts?
A: Yes, you can set header background colors, make text bold or italic, and apply custom formatting.

Q: What happens if my data contains special characters?
A: The plugin handles UTF-8 encoding and special characters properly, including international characters and symbols.

Q: Can I automate exports on a schedule?
A: Yes, you can set up scheduled workflows in Bubble to automatically export data at regular intervals using the server-side action.