What’s ExcelReader
ExcelReader is a plugin for the JetBrains platform. It can parse files in three formats of xls, xlsx, csv in most editors of JetBrains, and supports more powerful data filtering functions.
Why this project
Everything some that originated on July 27, 2020 one afternoon. My job at that time required working with very large amounts of Excel data in the IDE. I was mostly using Office at that time. however, I wasn’t going to do anything complex with Excel, just want to preview the contents of the file, but Office was too heavyweight. Window switching frustrated me. So the idea of writing an add-in was born. So this project was born.
Some interesting history
Initial Design Challenges
I remember at the very beginning, what I wanted was to put the data view into the Editor area instead of the ToolWindow area, just like the DataGrip. But I couldn’t do that due to the limitations of the technology at the time, so I ended up putting it in the ToolWindow area.
Design Philosophy
However, with my current vision, I insist that putting it in the ToolWindow area is a better option. Because, this plugin is not a professional data processing tool. So it shouldn’t occupy the main Editor area, it’s just an auxiliary tool to provide more help when necessary.
User Feedback & Evolution
During the first year or two of ExcelReader’s release, I would receive feedback from users who thought it would be nice to support data writing. So finally, in February 2022, I started the development of the ExcelEditor project, an advanced version of ExcelReader.
Development Challenges
But unfortunately, I don’t have much time to spend on these projects. I spent a lot of time in the early stages of the project because I needed to learn how to implement these features. I will have a fixed time each week to develop the ExcelEditor project.
Pricing Strategy
ExcelEditor retails for $3.90, which I think is moderately priced; it’s not cheap, but it’s not expensive either. I think it depends more on how well it can help you.
ExcelEditor
ExcelEditor is a plugin for the JetBrains platform. It can parse files in three formats of xls, xlsx, csv in most editors of JetBrains, and supports more powerful data filtering functions.
Development Challenges
Let’s go back to ExcelReader. honestly, I didn’t even think that this plugin would become so popular, I remember a time when I didn’t pay attention to this plugin at all, but by the time I did, he already had more than 500K downloads. Until the year 2025… , I forget what month it was. Anyway, it crossed 1 million downloads.
Conclusion
What exciting news. I think a million downloads is more than just a number, it’s the trust and choice of countless developers, and I’m really grateful to everyone who has downloaded and used ExcelReader, the contributors who have provided valuable feedback to help the plugin grow. And my family, who have helped me a lot as well. Anyway, thank you all.