Excel-to-JSON

Excel to JSON WPS Add-in - Perfect for WPS Office Users

Welcome to part 4 of our Excel to JSON series! We’ve covered the Web App and Excel Add-in, and today we’re focusing on the WPS Add-in - the ideal solution for users who prefer WPS Office over Microsoft Excel.

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Why Use the WPS Add-in?

WPS Office has gained tremendous popularity, especially in certain regions and among users who appreciate its lightweight, fast, and feature-rich alternative to Microsoft Office. The Excel to JSON WPS Add-in brings the same powerful Excel to JSON capabilities to WPS users:

  • Native WPS Integration: Works seamlessly within WPS Spreadsheets
  • Lightweight Performance: Optimized for WPS’s efficient architecture
  • Cross-Platform Support: Works on both Windows and Linux
  • Cost-Effective: Perfect for users who prefer WPS’s free tier
  • Familiar Workflow: Same intuitive interface as the Excel Add-in

System Requirements

The WPS Add-in is designed for:

  • WPS Office on Windows (latest version)
  • WPS Office on Linux (latest version)

Installing the WPS Add-in

Installation Process

Installing the WPS Add-in follows a side-loading process, which is slightly different from the Excel Add-in:

  1. Visit the Installation Guide: Go to https://wps-workbook-to-json.wtsolutions.cn/publish.html
    • Note: The detailed installation guide is available in Simplified Chinese
  2. Follow the Steps: The guide provides step-by-step instructions for:
    • Downloading the add-in package
    • Installing it in WPS Office
    • Verifying the installation
  3. Access the Add-in: Once installed, you’ll find the Excel to JSON functionality in your WPS interface

Video Guides

For visual learners, there are video tutorials available:

Installation Guide (Simplified Chinese):
Watch the installation video

Usage Demo (Simplified Chinese):
Watch the usage demo

English Usage Guide:
The usage interface is the same as the Excel Add-in, so you can also refer to this English video:
Watch the English usage guide

Using the WPS Add-in

Basic Workflow

The WPS Add-in works identically to the Excel Add-in, making it easy if you’re familiar with either:

  1. Open WPS Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Office and open a new or existing spreadsheet
  2. Access Excel to JSON: Navigate to the add-in from your toolbar
  3. Load Your Data: Choose your preferred method:
    • Select data directly from WPS worksheet using your mouse or keyboard
  4. Configure Settings: Set your conversion preferences:
    • Conversion Mode (Flat or Nested)
    • Header selection (Row or Column)
    • Nested delimiter (Pro feature)
    • Empty cell handling (Pro feature)
    • Boolean format (Pro feature)
    • Date format (Pro feature)
  5. Convert: Click the “Go” button
  6. View Results: Your converted JSON appears in the add-in panel
  7. Save JSON: Choose from multiple save options

Data Source Options

The WPS Add-in offers a straightforward way to input Excel data:

Manual Selection

  • Select specific range of cells from your worksheet using your mouse or keyboard
  • Perfect when you only need to convert a portion of your data
  • Ideal when you want to exclude certain rows or columns

Conversion Settings

The WPS Add-in includes all the powerful conversion options:

Conversion Mode

  • Flat JSON Mode: For simple structures without nesting
  • Nested JSON Mode: For complex, hierarchical data

Header Selection

  • First Row as Header: The first row becomes JSON keys
  • First Column as Header (Pro): The first column becomes JSON keys

Nested Delimiter (Pro)

Customize how nested properties are named:

  • Dot (.) - Default: student.name
  • Underscore (_): student_name
  • Double Underscore (__): student__name
  • Forward Slash (/): student/name

Empty Cell Handling (Pro)

Control how empty cells are handled:

  • Empty String: Converts to ""
  • JSON Null: Converts to null
  • Exclude: Removes empty cells from JSON

Boolean Format (Pro)

Choose how boolean values are converted:

  • JSON true/false: Converts to true or false
  • String “true”/“false”: Converts to "true" or "false"
  • Number 1/0: Converts to 1 or 0

Date Format (Pro)

Control how date values are converted:

  • Number of Days from 1900-01-01: Converts to days since 1900-01-01
  • String, ISO 8601: Converts to ISO 8601 formatted string

Save Options

After conversion, you have multiple ways to save your JSON:

  1. Copy and Paste: Copy JSON from textarea and paste anywhere
  2. Copy to Clipboard: One-click to copy JSON to clipboard
  3. Save to File: Save JSON file directly to your computer

Practical Examples

Example 1: Simple Flat Data

Excel Data:

Name Age Company
John Doe 25 WTSolutions
Jane Smith 30 Microsoft

Steps:

  1. Select the data range
  2. Open Excel to JSON add-in
  3. Select Flat JSON Mode
  4. Click “Go”
  5. Copy resulting JSON

Resulting JSON:

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[
  {
    "Name": "John Doe",
    "Age": 25,
    "Company": "WTSolutions"
  },
  {
    "Name": "Jane Smith",
    "Age": 30,
    "Company": "Microsoft"
  }
]

Example 2: Nested Data Structure

Excel Data:

id student.name student.familyname student.age
1 Meimei Han 12
2 Lily Jaskson 15

Steps:

  1. Select the data range
  2. Open Excel to JSON add-in
  3. Select Nested JSON Mode
  4. Choose dot delimiter
  5. Click “Go”
  6. Copy resulting JSON

Resulting JSON:

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[
  {
    "id": 1,
    "student": {
      "name": "Meimei",
      "familyname": "Han",
      "age": 12
    }
  },
  {
    "id": 2,
    "student": {
      "name": "Lily",
      "familyname": "Jaskson",
      "age": 15
    }
  }
]

WPS-Specific Advantages

Performance Benefits

WPS Office is known for its lightweight and fast performance. The WPS Add-in takes advantage of this:

  • Faster Loading: WPS launches quickly, making it ideal for quick conversions
  • Lower Resource Usage: Uses less system resources than Excel
  • Quick File Operations: Efficient file handling for conversions

Cost Considerations

  • Free Tier Available: WPS Office offers a free version with robust features
  • No Microsoft License Required: Perfect for users who don’t have Office 365
  • Budget-Friendly: Great for startups and small businesses

Linux Support

The WPS Add-in is one of the few Excel to JSON solutions that supports Linux natively:

  • Works seamlessly on popular Linux distributions
  • Perfect for developers and tech teams using Linux
  • No need for virtualization or workarounds

Tips for WPS Add-in Users

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Customize WPS keyboard shortcuts to quickly access the add-in
  • Add the Excel to JSON button to your Quick Access Toolbar

Integration with WPS Features

  • Use WPS’s built-in templates for professional documents
  • Leverage WPS’s charting capabilities for data visualization
  • Apply WPS’s conditional formatting to highlight key data points

File Management

  • Create dedicated workbooks for different types of conversions
  • Use WPS’s file organization features to manage converted data
  • Take advantage of WPS’s cloud integration for sharing

Troubleshooting

Installation Issues

  • Ensure you’re using the latest version of WPS Office
  • Check that you have sufficient permissions to install add-ins
  • Try restarting WPS after installation

Add-in Not Appearing

  • Verify the add-in is enabled in WPS settings
  • Check that you installed the correct version for your OS (Windows/Linux)
  • Try reinstalling the add-in

Conversion Errors

  • Verify your Excel data has at least two rows
  • Check that header row doesn’t contain empty cells
  • Ensure data types are consistent

WPS vs Excel Add-in: Which to Choose?

Choose the WPS Add-in when:

  • You prefer WPS Office over Microsoft Excel
  • You’re working on Linux
  • You want a lighter, faster application
  • You’re using WPS’s free tier
  • You need cross-platform compatibility (Windows/Linux)

Choose the Excel Add-in when:

  • You’re already invested in the Microsoft Office ecosystem
  • You need advanced Excel-specific features
  • You’re collaborating with Excel users
  • You require Office 365 integration

Next Steps

Now that you’ve explored the WPS Add-in, you have a good understanding of the three main user-facing tools: Web App, Excel Add-in, and WPS Add-in. In our next post, we’ll dive into the technical side by exploring the Excel data formats that Excel to JSON supports.

Ready to try the WPS Add-in? Visit the installation guide at https://wps-workbook-to-json.wtsolutions.cn/publish.html to get started!

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