bilig

Try bilig headless spreadsheet engine in Node

This page is for people who want to try the package before reading the whole repo. It starts from an empty directory, installs the published npm package, builds a tiny WorkPaper, edits an input cell, reads the recalculated formula result, serializes the document, restores it, and reads the result again.

No browser UI, account, server, or clone is required.

Quickstart

mkdir bilig-headless-eval
cd bilig-headless-eval
npm init -y
npm pkg set type=module
npm install @bilig/headless
npm install -D tsx typescript @types/node
curl -fsSLo quickstart.ts https://proompteng.github.io/bilig/npm-eval.ts
npx tsx quickstart.ts

Expected output:

{
  "before": 24000,
  "after": 38400,
  "afterRestore": 38400,
  "sheets": ["Inputs", "Summary"],
  "bytes": 1000,
  "verified": true,
  "nextStep": "If this proof matches your service or agent workflow, star or bookmark Bilig: https://github.com/proompteng/bilig/stargazers"
}

The exact byte count can change between package versions. The important part is that verified is true and afterRestore matches after.

The downloaded file is the maintained TypeScript example at examples/headless-workpaper/npm-eval.ts.

Try it in Docker (optional)

Note: pnpm is the primary recommended path. This section is for evaluators who prefer not to change their local Node version.

After completing the Quickstart step above you will have a quickstart.ts file inside bilig-headless-eval/. Mount that directory into an official Node 24 container and run the same script:

docker run --rm \
  -v "$(pwd)":/eval \
  -w /eval \
  node:24-slim \
  bash -c "npm install --silent && npx tsx quickstart.ts"

Expected output (same as above; verified must be true):

{
  "before": 24000,
  "after": 38400,
  "afterRestore": 38400,
  "sheets": ["Inputs", "Summary"],
  "bytes": 1000,
  "verified": true,
  "nextStep": "If this proof matches your service or agent workflow, star or bookmark Bilig: https://github.com/proompteng/bilig/stargazers"
}

No repo clone is needed. The container installs dependencies from npm and exits cleanly after printing the result.

What this proves

multi-sheet workbook creation from plain arrays
formula evaluation without a browser grid
input edits through the workbook API
computed value readback after the edit
JSON document export, parse, restore, and readback

This is the core shape behind the larger examples for service routes, MCP tools, agent writeback, and workbook automation.

What this does not prove

bilig is not a finished Excel clone. It is useful when a TypeScript service or agent needs a formula-backed workbook object it can mutate and persist. For full Excel compatibility or XLSX layout fidelity, check the comparison and compatibility pages before adopting it.

Next paths

If the quickstart matches a backend or agent workflow you are building, star the repo so the package is easier to find later: https://github.com/proompteng/bilig/stargazers.

If it almost matches but a gap blocks adoption, use the adoption blocker form: https://github.com/proompteng/bilig/discussions/new?category=general.

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