Installation

1. Download and install the Excel Column Validator component from OutSystems Forge.

2. Publish the dependency in your environment.

3. Reference the extension in your application module.

4. Ensure no additional configuration is required, as the component uses the Microsoft OpenXML SDK internally and has no external licensing dependencies.

No external API keys, environment variables, or configuration settings are required.

Configuration

There is no special configuration required after installation.
The component works out of the box.

Ensure the following before usage:

• The uploaded file must be in .xlsx format.

• The expected columns must be provided as a valid JSON array.

• The first row of the first worksheet must contain the header names.

Example of valid JSON input:

["ProgramName", "Code", "Country", "State"]

General Usage Instructions

1. Add an Upload widget to your screen to allow users to upload an Excel file.

2. Store the uploaded file content as BinaryData.

3. Prepare a JSON array containing the expected column names.

4. Call the ValidateExcelColumns action.

5. Evaluate the outputs:

   • If Error is not empty, display the error message.

   • If MissingColumns is not empty, display a validation message and stop processing.

   • If both are empty, proceed with Excel data processing.

Example Flow

Upload File
→ Call ValidateExcelColumns
→ If MissingColumns ≠ "" show validation message
→ If Error ≠ "" show error
→ Else continue with import logic

Behavior Details

• Only the first worksheet is validated.

• Only the first row is treated as the header row.

• Column comparison is case-insensitive.

• Leading and trailing spaces are automatically trimmed.

• The component validates structure only, not row data or data types.

Best Practices

• Always validate Excel structure before importing records into the database.

• Provide clear error messages to users when columns are missing.

• Keep your expected column list centralized in your application for easier maintenance.

• Consider combining this component with row-level validation for complete data integrity.

Limitations

• Supports only .xlsx format.

• Does not validate multiple sheets.

• Does not validate duplicate column names.

• Does not validate data types or empty row values.

This component is designed to act as a first-layer structural validation step in Excel import workflows, helping prevent runtime failures and improving overall data reliability.