Working with Books and Worksheets — Add, Delete, Move, Rename

level: basic ／ verified: 2026-10-01 ／ tabs: Node.js・Python・Java・WebAssembly ／日本語

What you want to do

Add, delete, move and rename worksheets within a single book, walk sheets by index, and control which sheet is shown when the book opens (the active tab).

Methods covered

Method	Belongs to	Description
`addWorkSheet(sheetName, position?)`	WorkBook	Adds a worksheet.
`deleteWorkSheet(sheetName)`	WorkBook	Deletes a worksheet.
`moveSheet(sheetName, position)`	WorkBook	Moves a worksheet.
`openWorkSheet(sheetName)`	WorkBook	Opens a worksheet by name.
`openWorkSheetByIndex(sheetIndex)`	WorkBook	Opens a worksheet by index.
`getSheetCount()`	WorkBook	Gets the number of worksheets.
`getSheetNumber(sheetName)`	WorkBook	Gets the sheet number of a worksheet.
`getName()` / `setName(name)`	WorkSheet	Gets / sets the sheet name.
`isActive()` / `activate(isActive)`	WorkSheet	Gets / sets the active tab (the sheet shown when the book opens).

Code

Output:

// sheets.js — add, move, rename and delete sheets, plus index access
const { nodeosbxl } = require("nodeosbxl");

const app = new nodeosbxl.App();
const wb = app.createWorkBook("sheets.xlsx");

// Indexes are 1-based. Open 1..getSheetCount() in order and list the names
const show = (label) => {
    const names = [];
    for (let i = 1; i <= wb.getSheetCount(); i++) {
        names.push(wb.openWorkSheetByIndex(i).getName());
    }
    console.log(`${label} count=${wb.getSheetCount()} [${names.join(", ")}]`);
};

show("[1] after creation:");

wb.addWorkSheet("Summary");                     // position omitted → appended at the end
show("[2] addWorkSheet(Summary):");

wb.addWorkSheet("Orders", 1);                   // position=1 → inserted at the front
show("[3] addWorkSheet(Orders,1):");

wb.moveSheet("Orders", 3);                      // move to position 3
show("[4] moveSheet(Orders,3):");

const ws = wb.openWorkSheet("Orders");
console.log("[5] getName() =", ws.getName(), "/ getSheetNumber(Orders) =", wb.getSheetNumber("Orders"));
ws.getRange("A1:A1").setValue("order data");

wb.openWorkSheet("Sheet1").setName("Details");  // rename
show("[6] setName(Details):");

// --- active tab (the sheet shown in front when the book is opened) ---
console.log("[7] isActive: Summary =", wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").isActive(),
            "/ Details =", wb.openWorkSheet("Details").isActive());
wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").activate(true);  // the other sheets are deactivated automatically
console.log("    after activate: Summary =", wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").isActive(),
            "/ Details =", wb.openWorkSheet("Details").isActive());

// --- delete ---
wb.addWorkSheet("Temp");
wb.deleteWorkSheet("Temp");
show("[8] deleteWorkSheet(Temp):");

wb.save();
wb.close();

// --- reopen and verify ---
const wb2 = app.openWorkBook("sheets.xlsx");
const names = [];
for (let i = 1; i <= wb2.getSheetCount(); i++) names.push(wb2.openWorkSheetByIndex(i).getName());
console.log("[End] sheets:", names.join(", "));
console.log("     Orders!A1 =", wb2.openWorkSheet("Orders").getRange("A1:A1").getValue()["A1"]);
wb2.close();

# sheets.py — same verification as the Node.js sample (pyosbxl)
import pyosbxl

app = pyosbxl.App()
wb = app.createWorkBook("sheets-py.xlsx")

def b(x):
    # render Python's True/False using node-style true/false notation
    return "true" if x else "false"

# Indexes are 1-based. Open 1..getSheetCount() in order and list the names
def show(label):
    names = [wb.openWorkSheetByIndex(i).getName() for i in range(1, wb.getSheetCount() + 1)]
    print(f"{label} count={wb.getSheetCount()} [{', '.join(names)}]")

show("[1] after creation:")

wb.addWorkSheet("Summary")                      # position omitted → appended at the end
show("[2] addWorkSheet(Summary):")

wb.addWorkSheet("Orders", 1)                    # position=1 → inserted at the front
show("[3] addWorkSheet(Orders,1):")

wb.moveSheet("Orders", 3)                       # move to position 3
show("[4] moveSheet(Orders,3):")

ws = wb.openWorkSheet("Orders")
print("[5] getName() =", ws.getName(), "/ getSheetNumber(Orders) =", wb.getSheetNumber("Orders"))
ws.getRange("A1:A1").setValue("order data")

wb.openWorkSheet("Sheet1").setName("Details")   # rename
show("[6] setName(Details):")

# --- active tab (the sheet shown in front when the book is opened) ---
print("[7] isActive: Summary =", b(wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").isActive()),
      "/ Details =", b(wb.openWorkSheet("Details").isActive()))
wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").activate(True)      # the other sheets are deactivated automatically
print("    after activate: Summary =", b(wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").isActive()),
      "/ Details =", b(wb.openWorkSheet("Details").isActive()))

# --- delete ---
wb.addWorkSheet("Temp")
wb.deleteWorkSheet("Temp")
show("[8] deleteWorkSheet(Temp):")

wb.save()
wb.close()

# --- reopen and verify ---
wb2 = app.openWorkBook("sheets-py.xlsx")
names = [wb2.openWorkSheetByIndex(i).getName() for i in range(1, wb2.getSheetCount() + 1)]
print("[End] sheets:", ", ".join(names))
print("     Orders!A1 =", wb2.openWorkSheet("Orders").getRange("A1:A1").getValue()["A1"])
wb2.close()

// sheets.java — same verification as the Node.js sample (javaosbxl)
import com.osboffice.osbxl.*;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

public class Main {
    static WorkBookWrapper wb;

    // Indexes are 1-based. Open 1..getSheetCount() in order and list the names
    static void show(String label) {
        List<String> names = new ArrayList<>();
        for (int i = 1; i <= wb.getSheetCount(); i++) {
            names.add(wb.openWorkSheetByIndex(i).getName());
        }
        System.out.println(label + " count=" + wb.getSheetCount()
                + " [" + String.join(", ", names) + "]");
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        AppWrapper app = new AppWrapper();
        wb = app.createWorkBook("sheets-java.xlsx");

        show("[1] after creation:");

        wb.addWorkSheet("Summary");                     // position omitted → appended at the end
        show("[2] addWorkSheet(Summary):");

        wb.addWorkSheet("Orders", 1);                   // position=1 → inserted at the front
        show("[3] addWorkSheet(Orders,1):");

        wb.moveSheet("Orders", 3);                      // move to position 3
        show("[4] moveSheet(Orders,3):");

        WorkSheetWrapper ws = wb.openWorkSheet("Orders");
        System.out.println("[5] getName() = " + ws.getName()
                + " / getSheetNumber(Orders) = " + wb.getSheetNumber("Orders"));
        ws.getRange("A1:A1").setValue("order data");

        wb.openWorkSheet("Sheet1").setName("Details");  // rename
        show("[6] setName(Details):");

        // --- active tab (the sheet shown in front when the book is opened) ---
        System.out.println("[7] isActive: Summary = " + wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").isActive()
                + " / Details = " + wb.openWorkSheet("Details").isActive());
        wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").activate(true);     // the other sheets are deactivated automatically
        System.out.println("    after activate: Summary = " + wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").isActive()
                + " / Details = " + wb.openWorkSheet("Details").isActive());

        // --- delete ---
        wb.addWorkSheet("Temp");
        wb.deleteWorkSheet("Temp");
        show("[8] deleteWorkSheet(Temp):");

        wb.save();
        wb.close();

        // --- reopen and verify ---
        WorkBookWrapper wb2 = app.openWorkBook("sheets-java.xlsx");
        List<String> names = new ArrayList<>();
        for (int i = 1; i <= wb2.getSheetCount(); i++) names.add(wb2.openWorkSheetByIndex(i).getName());
        System.out.println("[End] sheets: " + String.join(", ", names));
        Map<String, String> v = wb2.openWorkSheet("Orders").getRange("A1:A1").getValue();
        System.out.println("     Orders!A1 = " + v.get("A1"));
        wb2.close();
    }
}

// sheets.wasm.js — same verification as the Node.js sample (wasmosbxl / embind)
// Note (WebAssembly build): load the module first with createOsbxl(createModule).
// osbxl / dto / chart / enums used below are the four namespaces it returns
// (the equivalent of require("nodeosbxl") in the Node.js build).
const app = new osbxl.App();
const wb = app.createWorkBook("sheets-wasm.xlsx");

// Indexes are 1-based. Open 1..getSheetCount() in order and list the names
const show = (label) => {
    const names = [];
    for (let i = 1; i <= wb.getSheetCount(); i++) {
        names.push(wb.openWorkSheetByIndex(i).getName());
    }
    console.log(`${label} count=${wb.getSheetCount()} [${names.join(", ")}]`);
};

show("[1] after creation:");

wb.addWorkSheet("Summary");                     // position omitted → appended at the end
show("[2] addWorkSheet(Summary):");

wb.addWorkSheet("Orders", 1);                   // position=1 → inserted at the front
show("[3] addWorkSheet(Orders,1):");

wb.moveSheet("Orders", 3);                      // move to position 3
show("[4] moveSheet(Orders,3):");

const ws = wb.openWorkSheet("Orders");
console.log("[5] getName() =", ws.getName(), "/ getSheetNumber(Orders) =", wb.getSheetNumber("Orders"));
ws.getRange("A1:A1").setValue("order data");

wb.openWorkSheet("Sheet1").setName("Details");  // rename
show("[6] setName(Details):");

// --- active tab (the sheet shown in front when the book is opened) ---
console.log("[7] isActive: Summary =", wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").isActive(),
            "/ Details =", wb.openWorkSheet("Details").isActive());
wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").activate(true);  // the other sheets are deactivated automatically
console.log("    after activate: Summary =", wb.openWorkSheet("Summary").isActive(),
            "/ Details =", wb.openWorkSheet("Details").isActive());

// --- delete ---
wb.addWorkSheet("Temp");
wb.deleteWorkSheet("Temp");
show("[8] deleteWorkSheet(Temp):");

wb.save();
wb.close();

// --- reopen and verify ---
const wb2 = app.openWorkBook("sheets-wasm.xlsx");
const names = [];
for (let i = 1; i <= wb2.getSheetCount(); i++) names.push(wb2.openWorkSheetByIndex(i).getName());
console.log("[End] sheets:", names.join(", "));
console.log("     Orders!A1 =", wb2.openWorkSheet("Orders").getRange("A1:A1").getValue()["A1"]);
wb2.close();

[1] after creation: count=1 [Sheet1]
[2] addWorkSheet(Summary): count=2 [Sheet1, Summary]
[3] addWorkSheet(Orders,1): count=3 [Orders, Sheet1, Summary]
[4] moveSheet(Orders,3): count=3 [Sheet1, Summary, Orders]
[5] getName() = Orders / getSheetNumber(Orders) = 3
[6] setName(Details): count=3 [Details, Summary, Orders]
[7] isActive: Summary = false / Details = true
    after activate: Summary = true / Details = false
[8] deleteWorkSheet(Temp): count=3 [Details, Summary, Orders]
[End] sheets: Details, Summary, Orders
     Orders!A1 = order data

Notes

Both position and sheet numbers are 1-based. addWorkSheet(name, position) inserts before position (position = 1 means the front). Omitting it (default -1) appends at the end.
The position in moveSheet(name, position) is the "position after the move", with the front being 1.
openWorkSheetByIndex(i) is also 1-based. Combined with getSheetCount() it lets you enumerate all sheets by name (the show() above). When handling a book whose sheet names you don't know, walking it this way is the reliable approach.
getSheetNumber(name) returns the number in the current ordering. The value changes after moveSheet() or deleteWorkSheet().
setName() takes effect immediately. From then on, openWorkSheet() with the new name.
Trying to open it by the old name raises an exception.
activate(true) works exclusively. When you activate(true) the target sheet, the other sheets are deactivated automatically (measured). You do not need to activate(false) the others beforehand.
The active state is kept across save() and reopening.

Caveats