Document Improvements … (#899)

* Document calculation caching; and how to disable it and how to flush the cache

* Quoted text for string values beginning with `=`, so that they are still treated as strings and not as formulae

* Warning about assigning cells to variables

* Further warning about assigning cells to variables
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@ -34,6 +34,54 @@ $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet()
->setValue('Some value'); ->setValue('Some value');
``` ```
### BEWARE: Cells assigned to variables as a Detached Reference
As an "in-memory" model, PHPSpreadsheet can be very demanding of memory,
particularly when working with large spreadsheets. One technique used to
reduce this memory overhead is cell caching, so cells are actually
maintained in a collection that may or may not be held in memory while you
are working with the spreadsheet. Because of this, a call to `getCell()`
(or any similar method) returns the cell data, and a pointer to the collection.
While this is not normally an issue, it can become significant
if you assign the result of a call to `getCell()` to a variable. Any
subsequent calls to retrieve other cells will unset that pointer, although
the cell object will still retain its data values.
What does this mean? Consider the following code:
```
$spreadSheet = new Spreadsheet();
$workSheet = $spreadSheet->getActiveSheet();
// Set details for the formula that we want to evaluate, together with any data on which it depends
$workSheet->fromArray(
[1, 2, 3],
null,
'A1'
);
$cellC1 = $workSheet->getCell('C1');
echo 'Value: ', $cellC1->getValue(), '; Address: ', $cellC1->getCoordinate(), PHP_EOL;
$cellA1 = $workSheet->getCell('A1');
echo 'Value: ', $cellA1->getValue(), '; Address: ', $cellA1->getCoordinate(), PHP_EOL;
echo 'Value: ', $cellC1->getValue(), '; Address: ', $cellC1->getCoordinate(), PHP_EOL;
```
The call to `getCell('C1')` returns the cell at `C1` containing its value (`3`),
together with its link to the collection (used to identify its
address/coordinate `C1`). The subsequent call to access cell `A1`
modifies the value of `$cellC1`, detaching its link to the collection.
So when we try to display the value and address a second time, we can display
its value, but trying to display its address/coordinate will throw an
exception because that link has been set to null.
__Note:__ There are some internal methods that will fetch other cells from the
collection, and this too will detach the link to the collection from any cell
that you might have assigned to a variable.
## Excel DataTypes ## Excel DataTypes
MS Excel supports 7 basic datatypes: MS Excel supports 7 basic datatypes:
@ -86,6 +134,33 @@ Formats handled by the advanced value binder include:
You can read more about value binders later in this section of the You can read more about value binders later in this section of the
documentation. documentation.
### Setting a formula in a Cell
As stated above, if you store a string value with the first character an `=`
in a cell. PHPSpreadsheet will treat that value as a formula, and then you
can evaluate that formula by calling `getCalculatedValue()` against the cell.
There may be times though, when you wish to store a value beginning with `=`
as a string, and that you don't want PHPSpreadsheet to evaluate as though it
was a formula.
To do this, you need to "escape" the value by setting it as "quoted text".
```
// Set cell A4 with a formula
$spreadsheet->getActiveSheet()->setCellValue(
'A4',
'=IF(A3, CONCATENATE(A1, " ", A2), CONCATENATE(A2, " ", A1))'
);
$spreadsheet->getActiveSheet()->getCell('A4')
->->getStyle()->setQuotePrefix(true);
```
Then, even if you ask PHPSpreadsheet to return the calculated value for cell
`A4`, it will return `=IF(A3, CONCATENATE(A1, " ", A2), CONCATENATE(A2, " ", A1))`
as a string, and not try to evaluate the formula.
### Setting a date and/or time value in a cell ### Setting a date and/or time value in a cell
Date or time values are held as timestamp in Excel (a simple floating Date or time values are held as timestamp in Excel (a simple floating

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@ -43,6 +43,30 @@ inserted 2 new rows), changed to "SUM(E4:E11)". Also, the inserted cells
duplicate style information of the previous cell, just like Excel's duplicate style information of the previous cell, just like Excel's
behaviour. Note that you can both insert rows and columns. behaviour. Note that you can both insert rows and columns.
## Calculation Cache
Once the Calculation engine has evaluated the formula in a cell, the result
will be cached, so if you call `getCalculatedValue()` a second time for the
same cell, the result will be returned from the cache rather than evaluating
the formula a second time. This helps boost performance, because evaluating
a formula is an expensive operation in terms of performance and speed.
However, there may be times when you don't want this, perhaps you've changed
the underlying data and need to re-evaluate the same formula with that new
data.
```
Calculation::getInstance($spreadsheet)->disableCalculationCache();
```
Will disable calculation caching, and flush the current calculation cache.
If you want only to flush the cache, then you can call
```
Calculation::getInstance($spreadsheet)->clearCalculationCache();
```
## Known limitations ## Known limitations
There are some known limitations to the PhpSpreadsheet calculation There are some known limitations to the PhpSpreadsheet calculation