The scripting language for L4X directs how L4X filters text into a copy of the worksheet containing the script. The L4X scripting language extends Lua 4.0 with reserved tables that define how text-strings may be selected, converted and conditioned before output to a formatted Excel worksheet.

An L4X script is saved as a cell "comment" in a worksheet within a workbook. Only one script is allowed per worksheet but a workbook may contain as many scripts as there are worksheets.You may format a "scripted" workbook as you require and add formulae, charts, pictures, notes and word-art. The L4X filter imports text into the worksheet that contains the script, in a copy of the workbook that contains this worksheet. All formats and formulae in the "scripted" workbook will be preserved. Formulae with references to particular locations are adjusted to refer instead to the locations containing the imported text.

For more detailed information, please see: the L4X languange manual (PDF).

An L4X script specifies neither the name of the text-file nor the name of the workbook. These input and output files are opened automatically by the L4X filter when the script is run. The simplest possible L4X script directs the filter to read all (non-blank) lines from the input text-file and write them to successive cells of column A in the output worksheet:

-- An L4X script must begin with a comment (--) line
-- No other language statements are required!

Of course, L4X can perform more complex imports. The following script reads the first 10 text characters, from all lines of text in the input file, and writes them to successive cells of column A, beginning at row 1 of the output worksheet:

-- begin each script with a comment line
Column.A = {pos=1, len=10}

A script may specify that the text-strings are read only from selected lines within selected pages. The following script selects lines of text beginning at line 10 from every page of the input file, and writes text-strings read from the selected lines to successive cells of columns A and B, beginning at row 3 of the output worksheet:

-- another script
Column.Source = {fromline=10, toline=-1, frompage=1, topage=-1}
Column.A = {pos=1, len=10}
Column.B = {pos=21,len=20}
Sheet.Out.row = 3 -- the "first" row

The last statement in the script above assigns a value to field: row of the Sheet.Out table which specifies the first row of the worksheet where text read by Column.A and Column.B will be written.

For more detailed information, please see: the L4X languange manual (PDF).