Excel VBA development, rebuilt for CLI-first humans and AI agents.
Official Documentation
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:surfing_man: xlflow
xlflow is an Excel VBA development framework for the AI agent era.
It turns .xlsm workbooks, .xlam Excel add-ins, and .xlsb Excel Binary Workbooks into a source-controlled, CLI-driven development workflow where VBA can be exported, edited, linted, imported, tested, and executed from the command line.
> [!TIP]
> Think of xlflow as a development harness around Excel VBA: it does not replace Excel, but it makes Excel VBA projects much easier to operate from terminals, scripts, CI-like local checks, and AI coding agents.
Demo
These samples were created by an AI agent using xlflow with only minimal natural language instructions.
<img src="docs/images/world-news.png" width="100%" />
Macro that summarizes world news in Excel using NewsAPI
<img src="docs/images/stock-price.png" width="100%" />
Macro that retrieves stock prices and displays them in Excel
<img src="docs/images/gen-qrcode.png" width="100%" />
Macro that generates QR codes using cell colors and displays them in Excel
<img src="docs/images/tetris.gif" width="100%" />
Macro that allows playing Tetris within Excel
<img src="docs/images/space-invader.gif" width="100%" />
Macro that allows playing Space Invader on a UserForm
<img src="docs/images/calendar-picker.png" width="100%" />
Rich calendar picker
<img src="docs/images/legal_viewer.jpg" width="100%" />
Legal Act Data Search Tool
<img src="docs/images/maze-big.gif" width="100%" />
Pac-Man style game
Why xlflow?
Traditional VBA development is still heavily tied to the Excel UI and the Visual Basic Editor.
That works for small manual edits, but it becomes painful when you want repeatable development, source control, tests, diffs, or AI-agent-assisted changes.
| Pain in normal VBA development | What xlflow adds |
|---|
VBA code is trapped inside .xlsm / .xlam / .xlsb files | Export/import VBA as .bas, .cls, and .frm source files |
| UserForms cannot be handled declaratively | Generate UserForms from YAML definitions with xlflow form build |
| Runtime failures are hard to locate | Return structured errors, diagnostics, and terminal logs |
| Workbook changes are hard to review | Compare values, formulas, sheets, and exported VBA source |
| AI agents cannot safely operate Excel through the UI | Provide stable CLI commands and JSON output |
pull → fmt → edit → push → lint → test/run → inspect
What xlflow can do
| Area | Capabilities |
|---|
| Source control | Export and import standard modules, class modules, UserForms, and document modules |
| Formula snapshots | Extract worksheet formulas and defined names into region-based JSONL files with xlflow formulas pull or refresh them with xlflow pull --formulas |
| Execution | Run macros from the CLI with typed arguments |
| Testing | Discover and run VBA test procedures |
| Formatting | Conservative, non-destructive VBA formatting for .bas and .cls source files |
| Linting | Catch Option Explicit omissions, Select/Activate, broad error handling, implicit variants, unqualified Excel objects, public module fields, and interactive operations |
| Debugging | Collect terminal logs and return runtime diagnostics |
| Diffing | Compare workbook cell values, formulas, sheet structure, and exported VBA source |
| AI agents | Return stable JSON and install bundled Skills for Codex, Claude, Cursor, Gemini, GitHub Copilot-style agent workflows, and other agents |
| LSP Server | Provides features like code completion, jump-to-definition, and real-time diagnostics |
| VS Code Extension | Graphical user interface for all xlflow operations, offering an enhanced development experience with the LSP server |
Formula snapshots can also be created outside an xlflow workspace:
xlflow formulas pull --src Book.xlsx --out formulas --json
Inside an xlflow workspace, use xlflow pull --formulas --json to refresh formula snapshots after a successful VBA pull.
> [!IMPORTANT]
> xlflow is Windows-first for workbook execution. Workbook operations use Microsoft Excel + COM through the .NET Excel bridge by default on Windows. WSL can be used as the development frontend by delegating Excel-related commands to the Windows installation.
Requirements
| Requirement | Needed for |
|---|
| Windows | Excel COM automation |
| Microsoft Excel | new, init, list forms, inspect form, form snapshot, form build, form export-image, pull, push, run, export-image, edit, test, macros, doctor |
| Trust access to the VBA project object model | Reading and writing VBA projects |
> [!NOTE]
> Commands that do not require Excel COM, such as lint, fmt, formulas pull, parts of diff, and Go unit tests, can be verified in non-Excel environments.
> [!NOTE]
> xlflow uses the .NET bridge for Excel COM operations. The legacy PowerShell bridge was removed in v0.16.0; supported bridge modes are auto and dotnet.
> [!WARNING]
> In Excel, enable Trust access to the VBA project object model before using commands that read or write VBA code. Without it, pull, push, run, and related commands may fail even when Excel itself is installed.
>
> Details
> In Excel options, please enable "Trust Center" → "Macro Settings" → "Trust access to the VBA project object model".
> 
Installation
Quick install
For the fastest path for humans and AI agents:
irm https://harumiweb.github.io/xlflow/install.ps1 | iex
Uninstall
Use the same script in file mode when you want to remove the PATH entry and the %LOCALAPPDATA%\xlflow installation directory:
irm https://harumiweb.github.io/xlflow/install.ps1 -OutFile .\install.ps1
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\install.ps1 -Action uninstall
winget
winget install HarumiWeb.Xlflow
Use upgrade to update an existing installation:
winget upgrade HarumiWeb.Xlflow
> [!NOTE]
> winget availability may lag behind a GitHub Release while the manifest is submitted and accepted upstream.
> Use the installer script, Scoop, or the GitHub Releases ZIP when you need the newest release immediately.
Scoop
scoop bucket add harumiweb https://github.com/harumiWeb/scoop-bucket
scoop install xlflow
GitHub Releases
Download prebuilt Windows and Linux x64 binaries from:
https://github.com/harumiWeb/xlflow/releases
> [!IMPORTANT]
> Commands that interact with workbooks still require Microsoft Excel, Excel COM automation, and Trust access to the VBA project object model on Windows.
> The Windows release ZIP includes both xlflow.exe and xlflow-excel-bridge.exe. Workbook-backed commands use the bundled .NET bridge in auto mode.
> The Linux x64 archive contains the WSL/frontend CLI only and does not include the Windows .NET bridge.
> Release artifacts are built natively per OS because xlflow uses CGO for VBA source parsing: Windows releases use MSYS2 UCRT64 GCC, and Linux releases use the native Ubuntu GCC toolchain.
> [!WARNING]
> xlflow-excel-bridge.exe avoids PowerShell execution policy, but it can still be blocked by AppLocker, WDAC, Defender or EDR policy, antivirus reputation, or unsigned-executable rules. The published checksum and GitHub attestation verify artifact integrity and provenance; they do not provide Windows Authenticode signing.
Verify the downloaded Windows ZIP against the published checksums.txt file:
Get-FileHash .\xlflow_windows_x86_64.zip -Algorithm SHA256
certutil -hashfile .\xlflow_windows_x86_64.zip SHA256
The reported SHA256 must match the entry for xlflow_windows_x86_64.zip in checksums.txt.
For the Linux archive, verify xlflow_linux_x86_64.tar.gz against checksums-linux.txt.
> This confirms file integrity against the published checksum file. It does not prove publisher identity and is not a substitute for Windows Authenticode signing.
Verify the GitHub Actions provenance attestation with GitHub CLI:
gh attestation verify .\xlflow_windows_x86_64.zip --repo harumiWeb/xlflow
> This confirms the artifact attestation published for the release artifact. It does not mean the ZIP is Authenticode-signed by a Windows publisher certificate.
Go install
go install github.com/harumiWeb/xlflow/cmd/xlflow@latest
go install may contact the Go module mirror and checksum database configured in your Go environment. For direct source checkout development and CI, treat the Go version declared in go.mod as the supported toolchain source of truth; the repository CI and release workflows resolve Go from that file.
> [!WARNING]
> go install installs xlflow only. It does not install the packaged .NET bridge sidecar xlflow-excel-bridge.exe used by Windows release ZIPs.
> The Windows release archive includes the .NET bridge sidecar. From a source checkout, use task install so both xlflow.exe and xlflow-excel-bridge.exe are installed together.
Verify the installation:
xlflow version
xlflow --help
For development checkout usage:
go run ./cmd/xlflow --help
With Taskfile:
task run -- --help
WSL Development
WSL can be used as the editing and automation frontend while Windows remains the Excel execution backend.
Excel is not started inside WSL; workbook commands are delegated to the Windows xlflow.exe, which then uses the bundled .NET bridge and Microsoft Excel COM automation.
Recommended setup:
- Install xlflow on Windows first, using the installer, winget, Scoop, or the Windows release ZIP.
- Install the WSL frontend from a WSL shell:
curl -fsSL https://harumiweb.github.io/xlflow/install.sh | sh
- Keep xlflow projects under a Windows-mounted path such as
/mnt/c/dev/my-vba-project.
> [!WARNING]
> Projects under WSL-only paths such as /home/user/project are not supported for delegated Excel automation because Windows Excel and COM need a Windows-visible workbook path.
Run diagnostics from WSL before starting work:
xlflow doctor --json
Use xlflow doctor --workbook --json when you also want to verify that Windows Excel can open the configured workbook.
If the Windows executable is not discoverable from WSL, point xlflow at it explicitly:
export XLFLOW_WINDOWS_EXE='C:\Users\you\AppData\Local\xlflow\xlflow.exe'
For day-to-day macro development, use a session so Excel stays open across the edit loop:
xlflow session start --json
xlflow push --fast --session --no-save --json
xlflow run Main.Run --session --json
xlflow inspect cell --sheet Sheet1 --address A1 --session --json
xlflow save --session --json
xlflow session stop --json
If run, test, or bridge cleanup returns while Excel/VBA may still be active,
xlflow quarantines the workbook. Follow-up workbook commands return
workbook_recovery_required; --wait does not bypass it. Use
xlflow status --json, then recover with session stop --discard, matching
process cleanup, or xlflow recovery clear.
Source-only commands such as lint, fmt, analyze, and diff can run locally in WSL. Excel-backed commands such as new, init, pull, push, run, test, inspect, save, and doctor delegate to Windows automatically.
Quick start
1. Create or initialize a project
Create a new xlflow project and macro-enabled workbook:
xlflow new Book.xlsm
Omit the extension to default to .xlsm, or request an Excel add-in or binary workbook project explicitly:
xlflow new Book
xlflow new MyAddin.xlam
xlflow new LargeModel.xlsb
new automatically pushes the scaffolded VBA modules into the new workbook, so a later pull starts from the same initial source.
Or start from an existing workbook or add-in:
xlflow init Book.xlsm
xlflow init ExistingAddin.xlam
xlflow init ExistingModel.xlsb
init automatically pulls VBA out of the copied workbook into src/, so you can edit source files immediately without a separate bootstrap pull.
Install the AI agent Skill during project creation:
xlflow new Book.xlsm --with-skill --agent codex
Interactive xlflow new and xlflow init render a welcome banner and may check the latest GitHub Release through the GitHub Releases API. Disable that request for one invocation with --no-update-check, or set XLFLOW_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1 to disable it for interactive scaffolding in your environment.
2. Check the Excel automation environment
xlflow doctor --json
> [!TIP]
> doctor is lightweight by default. If you need to prove the configured workbook can be opened, run xlflow doctor --workbook --json.
>
> If pull, push, run, or test fails because of Excel, COM, bridge, VBIDE, or workbook-open settings, run doctor first.
3. Export VBA into source files
xlflow pull --json
Edit the exported .bas, .cls, and .frm files under src/ with your normal editor. When folder mode is enabled, nested directories under each configured source root are mapped to Rubberduck-compatible @Folder(...) annotations during push.
4. Import edited source back into the workbook
xlflow push --json
5. Discover and run macros
xlflow macros --json
xlflow run Main.Run --json
For unattended automation, prefer headless mode:
xlflow run Main.Run --headless --json
If the macro uses XlflowUI.MsgBox or XlflowUI.InputBox, keep the run headless by providing scripted responses. Add --ui-stream when you want realtime dialog visibility in the terminal while preserving JSON stdout:
xlflow run Main.Run --headless --msgbox confirm-save=yes --inputbox customer-name=fallback-user --ui-stream --json
--ui-stream writes lines such as xlflow: ui kind=msgbox id=confirm-save source=default result=yes to stderr and keeps InputBox values redacted by default. When --ui-stream is enabled, the final JSON result also includes the same dialog activity under top-level ui.events.
If the macro intentionally shows file pickers, message boxes, or UserForms, use interactive mode:
xlflow run Main.Run --interactive --timeout 5m --json
6. Lint and test
xlflow lint --json
xlflow test --json
When a test run uses XlflowUI, you can use the same response flags and realtime stream:
xlflow test --msgbox test-confirm=ok --inputbox test-user=alice --ui-stream --json
Common workflows
Letting an AI agent edit VBA
Installing the Skill
When having an AI agent edit VBA using xlflow, it is recommended to install the Skill provided by xlflow into the agent's environment.
xlflow skill install
You can also install it at the same time you launch a project.
xlflow new Book.xlsm --with-skill
If you wish to manage skills using a manager such as vercel-labs/skills, please install the skill as follows.
npx skills add harumiWeb/xlflow/internal/agentskill/templates --skill xlflow
Creating a project
While you can leave the creation of the project itself to an AI agent, it is recommended that the initial project setup be performed by a human.
xlflow new Book.xlsm --with-skill
Letting an AI agent edit
Using the installed skill, please provide instructions for what you want to achieve in natural language.
/xlflow Create a macro that enters "Hello, world!" into cell A1 using VBA
The bundled xlflow skill also teaches agents when to add --ui-stream for headless XlflowUI flows, how to keep stdout JSON-safe, and how to interpret the final human-readable UI section or JSON ui.events payload.
Human-assisted Excel sessions
Use attach when a human has Excel open and you want to validate the active workbook before working with it:
xlflow attach --active --json
> [!NOTE]
> attach is a safety check. It confirms that the active Excel workbook matches the configured excel.path; it does not change the target used by pull, push, or run.
attach, session, runner, list forms, ui button, edit, and new also use the .NET bridge in Windows auto mode.
GUI-heavy macros
Inspect GUI boundaries before deciding whether a macro can run headlessly:
xlflow inspect-gui --json
| Result | Recommended action |
|---|
| No GUI boundaries | xlflow run ... --headless --json |
File picker, InputBox, modal MsgBox, or UserForm detected | Use XlflowUI.MsgBox and XlflowUI.InputBox |
| GUI code wraps core logic | Refactor core logic into parameterized headless procedures |
> [!WARNING]
> Headless automation and modal Excel UIs do not work well together. We recommend using inspect-gui before unattended execution and replacing existing MsgBox or InputBox calls with XlflowUI.
> When XlflowUI.bas is present, bare MsgBox / InputBox calls are rejected during source preflight because VBA can bind them to XlflowUI instead of the built-ins. Use XlflowUI wrappers by default, or explicitly call VBA.Interaction.MsgBox / VBA.Interaction.InputBox for intentional native dialogs.
Runtime-aware VBA branches
New xlflow new projects include src/modules/Xlflow/XlflowRuntime.bas. During xlflow run and xlflow test, xlflow injects a workbook-scoped execution mode marker before user VBA starts, so code can branch without process inspection hacks.
If XlflowRuntime.IsHeadless() Then
Debug.Print "running unattended in " & XlflowRuntime.ModeName()
Else
MsgBox "Running interactively"
End If
run --headless resolves to headless, run --interactive resolves to interactive, and test resolves to test. Plain run falls back to interactive unless the xlflow process environment sets XLFLOW_MODE=interactive|headless|ci|agent|test.
VS Code Extension
To provide what we believe to be the most user-friendly Excel VBA macro development tool, xlflow also offers a compatible VS Code extension.
This extension enables you to access most of the core functionality provided by the xlflow CLI through a graphical user interface.
Furthermore, by integrating with an LSP server, it delivers several valuable features for manual code editing, including:
- Type inference-based auto-completion
- Definition jumping
- Real-time diagnostics
You can install it from the Visual Studio Marketplace.
> [!IMPORTANT]
> Note that the xlflow extension is primarily a wrapper that facilitates calling the xlflow CLI through a GUI.
> When using this extension, you must also ensure to install the xlflow CLI simultaneously.
Command map
| Command | Purpose | Typical usage |
|---|
new | Create a new xlflow project and .xlsm workbook or .xlam add-in | xlflow new Book.xlsm |
init | Initialize xlflow from an existing workbook or add-in | xlflow init Book.xlsm |
doctor | Diagnose Excel, COM, .NET bridge, VBIDE, and optional workbook access | xlflow doctor --workbook --json |
attach | Validate the workbook currently active in Excel | xlflow attach --active --json |
backup list | List rollback-capable workbook backups | xlflow backup list --json |
backup prune | Preview or delete old managed workbook backups | xlflow backup prune --keep-last 20 --dry-run --json |
pull | Export VBA components into src/ | xlflow pull --json |
push | Import VBA source back into the workbook | xlflow push --json |
rollback | Restore the workbook from a saved backup | xlflow rollback --latest --json |
session | Keep the configured workbook open for fast loops | xlflow session start |
status | Show project, source, workbook, and session state | xlflow status --json |
save | Save the workbook held by a session | xlflow save --session --json |
recovery | Verify and clear workbook recovery-required state | xlflow recovery clear --json |
runner | Manage the persistent xlflow runner marker module | xlflow runner install --json |
process | Manage local Excel processes (list, cleanup) | xlflow process list --json |
macros | Discover runnable macro entrypoints | xlflow macros --json |
list forms | Discover workbook UserForms and expected source paths | xlflow list forms --json |
form snapshot | Persist Designer UserForm state as JSON or YAML spec | xlflow form snapshot UserForm1 --out src/forms/specs/UserForm1.yaml --json |
form build | Create a Designer-backed UserForm from a saved spec | xlflow form build src/forms/specs/UserForm1.yaml --json |
form export-image | Export a runtime UserForm to a PNG image | xlflow form export-image UserForm1 --out artifacts/UserForm1.png --json |
run | Execute a macro from the CLI | xlflow run Main.Run --json |
export-image | Export a worksheet range to a PNG image | xlflow export-image --sheet QR --range A1:AE31 --json |
edit | Mutate a live session workbook for setup and tuning | xlflow edit sheet add --name Config --if-missing --session --json |
test | Run VBA tests | xlflow test --json |
diff | Compare workbook content and optional VBA source | xlflow diff before.xlsm after.xlsm --json |
inspect | Inspect saved workbook snapshots or explicit live session state | xlflow inspect range --sheet Result --address A1:F20 --session --json |
lint | Lint VBA source | xlflow lint --json |
fmt | Format VBA source conservatively | xlflow fmt --write --json |
analyze | Analyze runtime-risk patterns without opening Excel | xlflow analyze --json |
check | Run lint, analyze, and doctor as a preflight | xlflow check --keepalive --json |
inspect-gui | Detect GUI interaction boundaries | xlflow inspect-gui --json |
skill install | Install the bundled xlflow Skill for AI agents | xlflow skill install --agent codex |
version | Show the installed xlflow build metadata | xlflow version |
Commands in detail
Detailed command behavior, options, JSON payloads, and troubleshooting notes now live in the documentation site.
Use the README as a quick overview and the documentation site as the source for command-level details.
Configuration
xlflow reads xlflow.toml from the project root.
# Project identity and entry point.
[project]
# Project name used in output messages. Falls back to the workbook base name.
name = "Book"
# Default macro invoked by xlflow run when no positional macro is given.
entry = "Main.Run"
# Excel automation settings.
[excel]
# Path to the workbook, relative to the project root or absolute.
path = "build/Book.xlsm"
# Make the Excel application window visible during automation.
visible = false
# Suppress Excel alert dialogs (e.g. overwrite confirmations).
display_alerts = false
# Excel bridge mode. Valid values: "auto", "dotnet".
bridge = "auto"
# Source tree directories.
[src]
# Directory for standard .bas modules.
modules = "src/modules"
# Directory for class .cls modules.
classes = "src/classes"
# Directory for UserForm .frm files.
forms = "src/forms"
# Directory for workbook document module text.
workbook = "src/workbook"
# VBE component folder support (Rubberduck-style).
[vba]
# Enable @Folder("A.B") annotations and nested source paths.
folders = true
# How xlflow handles @Folder annotations during push.
# Valid values: "update", "preserve", "ignore".
# "update" – rewrite from source directory layout.
# "preserve" – keep existing annotations as-is.
# "ignore" – disable folder annotation read/write.
folder_annotation = "update"
# Automatically assign default folder annotations based on source paths.
default_component_folders = true
# Optional Erl instrumentation. When enabled, push numbers only temporary
# import copies; tracked source remains unnumbered.
# [vba.line_numbers]
# enabled = true
# UserForm source mode.
[userform]
# Where UserForm code-behind lives in the source tree.
# Valid values: "frm", "sidecar".
# "frm" – code is kept inside the exported .frm file.
# "sidecar" – code is split into src/forms/code/.bas.
code_source = "sidecar"
# Release build source filtering. This affects `build` only; `push` and `pack`
# always use the complete source tree.
[build]
# Project-root-relative doublestar globs excluded from `xlflow build`.
exclude = [
"src/modules/Tests/**",
"src/modules/Xlflow/XlflowAssert.bas",
]
# Procedure complexity metrics.
[metrics]
# Project-root-relative doublestar globs excluded from metric collection.
exclude = []
# A value of zero disables that threshold; positive values are strict upper bounds.
[metrics.thresholds]
cyclomatic_complexity = 0
max_nesting_depth = 0
statement_count = 0
source_line_count = 0
branch_count = 0
loop_count = 0
goto_count = 0
exit_point_count = 0
parameter_count = 0
byref_parameter_count = 0
local_variable_count = 0
call_fan_out = 0
# Optional hotspot ranking. A zero top-N or score threshold disables it.
[metrics.hotspots]
procedure_top_n = 0
module_top_n = 0
procedure_score_threshold = 0
module_score_threshold = 0
# Automatic backup retention is disabled by default. Uncomment the section and
# set enabled = true to prune old metadata-backed backups for the configured
# workbook after successful backup-producing push and rollback operations.
# [backup.retention]
# enabled = false
# max_count = 20
# max_age_days = 30
# min_keep = 5
# max_total_size_mb = 2048
# VBA formatter settings.
[fmt]
# Normalize spacing around safe binary operators in xlflow fmt.
operator_spacing = true
# Normalize spacing in safe VBA declarations in xlflow fmt.
declaration_spacing = true
# Normalize VBA keyword casing in xlflow fmt.
keyword_casing = true
# Normalize known VBA/Excel/Office built-in identifier casing in xlflow fmt.
builtin_casing = true
# Source-preflight diagnostic waivers.
[preflight]
# Diagnostics remain enabled and visible when allowed here; only their
# source-preflight blocking effect is waived. Excel/VBE compilation may still fail.
allowed_diagnostics = []
# Static analysis rules.
[lint]
# Disable specific lint rules by diagnostic ID.
#
# Example:
# disabled_rules = [
# "VB006", # Allow public module-level fields in this legacy project.
# ]
disabled_rules = []
# VB020 unused-local-variable warnings are enabled by default.
# Add "VB020" to disabled_rules if a project intentionally keeps scratch locals.
#
# Optional project-wide lint rules. They are disabled by default because
# they can be noisy in projects with callback-heavy or workbook-driven VBA.
# Uncomment individual rules to enable them.
# detect_scope_shadowing = true # VB018
# detect_unused_private_procedures = true # VB021
# detect_nested_with_ambiguity = true # VB027
# Optional local procedure-name constant check (VB044).
# [lint.procedure_name_constant]
# enabled = true
# constant_name = "PROCEDURE_NAME"
# Runtime-risk analysis rules.
[analyze]
# Disable specific analyzer rules by diagnostic ID.
disabled_rules = []
# This exact normalized http://host[:port] allowlist only suppresses VBA246
# plain_http_credentials findings. It does not permit HTTP requests or suppress
# credentials_in_url, authorization_logging, TLS/certificate,
# sensitive_module_constant, or download_and_execute findings.
development_http_origins = []
# Optional dataflow-sensitive analyzer rules are disabled by default.
# Uncomment the following setting to check Function and Property Get return paths.
# detect_function_return_path = true # VBA210
project.entry is used when xlflow run is invoked without a macro name.
[backup.retention] enables automatic pruning after successful backup-producing push and rollback operations. It is disabled by default, affects only backups for the configured workbook, and never deletes invalid or legacy backup entries.
Use [lint].disabled_rules = ["VB007"] when the project intentionally uses dialogs or UserForms and you want to suppress VB007 warnings. This only affects lint output; xlflow run --headless still blocks GUI boundaries. Legacy per-rule booleans such as forbid_interactive_input = false are still accepted for compatibility, but are deprecated.
Syntax safety lint rules for typographic quotes, C-style quote escapes, unclosed or mismatched procedures, and malformed line-continuation underscores are always enabled because they prevent VBE compile dialogs before push or run opens Excel.
Use [analyze].disabled_rules = ["VBA205"] to disable configurable analyzer rules. Analyzer diagnostics VBA101 through VBA106 are always enabled.
xlflow Dedicated Built-in Modules
In new projects, the following helper modules are scaffolded on the workbook side:
src/modules/Xlflow/XlflowRuntime.bassrc/modules/Xlflow/XlflowUI.bassrc/modules/Xlflow/XlflowDebug.bassrc/modules/Xlflow/XlflowAssert.bas
The purpose of each module is as follows:
XlflowRuntime is used for branching execution modes: interactive, headless, ci, agent, and test.XlflowUI wraps MsgBox, InputBox, Application.GetOpenFilename, Application.FileDialog, Application.GetSaveAsFilename, and folder pickers, allowing the same VBA to be used for both interactive and unattended execution.XlflowDebug mirrors XlflowDebug.Log to the terminal during xlflow run / xlflow test while maintaining standard VBA Immediate Window output.XlflowAssert provides workbook-side assertions for scalar equality, strict type-sensitive equality, Null / Empty, numeric tolerances, strings, arrays, Range.Value2, and object identity.
Example:
Dim answer As VbMsgBoxResult
Dim files As Variant
answer = XlflowUI.MsgBox("confirm-save", "Save workbook?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "Orders")
files = XlflowUI.GetOpenFilename("source-files", MultiSelect:=True)
XlflowDebug.Log "running in", XlflowRuntime.ModeName()
In unattended execution, you provide dialog responses via the CLI.
xlflow run Main.Run --headless --msgbox confirm-save=yes --filedialog get-open:source-files=C:\temp\a.txt --filedialog get-open:source-files=C:\temp\b.txt --ui-stream --json
If you want to treat a headless file dialog as "Cancelled," use @cancel.
xlflow run Main.Run --headless --filedialog folder:export-dir=@cancel --json
To introduce bundled helper modules into an existing project, you can use the following commands during bootstrap or as an add-on:
xlflow init LegacyBook.xlsm --with-module
xlflow module install --push
JSON output
Every command can return AI-agent-friendly JSON by passing --json.
The basic envelope is:
{
"status": "ok",
"command": "lint",
"error": null,
"logs": []
}
On failure, status is failed, and error.code and error.message are returned.
{
"status": "failed",
"command": "run",
"error": {
"code": "macro_failed",
"message": "Main Err 5: inputPath is required",
"source": "Main",
"number": 5,
"phase": "invoke_macro"
},
"logs": []
}
> [!TIP]
> AI agents and automation scripts should treat status, command, error.code, and command-specific top-level fields as the primary contract.
workbook_recovery_required is an operational safety failure, not normal lock
contention. Inspect coordination.recovery with xlflow status --json and
follow the returned recovery actions. Force clearing removes only xlflow's
marker; it does not stop VBA or repair Excel state.
Exit codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|
0 | Success |
1 | Validation failure, such as an error-, unknown-, or empty-severity lint/analyze diagnostic (including source diagnostics from check), macro, or test failure |
2 | CLI argument or configuration error |
3 | Operational/environment failure, including busy or recovery state |
> [!NOTE]
> diff returns exit code 0 even when differences are found. Inspect diff.summary.total_diffs to determine whether inputs differ.
>
> Lint/analyze results, or the source-diagnostic portion of check, containing only warning or information diagnostics return exit code 0; inspect the diagnostics in the output to review them. Unknown or empty severities remain blocking and return exit code 1.
License
MIT License. See LICENSE.
Development setup
Use this section when you are developing xlflow from a source checkout and need the full local toolchain, including source-only commands, the Go CLI, the .NET Excel bridge, and Excel COM workflows.
Required tools
| Requirement | Needed for |
|---|
| Windows x64 | Full workbook-backed development and Excel COM verification |
Go version from go.mod | Building and testing the Go CLI |
MSYS2 UCRT64 mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gcc | Building the CGO-based tree-sitter VBA integration used by inspect symbols |
| .NET SDK 8.0 or later | Building xlflow-excel-bridge.exe |
| Task | Running repository tasks such as task install |
| Microsoft Excel | End-to-end workbook commands and release-grade COM verification |
| Trust access to the VBA project object model | VBA import/export, compile, UserForm, run, and test workflows |
xlflow inspect symbols uses tree-sitter-vba through Go CGO bindings. Because of that, a working Windows C compiler is now required when building xlflow from source. Use MSYS2 UCRT64 GCC rather than older TDM-GCC installations.
Install the MSYS2 compiler:
winget install MSYS2.MSYS2
C:\msys64\usr\bin\bash.exe -lc "pacman -Syu --noconfirm"
C:\msys64\usr\bin\bash.exe -lc "pacman -S --noconfirm mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-gcc"
Then build/install from the repository with the UCRT64 compiler selected:
$env:CC = "C:\msys64\ucrt64\bin\gcc.exe"
task install
xlflow --help
xlflow version
If task install produces an xlflow.exe that fails with The specified executable is not a valid application for this OS platform, check the active C compiler:
go env GOOS GOARCH CGO_ENABLED CC
where.exe gcc
This failure can happen when CGO links through an incompatible GCC distribution, for example C:\TDM-GCC-64\bin\gcc.exe. Remove the broken binary, point CC at MSYS2 UCRT64 GCC, and reinstall:
Remove-Item "$env:USERPROFILE\go\bin\xlflow.exe" -Force
$env:CC = "C:\msys64\ucrt64\bin\gcc.exe"
task install
For quick source-only checks while iterating, go run remains useful:
go run .\cmd\xlflow --help
go run .\cmd\xlflow inspect symbols --json
go test ./...
Excel COM verification
Source-only tests can run without Excel, but changes that touch workbook automation, VBA import/export, macro execution, sessions, UserForms, or the bridge need real Windows Excel verification. Before release-grade validation, enable Trust access to the VBA project object model in Excel and install with task install so both xlflow.exe and xlflow-excel-bridge.exe are present in your Go bin directory.
For repeated workbook-backed checks, prefer a session-backed workflow:
xlflow session start --json
xlflow push --fast --session --no-save --json
xlflow run Main.Run --session --json
xlflow test --session --json
xlflow save --session --json
xlflow session stop --json
