Excel VBA development, rebuilt for CLI-first humans and AI agents.

GitHub Release WinGet Package Version Scoop GitHub License GitHub go.mod Go version

:surfing_man: xlflow

xlflow is an Excel VBA development framework for the AI agent era.

It turns .xlsm workbooks into a source-controlled, CLI-driven development workflow where VBA can be exported, edited, linted, imported, tested, traced, 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

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` 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 trace 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
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, public module fields, and interactive operations
GUI safety	Detect file pickers, input boxes, modal message boxes, and other automation-hostile boundaries
Debugging	Collect trace events 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

> [!IMPORTANT] > xlflow is Windows-first. Workbook operations use Microsoft Excel + COM + PowerShell.

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`, `trace`, `doctor`
PowerShell	Excel automation bridge
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, parts of diff, and Go unit tests, can be verified in non-Excel environments.

> [!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". > Excel Trust Center macro settings showing the Trust access to the VBA project object model option

Installation

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 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 binaries from:

https://github.com/harumiWeb/xlflow/releases

> [!IMPORTANT] > Current prebuilt distribution targets Windows only. > Commands that interact with workbooks still require Microsoft Excel, Excel COM automation, and Trust access to the VBA project object model. > The release binary already embeds the runtime PowerShell bridge scripts, so xlflow.exe can run workbook commands without sidecar *.ps1 files.

Verify the downloaded 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.

> 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.

Verify the installation:

xlflow version
xlflow --help

For development checkout usage:

go run ./cmd/xlflow --help

With Taskfile:

task run -- --help

Quick start

1. Create or initialize a project

Create a new xlflow project and macro-enabled workbook:

xlflow new Book.xlsm

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:

xlflow init Book.xlsm

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] > If pull, push, run, or test fails because of Excel, COM, PowerShell, or VBIDE 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.

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.

Runtime-aware VBA branches

New xlflow new projects include src/modules/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 " &amp; 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.

Command map

Command	Purpose	Typical usage
`new`	Create a new xlflow project and `.xlsm` workbook	`xlflow new Book.xlsm`
`init`	Initialize xlflow from an existing workbook	`xlflow init Book.xlsm`
`doctor`	Diagnose Excel, COM, PowerShell, and VBIDE access	`xlflow doctor --json`
`attach`	Validate the workbook currently active in Excel	`xlflow attach --active --json`
`backup list`	List rollback-capable workbook backups	`xlflow backup list --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`
`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 strict Designer UserForm state as JSON or YAML spec

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

# 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

# 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"

# Static analysis rules.
[lint]
# Require Option Explicit in every module.
require_option_explicit = true
# Forbid Select / Activate patterns.
forbid_select = true
# Forbid Activate usage.
forbid_activate = true
# Forbid On Error Resume Next.
forbid_on_error_resume_next = true
# Detect implicitly typed Variant variables.
detect_implicit_variant = true
# Forbid public fields in standard modules.
forbid_public_module_fields = true
# Forbid interactive input (MsgBox, InputBox, etc.) in headless runs.
forbid_interactive_input = true

project.entry is used when xlflow run is invoked without a macro name.

Set forbid_interactive_input = false 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.

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.

xlflow Dedicated Built-in Modules

In new projects, the following helper modules are scaffolded on the workbook side:

src/modules/XlflowRuntime.bas
src/modules/XlflowUI.bas
src/modules/XlflowDebug.bas
src/modules/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 is a minimal scalar assertion helper used for workbook-side testing.

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.

Exit codes

Code	Meaning
`0`	Success
`1`	Validation failure, such as lint, macro, or test failure
`2`	CLI argument or configuration error
`3`	Environment error, such as Excel, COM, VBIDE, or PowerShell failure

> [!NOTE] > diff returns exit code 0 even when differences are found. Inspect diff.summary.total_diffs to determine whether inputs differ.

License

MIT License. See LICENSE.

xlflow HarumiWeb

README