outputxl

Institutional-styled Excel outputs for survey analysis — one function call, publication-ready tables.

The problem

If you work with household survey data for government agencies or international organizations, you know the cycle: run the analysis in R, export to Excel, then spend hours manually formatting headers, alternating row colors, bolding TOTAL rows, and matching institutional branding. Every deliverable, every time.

outputxl eliminates that step. One function call takes a data frame and returns a publication-ready Excel table with branded colors, alternating rows, auto-detected TOTAL rows, freeze panes, and auto-fit columns.

Installation

# install.packages("remotes")
remotes::install_github("cbido/outputxl")

Quick start

library(outputxl)
library(openxlsx)

df <- data.frame(
  Region = c("North", "Central", "South", "East", "TOTAL"),
  Households = c(5612, 3847, 1891, 1654, 13004),
  Poverty_Rate = c(42.3, 61.8, 55.1, 48.7, 50.6)
)

wb <- sxl_workbook()
sxl_write_sheet(wb, "Poverty", df, title = "POVERTY RATE BY REGION")
sxl_save(wb, "report.xlsx")

The TOTAL row is auto-detected and bolded with a distinct fill. Headers match your chosen palette. Rows alternate. Columns auto-size. Pane is frozen.

Stacking multiple tables on one sheet

sxl_write() returns the next available row, so you can chain tables vertically:

wb <- sxl_workbook()
addWorksheet(wb, "Demographics")

row <- sxl_write(wb, "Demographics", pop_table, title = "POPULATION BY AGE GROUP")
row <- sxl_write(wb, "Demographics", hh_table, start_row = row, title = "HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION")
row <- sxl_write(wb, "Demographics", dep_table, start_row = row, title = "DEPENDENCY RATIOS")

sxl_save(wb, "demographics.xlsx")

Palettes

Seven built-in palettes with verified institutional colors:

Palette	Primary	Accent	Source
un_blue	#009EDB	#FFC20E	UN Brand Identity Quick Guide (2020)
unfpa	#3571A4	#E38A15	UNFPA logo / brand guide
undp	#0468B1	#E5243B	UNDP brand guide
unicef	#1CABE2	#FFC20E	UNICEF brand guide
world_bank	#002244	#F05023	WBG Visual Identity Guidelines (2017)
eclac	#036BAA	#A03030	ECLAC/CEPAL brand assets
neutral	#2C3E50	#E67E22	General-purpose academic

# Switch palettes
styles_unfpa <- sxl_styles("unfpa")
sxl_write_sheet(wb, "UNFPA_Table", df, title = "ANALYSIS", styles = styles_unfpa)

# Or use a custom palette
my_pal <- list(
  primary = "#1B4332", light = "#D8F3DC", white = "#FFFFFF",
  accent = "#D4A373", border = "#CCCCCC", total_fill = "#B7E4C7",
  title_color = "#1B4332"
)
sxl_write_sheet(wb, "Custom", df, styles = sxl_styles(my_pal))

TOTAL row detection

Any row whose first column matches total_keywords gets distinct styling automatically. Defaults catch "TOTAL", "Total", "SUBTOTAL", "Subtotal". Extend as needed:

sxl_write(wb, "Sheet1", df,
          total_keywords = c("TOTAL", "Total", "SUBTOTAL", "Average", "Mean"))

Full workflow example

library(outputxl)
library(openxlsx)

wb <- sxl_workbook(creator = "Research Unit",
                   title = "Household Survey Statistical Annex")

# Stacked tables on one sheet
addWorksheet(wb, "Demographics")
row <- sxl_write(wb, "Demographics", pop_by_age, title = "POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX")
row <- sxl_write(wb, "Demographics", housing, start_row = row, title = "HOUSING CONDITIONS")
row <- sxl_write(wb, "Demographics", vulnerability, start_row = row,
                 title = "ACCUMULATED VULNERABILITY CONDITIONS")

# One-table-per-sheet
sxl_write_sheet(wb, "Poverty_Index", poverty_table,
                title = "MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY BY MUNICIPALITY")

# Different palette for a partner deliverable
styles_wb <- sxl_styles("world_bank")
sxl_write_sheet(wb, "WB_Format", poverty_table,
                title = "POVERTY INDICATORS", styles = styles_wb)

sxl_save(wb, "statistical_annex.xlsx")

API reference

Function	Purpose
sxl_palette()	Get a named color palette
sxl_styles()	Build openxlsx styles from a palette
sxl_write()	Write formatted table to existing sheet (returns next row)
sxl_write_sheet()	Create sheet + write one table
sxl_workbook()	Create workbook with metadata
sxl_save()	Save with confirmation

Background

This package extracts a formatting system originally embedded in large R analysis scripts (~5,000+ lines) producing multi-sheet Excel workbooks for household survey analysis deliverables. Rather than copy-pasting formatting code across projects, it wraps the pattern into a reusable, palette-aware package.

The design was shaped by the needs of social science consultants who produce statistical annexes, dossiers, and analytical reports for government social protection agencies and UN bodies — where institutional branding, consistent formatting, and clearly distinguished summary rows are not optional.

Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome. If you work with a different institutional palette and want to add it, open a PR with the verified hex codes and the source.

License

MIT