Excel Foundry

Excel Foundry

Use this skill as the governance and routing layer for Excel workbook work and related cloud or semantic-model surfaces. Route by user intent first, then by workbook format, surface support, host availability, destructive risk, and secret handling. Prefer the narrowest reference that matches the task, then run the launcher shape <resource> <action> [flags].

Intent Router

• Choose the task lane: load <skills-file-root>/references/task-router.md when deciding whether the task is authoring, package CRUD, existing-workbook edit, desktop Excel, cloud workbook, Office automation, semantic/BI, or preserve-only work.
• Discover support or choose a route: load <skills-file-root>/references/query.md; use workbook capabilities --deep or workbook capabilities --deep --documentation when support level, backend, closure reason, or documentation anchors matter.
• Inspect, audit, compare, or pull arbitrary workbooks: load <skills-file-root>/references/protocol-audit.md.
• Run direct workbook commands: load <skills-file-root>/references/query.md for command groups, flags, and examples.
• Select a backend or host: load <skills-file-root>/references/runtime-compatibility.md before choosing package, desktop Excel, Graph, Office Scripts, Office.js/Add-in, Fabric, or Power BI routes.
• Use manifest or artifact synchronization: load <skills-file-root>/references/protocol-manifest-sync.md.
• Interpret JSON output, reports, or artifacts: load <skills-file-root>/references/output-contract.md.
• Develop or maintain this skill itself: read <skills-file-root>/DEVELOPMENT.md.

Routing Heuristics

• Treat references/excel-capability-matrix.json as the only support ledger. It defines each surface's support level, route, backend lanes, closure reason, host requirements, secret handling, and documentation anchors.
• Treat Python workbook libraries, direct OOXML, desktop Excel COM, Graph, Office-host automation, Fabric, and Power BI as mechanisms selected by the task lane. You SHALL NOT present them as separate top-level workflows when Excel Foundry is governing the task.
• Prefer package routes for package-readable .xlsx and .xlsm workbooks when the target surfaces are package-supported.
• Prefer Python workbook authoring mechanisms such as xlsxwriter or openpyxl for new polished .xlsx workbooks when visual layout, charts, tables, formulas, validation, and formatting matter more than preserving existing opaque workbook internals. Use Excel Foundry inspection and artifacts to govern and verify the result.
• Use desktop Excel routes for .xls, .xlsb, conversion, repair, refresh, VBA, Power Query mutation, connections, pivots, slicers, timelines, rich visual objects, controls, scenarios, Goal Seek, and other surfaces whose matrix route requires the installed host.
• Use Graph, Office Scripts, Office.js/Add-in, Fabric, Power BI, DAX, TMDL, PBIP, and semantic-artifact routes only when the user asks for those hosts or the matrix routes the target surface there.
• When mutation is not publicly safe, return inventory, preservation, diagnostics, a host/cloud execution plan, or a clear limitation. You SHALL NOT invent package mutation for opaque Excel internals.
• Treat tokens, passwords, connection strings, privacy labels, tenant IDs, workbook paths, and workbook contents as sensitive runtime data. Redact secrets from output and keep destructive/cloud operations on explicit --dry-run, --what-if, --apply, or destructive-intent flags as the command requires.

Bundled Commands

• <skills-file-root>/scripts/excel-foundry
• <skills-file-root>/scripts/excel-foundry.cmd
• <skills-file-root>/scripts/excel-foundry.ps1
• <skills-file-root>/scripts/excel_workbook_sync.py
• <skills-file-root>/scripts/excel_workbook_package.py