The Problem (Q-score 3, ranked #190th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2013
I am trying to read an Excel file in Ruby On Rails.
I have done coding like this for reading the cell content from the Excel sheet.
def test
require 'rubygems'
require 'iconv'
require 'roo'
s = Excel.new("C:/Sites/hmmsapp/Book1.xls")
s.default_sheet = s.sheets.first
1.upto(4) do |line|
roll = s.cell(line,'A')
puts "#{roll} -------------"
end
end
But on running this it always gives me this error.
NameError in HostelController#test
uninitialized constant HostelController::Excel
I have also included iconv as per suggestions for this problem. But there is no change in error.
Please give some light to removing this error & to read the excel file properly.
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds solid answer (above median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+11)
Verbal answer — walkthrough without a code block
Note: the verified answer is a prose walkthrough. If you need a runnable sample, check Excel VBA entries ranked in the top 10 of the same archive.
Try Roo::Excel.new
Or Roo::Spreadsheet.new
When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)
Ranked #190th in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 97% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2013 and 2026
The answer is 13 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.