Add gradient fill support to resolve EPPlus color reading limitations#1721
Draft
Add gradient fill support to resolve EPPlus color reading limitations#1721
Conversation
Author
|
@dfinke 👋 This repository doesn't have Copilot instructions. With Copilot instructions, I can understand the repository better, work faster and produce higher quality PRs. I can generate a .github/copilot-instructions.md file for you automatically. Click here to open a pre-filled issue and assign it to me. I'll write the instructions, and then tag you for review. |
Co-authored-by: dfinke <67258+dfinke@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot
AI
changed the title
[WIP] Issue with Gradients
Add gradient fill support to resolve EPPlus color reading limitations
Sep 22, 2025
This file contains hidden or bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
Sign up for free
to join this conversation on GitHub.
Already have an account?
Sign in to comment
Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.This suggestion is invalid because no changes were made to the code.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is closed.Suggestions cannot be applied while viewing a subset of changes.Only one suggestion per line can be applied in a batch.Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.Applying suggestions on deleted lines is not supported.You must change the existing code in this line in order to create a valid suggestion.Outdated suggestions cannot be applied.This suggestion has been applied or marked resolved.Suggestions cannot be applied from pending reviews.Suggestions cannot be applied on multi-line comments.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is queued to merge.Suggestion cannot be applied right now. Please check back later.
This PR adds comprehensive gradient fill support to ImportExcel, addressing the EPPlus 4.x limitation where gradient colors can be set but cannot be read back, preventing gradient copying workflows.
Problem
Users reported (issue #1720) that while gradient colors could be set using EPPlus:
Reading back the values failed:
This made it impossible to copy gradients between cells, as the color information was lost.
Solution
Added three new functions that work around EPPlus limitations:
Set-ExcelGradientFillClean interface for applying gradient fills with full parameter validation:
Get-ExcelGradientFillReads gradient properties that can be reliably extracted from EPPlus:
Copy-ExcelGradientFillEnables gradient copying via two approaches:
Key Features
Files Added/Modified
Public/Set-ExcelGradientFill.ps1- New gradient setting functionPublic/Get-ExcelGradientFill.ps1- New gradient reading functionPublic/Copy-ExcelGradientFill.ps1- New gradient copying function__tests__/GradientFill.tests.ps1- Comprehensive test suiteGRADIENT_GUIDE.md- Detailed usage documentationImportExcel.psd1- Updated to export new functionsREADME.md- Added gradient feature documentationThe solution transforms an impossible workflow into a straightforward process while maintaining clear communication about underlying EPPlus limitations.
Fixes #1720.
💡 You can make Copilot smarter by setting up custom instructions, customizing its development environment and configuring Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn more Copilot coding agent tips in the docs.