git-sheets

Version control for spreadsheets - staging, commits, diffs for tables

For Excel sufferers who deserve better

What Is This?

A command-line tool that brings Git-style version control to spreadsheets. Take snapshots of your CSV/Excel data, track changes, verify integrity, and never lose work to a bad macro again.

Core principle: User-triggered, explicit, reversible, local-first, boring by design.

Installation

From Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/CromboJambo/git-sheets
cd git-sheets

# Build and install
cargo install --path .

# Or just build for local use
cargo build --release

# Binary will be in target/release/git-sheets

Prerequisites

• Rust toolchain (stable)
• Git (optional, but recommended)

Quick Start

1. Initialize a repository

# In your spreadsheet directory
git-sheets init

This creates:

• snapshots/ - where table snapshots are stored
• diffs/ - where diffs are saved
• .gitignore - configured for git-sheets
• README.md - usage guide

2. Create your first snapshot

# From a CSV export
git-sheets snapshot sales.csv -m "Initial Q4 data"

# With primary key (column indices 0 and 1)
git-sheets snapshot customers.csv -k "0,1" -m "Customer master list"

# Auto-commit to git
git-sheets snapshot sales.csv -m "Week 1 update" --commit

3. Compare snapshots

# Text format (human-readable)
git-sheets diff snapshots/sales_001.toml snapshots/sales_002.toml

# JSON format (machine-readable)
git-sheets diff snapshots/sales_001.toml snapshots/sales_002.toml -f json

# Git-style unified diff
git-sheets diff snapshots/sales_001.toml snapshots/sales_002.toml -f git

4. Verify integrity

# Check if a snapshot has been tampered with
git-sheets verify snapshots/sales_001.toml

5. View history

# Show all snapshots
git-sheets log

# Show last 5 snapshots
git-sheets log -l 5

6. Check status

git-sheets status

Example Workflows

The "Before Macro" Safety Net

# 1. Export current state to CSV
#    (From Excel: File → Save As → CSV)

# 2. Snapshot before running macro
git-sheets snapshot data.csv -m "Before cleanup macro"

# 3. Run your macro in Excel

# 4. Export again
#    (From Excel: File → Save As → CSV)

# 5. Snapshot after macro
git-sheets snapshot data.csv -m "After cleanup macro"

# 6. See what changed
git-sheets diff snapshots/data_001.toml snapshots/data_002.toml

# 7. If macro broke something, you have proof of what changed

The "Inherited Spreadsheet" Audit

# 1. Snapshot the inherited mess
git-sheets snapshot inherited_horror.csv -m "Received from Bob, 2025-12-15"

# 2. Make your changes carefully

# 3. Snapshot after each logical change
git-sheets snapshot inherited_horror.csv -m "Fixed formula in column D"
git-sheets snapshot inherited_horror.csv -m "Removed duplicate rows"
git-sheets snapshot inherited_horror.csv -m "Added validation column"

# 4. You now have an audit trail showing:
#    - What you received
#    - Each change you made
#    - Why you made it

Key Design Principles

1. User-Triggered Only

• No automatic snapshots
• No background processes
• No hidden telemetry

2. Explicit Actions

• You decide when to snapshot
• You decide what to commit
• You see the diff before accepting

3. Reversible

• Every snapshot is immutable
• Every change can be rolled back
• Full audit trail

4. Local-First

• Your data never leaves your machine
• Git is optional but recommended
• No cloud dependencies

5. Boring by Design

• Simple file formats (TOML, JSON)
• Standard tools (Git)
• No magic

File Formats

Snapshot Format (TOML)

id = "1734307200-abc12345"
timestamp = "2025-12-15T10:00:00Z"
message = "Initial snapshot"

[table]
headers = ["ID", "Name", "Amount"]
primary_key = [0]

[[table.rows]]
row = ["1", "Alice", "100"]

[[table.rows]]
row = ["2", "Bob", "200"]

[hashes]
table_hash = "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855"

[hashes.header_hashes]
ID = "abc123..."
Name = "def456..."
Amount = "ghi789..."

Diff Format (JSON)

{
  "from_id": "1734307200-abc12345",
  "to_id": "1734307300-def67890",
  "summary": {
    "rows_added": 5,
    "rows_removed": 2,
    "rows_modified": 10,
    "columns_added": 1,
    "columns_removed": 0
  },
  "changes": [
    {
      "CellChanged": {
        "row": 3,
        "col": 2,
        "old": "100",
        "new": "150"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Integration with Excel Workflow

Recommended Setup

1. Export to CSV before snapshots

   • Excel: File → Save As → CSV (UTF-8)
   • LibreCalc: File → Save As → Text CSV

2. Use consistent naming

   • sales_data.csv → generates sales_data_<timestamp>.toml
   • Keeps snapshots organized

3. Snapshot at key moments

   • Before macros
   • After major edits
   • Before Find/Replace
   • End of day/week

4. Commit to Git regularly

   • Use --commit flag for auto-commit
   • Or commit manually with git commit

Roadmap

Phase 1 (Current)

• ✅ Core snapshot functionality
• ✅ CSV import
• ✅ Per-header hashing
• ✅ Diff calculation
• ✅ CLI interface

Phase 2 (Next)

• Excel file support (.xlsx)
• Multi-sheet support
• Dependency tracking
• Visual diff tool

Phase 3 (Future)

• LibreOffice extension
• Staging for Find/Replace
• Live formula tracking
• Collaborative features

Why This Matters

For Accountants

• Audit trails for regulatory compliance
• Proof of what changed and why
• Safety net for inherited workbooks

For Analysts

• Experiment without fear
• Track methodology evolution
• Reproducible analysis

For Teams

• Clear change history
• Reduced "who broke it" blame
• Knowledge preservation

For Everyone

• Excel stops being a minefield
• Iteration becomes safe
• Human dignity preserved

Contributing

This tool was built by Excel sufferers, for Excel sufferers. If you've ever:

• Lost work to a macro
• Been blamed for an inherited spreadsheet
• Feared the Find/Replace button
• Wished for Ctrl+Z after saving

...then you understand why this exists.

Contributions welcome. Keep it boring, safe, and user-first.

License

AGPL 3 or later

Remember: This isn't about making spreadsheets fancy. It's about making them safe.