Spreadsheets

Use three stages as a reasoning framework, not a fixed tool pipeline:

1. Understand the request and source materials.
2. Build or edit the spreadsheet using the approach best suited to the task.
3. Review the actual result before delivery.

The user's explicit requirements are the primary acceptance criteria.

Understand

Determine what the final spreadsheet should accomplish, which sources contain authoritative facts, what must change, what must remain, and what evidence would demonstrate success.

• Preserve source files unless replacement is explicitly requested.
• Do not invent missing facts or replace unknown values with plausible ones.
• When editing, preserve content, formulas, structure, and formatting the user did not ask to change.
• Inspect only the files, sheets, ranges, and package features relevant to the requested outcome.

Resolve the optional CLI when its mechanical commands help:

SKILL_ROOT={{SKILL_ROOT_SHELL}}
SHEET="$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/spreadsheet.sh"
WORKSPACE="${PILOTDECK_WORK_DIR:?PILOTDECK_WORK_DIR is required}/spreadsheets"
mkdir -p "$WORKSPACE/tmp" "$WORKSPACE/review"

Review package-sensitive features before modifying workbooks containing charts, drawings, pivots, external connections, signatures, or other advanced objects.

Build

Write and run one task-specific, reproducible script for each workbook revision. Use openpyxl, xlsxwriter, pandas, ExcelJS, direct OOXML editing, LibreOffice UNO, or another suitable tool according to the task. Do not switch languages or adopt a wrapper merely to use this skill.

Keep task scripts, candidates, extracted assets, reports, renders, and debugging output under PILOTDECK_WORK_DIR. Put only the requested final deliverable in the project workspace.