Introduction to NExS
NExS turns Excel spreadsheets into interactive web applications. You build your business logic in Excel using familiar formulas, then NExS handles the web deployment—no programming required.
How NExS Works
When you upload a spreadsheet to NExS, the platform creates two components:
- A front-end web page — An HTML5 interface that works in any modern browser (including mobile)
- A back-end calculation service — Your Excel formulas run on NExS servers
This means:
- Your formulas stay protected (users never see them)
- Calculations happen server-side (consistent results everywhere)
- Users get a clean, responsive interface
Core Concepts
Views
A view is a rectangular block of cells that users can see. Think of it like a “window” into your spreadsheet—for example, Sheet1!A1:G18 becomes a view.
You can have multiple views in one app (like tabs), and cells outside any view remain hidden—perfect for intermediate calculations.
Editable Cells (Inputs)
Editable cells are inputs that users can modify. When a user changes an input, NExS:
- Sends the new value to the server
- Recalculates all dependent formulas
- Updates the displayed values
Any cell can be an input—text, numbers, dropdowns, checkboxes, and more.
The NExS.app Worksheet
Every NExS app needs a special worksheet named NExS.app that tells the platform:
- What to name your app
- Who can access it
- Which cells form your views
- Which cells are editable
Here’s a minimal example:
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | app | My Calculator | |
| 2 | view | Sheet1!A1:G18 | |
| 3 | editable | B1:B5 |
This creates an app called “My Calculator” with one view showing cells A1:G18, where cells B1:B5 can be edited by users.
What Excel Features Work?
NExS supports most Excel functionality:
Supported:
- Over 200 Excel functions (mathematical, logical, text, date/time, lookup functions like VLOOKUP and INDEX/MATCH)
- Cell formatting (colors, fonts, borders, number formats)
- Merged cells
- Named ranges
- Multiple worksheets
Not Supported:
- Array formulas and dynamic arrays (FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE)
- XLOOKUP and other newer Excel 365 functions
- VBA macros (use NExS buttons instead)
- Pivot tables
- External data connections
Deployment Modes
NExS offers four ways to deploy your app:
| Mode | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Anyone with the URL can use it; each session is independent | Public calculators |
| Personal | Requires login; data persists for each user | Personal dashboards |
| Team | Shared instance with access list | Internal tools |
| Access Code | Shared instance with code-based access | Collaborative apps |
See Deployment Modes for details.
Next Steps
- Quickstart — Build your first app in 5 minutes
- Embedding Basics — Learn how to add your app to a web page