creating cell comments using HSSFClientAnchor in apache poi

Question

Could someone please explain to me how to properly use the Anchors when creating cell comments? Mine were working, but the spread sheet changed and I am having issues getting my cell comments to appear. This is the code I was using that worked:

 Comment c = drawing.createCellComment (new HSSFClientAnchor(0, 0, 0, 0, (short)4, 2, (short)6, 5));

That was found mostly by experimenting around. Looking at the api for it doesn't exactly make it any clearer.

Based on the quick start guide I have also tried the following with no luck:

ClientAnchor anchor = chf.createClientAnchor();
Comment c = drawing.createCellComment(anchor);
c.setString(chf.createRichTextString(message)); 

Answer 1

Hi Casey,

A bit late, but this will probably work (it works for me, while the Apache POI example from the quick start also didn't work for me):

    public void setComment(String text, Cell cell) {
    final Map<Sheet, HSSFPatriarch> drawingPatriarches = new HashMap<Sheet, HSSFPatriarch>();

    CreationHelper createHelper = cell.getSheet().getWorkbook().getCreationHelper();
    HSSFSheet sheet = (HSSFSheet) cell.getSheet();
    HSSFPatriarch drawingPatriarch = drawingPatriarches.get(sheet);
    if (drawingPatriarch == null) {
        drawingPatriarch = sheet.createDrawingPatriarch();
        drawingPatriarches.put(sheet, drawingPatriarch);
    }

    Comment comment = drawingPatriarch.createComment(new HSSFClientAnchor(0, 0, 0, 0, (short) 4, 2, (short) 6, 5));
    comment.setString(createHelper.createRichTextString(text));
    cell.setCellComment(comment);
}

Erik Pragt

Answer 2

Hello Erik! I used your code, it is very nice, but I have a problem. When I use it on several cells, only the last one will have a comment.

I have a loop with:

        cDest.setCellValue(cSource.getRichStringCellValue());
        setComment(rSource.getCell(1).getStringCellValue(),cDest);

All cells have the correct value, but comment does not work :(

Do you have any idea? I believe that the comment is always the same object and get moves from cell to cells?

best regards

Answer 3

Hi Sylvain,

I had the same problem as you with the Erik's code, but then I realized the map should be outside of the method and this fixed the issue.

Regards