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Built an open-source Excel structural risk analyzer - looking for feedback from model builders
Our take
Are hidden structural issues in your Excel models causing silent failures? Meet XLChek, an open-source structural risk analyzer that scans .xlsx files offline, pinpointing risks like circular references and orphan calculations. Designed for advanced Excel users and model builders, this read-only tool generates clear HTML reports, ensuring your spreadsheets maintain structural integrity without the need for data uploads. I invite your critical feedback on its utility and potential risks it may overlook. Join me in refining this tool for better financial modeling and operational accuracy.
Hi everyone,
I recently built an open-source tool called XLChek, and I’m looking for technical feedback from experienced Excel users and model builders.
XLChek is a read-only Excel structural diagnostics tool.
It scans .xlsx files offline and generates an HTML report highlighting structural risks in spreadsheets.
It focuses specifically on structural and dependency issues such as:
- Circular references
- Hard-coded constants inside formulas
- Volatile functions (NOW, OFFSET, INDIRECT, etc.)
- Formula drift across ranges
- Whole column / row references
- External workbook references
- Orphan calculations (formulas not referenced by other formulas)
It does not validate business logic or financial correctness.
It strictly evaluates structural integrity and dependency risk.
The motivation came from seeing operational and financial spreadsheets fail silently due to hidden structural issues — especially in models that evolve over time.
Key characteristics:
- Runs completely offline
- No data upload
- Read-only analysis
- Generates HTML and JSON output
- Cross-platform (Windows / macOS / Linux)
This is an early release (v0.1.0), and I would genuinely appreciate feedback:
- Are these structural checks useful in real workflows?
- What important risk patterns am I missing?
- Would this help in financial modeling, audit, or operational contexts?
- Where would you expect this tool to fit in your process?
GitHub repository:
https://github.com/gridgrok-collab/XLChek
I’m especially interested in critical feedback from advanced Excel users.
Thanks in advance.
Note: Currently requires Python 3.10–3.12 to run (technical preview release).
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