HSSFWorkbook java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: No more than 3 rules may be specified

Question

I got this exception while instantiating an HSSFWorkbokk object and really I do not understand what is the problem.

I do not understand the exception message in anyway

The code is very simple.

private HSSFWorkbook getXLWorkbook(MultipartFile file) throws IOException{
    InputStream inputStream = file.getInputStream();
    HSSFWorkbook xlWorkbook = new HSSFWorkbook(inputStream);
    return xlWorkbook;
}

and the exception is

java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: No more than 3 rules may be specified
at org.apache.poi.hssf.record.aggregates.CFRecordsAggregate.<init>(CFRecordsAggregate.java:58)
at org.apache.poi.hssf.record.aggregates.CFRecordsAggregate.createCFAggregate(CFRecordsAggregate.java:96)
at org.apache.poi.hssf.record.aggregates.ConditionalFormattingTable.<init>(ConditionalFormattingTable.java:49)
at org.apache.poi.hssf.model.Sheet.<init>(Sheet.java:176)
at org.apache.poi.hssf.model.Sheet.createSheet(Sheet.java:161)
at org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFWorkbook.<init>(HSSFWorkbook.java:282)
at org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFWorkbook.<init>(HSSFWorkbook.java:196)
at org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFWorkbook.<init>(HSSFWorkbook.java:312)
at org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFWorkbook.<init>(HSSFWorkbook.java:293)
at net.mis.financialstatement.service.FinancialStatementServiceImpl.getXLWorkbook(FinancialStatementServiceImpl.java:186)
at net.mis.financialstatement.service.FinancialStatementServiceImpl.updateXlsSheetKeys(FinancialStatementServiceImpl.java:386)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:309)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:183)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:150)
at org.springframework.transaction.interceptor.TransactionInterceptor.invoke(TransactionInterceptor.java:110)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
at org.springframework.aop.interceptor.ExposeInvocationInterceptor.invoke(ExposeInvocationInterceptor.java:89)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:202)
at $Proxy158.updateXlsSheetKeys(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:309)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:183)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:150)
at org.springframework.aop.support.DelegatingIntroductionInterceptor.doProceed(DelegatingIntroductionInterceptor.java:131)
at org.springframework.aop.support.DelegatingIntroductionInterceptor.invoke(DelegatingIntroductionInterceptor.java:119)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:202)
at $Proxy7.updateXlsSheetKeys(Unknown Source)
at net.mis.financialstatement.web.admin.controller.FinancialStatementUpdateSheetAdminController.submitFinancialStatementUpdateXlsSheetForm(FinancialStatementUpdateSheetAdminController.java:67)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.support.HandlerMethodInvoker.invokeHandlerMethod(HandlerMethodInvoker.java:176)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.annotation.AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.invokeHandlerMethod(AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java:426)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.annotation.AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.handle(AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java:414)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:790)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:719)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:644)
at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doPost(FrameworkServlet.java:560)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:710)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:803)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at com.edc.i18n.web.SiteLanguageFilter.doFilter(SiteLanguageFilter.java:88)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at com.edc.core.concurrent.web.CleanThreadLocalUserSessionFilter.doFilter(CleanThreadLocalUserSessionFilter.java:36)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.displaytag.filter.ResponseOverrideFilter.doFilter(ResponseOverrideFilter.java:125)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:378)
at org.springframework.security.intercept.web.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:109)
at org.springframework.security.intercept.web.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:83)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
at org.springframework.security.ui.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilterHttp(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:101)
at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
at org.springframework.security.providers.anonymous.AnonymousProcessingFilter.doFilterHttp(AnonymousProcessingFilter.java:105)
at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
at org.springframework.security.ui.rememberme.RememberMeProcessingFilter.doFilterHttp(RememberMeProcessingFilter.java:116)
at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
at org.springframework.security.ui.AbstractProcessingFilter.doFilterHttp(AbstractProcessingFilter.java:277)
at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:309)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:183)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:150)
at org.springframework.aop.interceptor.ExposeInvocationInterceptor.invoke(ExposeInvocationInterceptor.java:89)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:172)
at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:202)
at $Proxy148.doFilter(Unknown Source)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
at org.springframework.security.ui.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilterHttp(LogoutFilter.java:89)
at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
at org.springframework.security.context.HttpSessionContextIntegrationFilter.doFilterHttp(HttpSessionContextIntegrationFilter.java:235)
at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
at org.springframework.security.securechannel.ChannelProcessingFilter.doFilterHttp(ChannelProcessingFilter.java:116)
at org.springframework.security.ui.SpringSecurityFilter.doFilter(SpringSecurityFilter.java:53)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:390)
at org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:175)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:237)
at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:167)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.springframework.orm.hibernate3.support.OpenSessionInViewFilter.doFilterInternal(OpenSessionInViewFilter.java:198)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:88)
at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:76)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.tuckey.web.filters.urlrewrite.RuleChain.handleRewrite(RuleChain.java:164)
at org.tuckey.web.filters.urlrewrite.RuleChain.doRules(RuleChain.java:141)
at org.tuckey.web.filters.urlrewrite.UrlRewriter.processRequest(UrlRewriter.java:90)
at org.tuckey.web.filters.urlrewrite.UrlRewriteFilter.doFilter(UrlRewriteFilter.java:417)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:175)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:128)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:286)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:844)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:583)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:447)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662)

Answer 1

Case Scenario layout

HSSFWorkbook object is the interface to the opening pre-2007/2010 Excel files.

In this blog post from excel support group It states:

In previous versions of Excel, you could have a maximum of three conditional formats. There's no such limit in Office Excel 2007; you may have as many conditional formats as you like.

• When opening an Excel Workbook the constructors cascade filling the object with all that is available in the workbook, including any conditional formatting defined.
• amoung others a ConditionalFormattingTable is created which is populated with CFRecordsAggregates.
• Each Conditional Format Record contains a set of Rules.

• Because pre-2007/2010 Excel files were limited to 3 rules, the library object is also limited to 3. The CFRecordsAggregate class states in its description:

  CFRecordsAggregate - aggregates Conditional Formatting records CFHeaderRecord and number of up to three CFRuleRecord records together to simplify access to them.

So, if you have an excel file that was made by Excel 2003 and you are opening it with HSSFWorkbook you should have no problem.

It is however possible to create a file in Excel 2007, Excel 2010, LibreOffice Calc, etc... with more than 3 rules per cell and then Save it in the Excel 2003 format , preserving those defined rules.

When POI detects the pre 2007 Excel format, it opens it with HSSFWorkbook and all the rest... and when it bumps into more than 3 rules defined it throws an exception.

---

** Example Files **

• Causes Exception to be thrown
  • Multi-Conditional-Formatting Rules saved as Old Excel Format XLS
• Properly Saved Excel File
  • Multi-Conditional-Formatting Rules saved as New Excel Format XLSX

---

** Solution **

• Save the file in Excel 2007/2010 XML (xlsx) format.
• make sure you have are using the following libraries.
  • poi-3.10-FINAL-20140208.jar
  • poi-ooxml-3.10-FINAL-20140208.jar
  • xmlbeans-2.3.0.jar
  • dom4j-1.6.1.jar
  • poi-ooxml-schemas-3.10-FINAL-20140208.jar
• Open the workbook as such Workbook myWorkbook = WorkbookFactory.create(new FileInputStream(new File(myFilePath)));

---

• Alternative work around*

  1. open the excel file with LibreOffice Calc for example.
  2. Menu --> Format --> Conditional Formatting --> Manage.
  3. A dialog window with a list of Conditional Formatting Records
  4. Select one and click on Edit...
  5. A dialog pops up with the Condition List (i.e. CFRuleRecords)
  6. If there are more than 3 Conditions defined in a record, that is where it is crashing our program.

  7. Compact the rules to be less than 3 per record.

     • If there are only 3 different styles that will need to be applied we can merge 2 or more conditions by using Formulas.
     • If this is not the case I would attempt to spread out the rules into different records applied over the same ranges.
     • If this still doesn't prove successful, try to move the conditional formatting to some macros.

---

I have reported this as a Bug already.

Answer 2

This may be a clue: 4th line in stack trace includes ConditionalFormattingTable - in (older versions of?) Excel we can define a maximum of three rules for condintional formatting of cells and this number corresponds to your error message.