Excel-to-CSV Converter for eLabFTW

This Shiny application provides a user-friendly interface for converting existing Excel files (e.g., lab inventories, reagent lists, device registries) into CSV files compatible with the import functionality of eLabFTW, an open-source electronic lab notebook (ELN). It also supports the generation of structured JSON metadata blocks for enhanced data annotation in eLabFTW.

Screenshot

Features

• Upload .xlsx files and preview contents
• Select spreadsheet columns to map to eLabFTW fields:
  • Title, tags, and content columns
• Create structured JSON metadata blocks:
  • Field types: Text, Date, Dropdown, URL
  • Grouping of fields under user-defined labels
• Auto-formatting for dates (YYYY-MM-DD)
• Cleaning of empty, NA, or NULL values
• CSV export with metadata embedded in JSON structure (eLabFTW-compatible)

Intended Use

This application is intended to support research groups transitioning from Excel-based inventory systems to eLabFTW. It reduces manual formatting and provides a standardized output that adheres to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

Installation and Usage

1. Ensure R and RStudio are installed.
2. Install required packages:

install.packages(c("shiny", "readxl", "jsonlite", "readr"))

3. Launch the application:

shiny::runApp("path/to/excel-to-csv-converter")

Dependencies

R ≥ 4.0 Packages:

• shiny
• readxl
• jsonlite
• readr

File Structure

• app.R – Main Shiny application
• screenshot_excel_converter.png – Screenshot of the user interface
• Logo_DIZ_DE.jpg – Institutional logo (optional)
• readme.html – Optional inline help