How to Replace Deprecated getCellType() Method in Apache POI for Excel Files?

What is the alternative to the deprecated getCellType() method in Apache POI?

CellType cellType = cell.getCellType();

In Apache POI 3.15 and later versions, the method getCellType() was deprecated in favor of getCellTypeEnum() or directly accessing CellType from the Cell class. This change encourages developers to utilize the enum directly for better clarity and maintenance of their code.

try (FileInputStream fileInputStream = new FileInputStream(file); XSSFWorkbook workbook = new XSSFWorkbook(file)) {
    XSSFSheet sheet = workbook.getSheetAt(0);
    Iterator<Row> rowIterator = sheet.iterator();
    while (rowIterator.hasNext()) {
        Row row = rowIterator.next();

        Iterator<Cell> cellIterator = row.cellIterator();
        while (cellIterator.hasNext()) {
            Cell cell = cellIterator.next();
            CellType cellType = cell.getCellType(); // Updated line
            switch (cellType) {
                case NUMERIC:
                    System.out.print(cell.getNumericCellValue() + " (Integer)\t");
                    break;
                case STRING:
                    System.out.print(cell.getStringCellValue() + " (String)\t");
                    break;
            }
        }
        System.out.println("");
    }
} catch (Exception e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
}

Causes

• Apache POI updated its API, and deprecated methods signal to developers that there are preferred alternatives.
• Use of enums in Java provides better type safety and clarity.

Solutions

• Replace cell.getCellType() with cell.getCellTypeEnum() for compatibility with the latest versions of Apache POI.
• For newer codebases, use cell.getCellType() coupled with CellType enum directly, which eliminates deprecation warnings.

Mistake: Not updating the method across all instances in the codebase, leading to inconsistent behavior.

Solution: Ensure to search and replace all instances of getCellType() to maintain code uniformity.

Mistake: Confusing the old deprecated constants with the new CellType enums.

Solution: Always refer to the official Apache POI documentation to readily identify the new enum values.