Performance

Tips for working with large spreadsheets efficiently.

Large Datasets

VimSheet is optimized for responsive editing. For best performance:

  • Use CSV format for large datasets (faster than XLSX).

  • Avoid excessive conditional formatting rules.

  • Limit the number of volatile functions (RAND, NOW, TODAY).

Configuration

Adjust these settings to improve performance:

Configuration values (set via :set or ~/.config/vimsheet/config.json):

{
  "max_undo": 100,
  "autocalc": true,
  "scroll_speed": 3
}

Cache Settings

The formula engine caches computed values and only recalculates dependent cells when a source cell changes. This makes editing large dependency chains efficient.

Memory Usage

  • Cell data is stored efficiently with a sparse structure.

  • Only cells with content consume memory.

  • Large text values are stored as strings.

  • The undo stack stores deltas, not full snapshots.