What is this?
PHPExcel was a PHP library for reading and writing spreadsheet files, like Excel documents. It is dead: officially deprecated in 2017 and permanently archived in 2019.
Is this a library I add to my code, or a standalone app?
It is a PHP library you pull into your own project to work with Excel-format spreadsheets, not an application you run on its own.
Can I still use PHPExcel in a new project?
No. The final version, 1.8.1, came out in 2015, and the README says the project has not been maintained for years and must not be used anymore.
What should I use instead of PHPExcel?
Migrate to PhpSpreadsheet, its direct successor, or pick another spreadsheet library. The README instructs all users to move off PHPExcel.
When was the last PHPExcel release, and will there be another?
Version 1.8.1, released in 2015. Nothing newer has shipped, and with the repository archived there will be no further releases.
What are similar projects?
PhpSpreadsheet, excelize, dsh-univer-office, Luckysheet, MiniPdf, easyexcel, OfficeCLI, x-spreadsheet
Which topics is it in?
export, legacy, migration, spreadsheet, xlsx, lgpl, office, excel, microsoft, document-processing, php, deprecated