As you may already know, utility HSSFCGI provides an XML-like language by which you may easily create Excel XLS or XLSX spreadsheets.
It also features a command, TABLEXLS that allows to obtain XLS or XLSX spreadsheets from any IBM i database file. This command requires the RPG compiler to be run.
Today news is that, since April 22, 2015, HSSFCGI features a new command, TABLEXLS2, similar to TABLEXLS, which runs 30% faster and does not require the RPG compiler, thus perfectly fitting production boxes.
See page http://www.easy400.net/hssfcgi/html/page5.htm .
Giovanni B. Perotti
hssfcgi author