tidyverse · jennybc · May 6, 2026 · May 5, 2026 · May 6, 2026
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # readxl (development version)
 
+<<<<<<< reorder-header-includes
+* readxl should once again compile on Alpine Linux. (#775)
+=======
 * `read_excel()` and friends should no longer emit a spurious "Access is denied" warning when reading a file on a network drive and the user doesn't have access to a parent directory (#730).
+>>>>>>> main
 
 # readxl 1.4.5
 

diff --git a/maintenance/02_apply-our-libxls-patches.txt b/maintenance/02_apply-our-libxls-patches.txt
@@ -48,3 +48,12 @@
 # git diff ':!maintenance/02_apply-our-libxls-patches.txt' > maintenance/patches/snprintf.patch
 # discard changes
 # git apply maintenance/patches/snprintf.patch
+
+# Implement the include of <stdint.h> in the global namespace at the top of
+# src/libxls/xls.h, before the `namespace xls { extern "C" {` block opens, so
+# that stdint typedefs (int64_t etc.) aren't trapped in xls:: when libxls is
+# consumed from C++ on a libc (e.g. musl/Alpine) that hasn't transitively
+# pre-loaded <stdint.h>. (#775)
+# git diff ':!maintenance/02_apply-our-libxls-patches.txt' > maintenance/patches/stdint.patch
+# discard changes
+# git apply maintenance/patches/stdint.patch
diff --git a/maintenance/patches/stdint.patch b/maintenance/patches/stdint.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+diff --git a/src/libxls/xls.h b/src/libxls/xls.h
+index 89b8b92..59da631 100644
+--- a/src/libxls/xls.h
++++ b/src/libxls/xls.h
+@@ -33,7 +33,14 @@
+
+ #ifndef XLS_INCLUDE
+ #define XLS_INCLUDE
+- 
++
++/* readxl modification: process <stdint.h> in the global namespace, not inside
++ * namespace xls. Otherwise, on libcs (e.g. musl/Alpine) where <stdint.h> has
++ * not been transitively pre-loaded by other system or vendored headers, its
++ * typedefs (int64_t etc.) end up trapped in xls:: when libxls is consumed
++ * from C++ code. See readxl issue #775. */
++#include <stdint.h>
++
+ #ifdef __cplusplus
+ namespace xls {
+ extern "C" {
diff --git a/src/CellLimits.h b/src/CellLimits.h
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "XlsCell.h"
-#include "cpp11/integers.hpp"
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "cpp11/integers.hpp"
+
+#include "XlsCell.h"
+
 class CellLimits {
   int minRow_, maxRow_, minCol_, maxCol_;
 

diff --git a/src/ColSpec.h b/src/ColSpec.h
@@ -1,17 +1,17 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "utils.h"
-#include "StringSet.h"
-
-#include "libxls/xls.h"
-
 #include "cpp11/doubles.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/list.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/logicals.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/protect.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/sexp.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
 
+#include "libxls/xls.h"
+
+#include "StringSet.h"
+#include "utils.h"
+
 enum CellType {
   CELL_UNKNOWN,
   CELL_BLANK,

diff --git a/src/Read.cpp b/src/Read.cpp
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
-#include "SheetView.h"
-
-#include "ColSpec.h"
+#include <string>
 
 #include "cpp11/as.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/list.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/R.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
 
-#include <string>
+#include "ColSpec.h"
+#include "SheetView.h"
 
 template <typename T>
 cpp11::list read_this_(

diff --git a/src/SheetView.h b/src/SheetView.h
@@ -1,21 +1,20 @@
-#include <sys/time.h> // alpine linux / musl must be before others
-#include <unistd.h>   // alpine linux / musl must be before others
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <string>
+#include <sys/time.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "cpp11/R.hpp"
+#include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
 
 #include "CellLimits.h"
 #include "ColSpec.h"
-#include "XlsWorkBook.h"
-#include "XlsxWorkBook.h"
-#include "XlsCellSet.h"
-#include "XlsxCellSet.h"
 #include "XlsCell.h"
+#include "XlsCellSet.h"
+#include "XlsWorkBook.h"
 #include "XlsxCell.h"
-
-#include "cpp11/R.hpp"
-#include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
-
-#include <algorithm>
-#include <string>
-#include <vector>
+#include "XlsxCellSet.h"
+#include "XlsxWorkBook.h"
 
 class Xls {
 public:

diff --git a/src/StringSet.h b/src/StringSet.h
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "utils.h"
-
-#include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
-
 #include <cstring>
 #include <set>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
+
+#include "utils.h"
+
 class StringSet
 {
   std::set<std::string> set_;

diff --git a/src/XlsCell.h b/src/XlsCell.h
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "ColSpec.h"
-#include "utils.h"
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <limits.h>
+
+#include "cpp11/protect.hpp"
+#include "cpp11/sexp.hpp"
 
 #include "libxls/xls.h"
 #include "libxls/xlsstruct.h"
 #include "libxls/xlstypes.h"
 
-#include <iomanip>
-#include <limits.h>
+#include "ColSpec.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 
 // Key reference for understanding the structure of the xls format is
 // [MS-XLS]: Excel Binary File Format (.xls) Structure

diff --git a/src/XlsCellSet.h b/src/XlsCellSet.h
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "CellLimits.h"
-#include "Spinner.h"
-#include "XlsCell.h"
-#include "XlsWorkBook.h"
-
-#include "libxls/xls.h"
-#include "libxls/xlsstruct.h"
-
 #include "cpp11/as.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/integers.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/list.hpp"
@@ -16,6 +8,14 @@
 #include "cpp11/sexp.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
 
+#include "libxls/xls.h"
+#include "libxls/xlsstruct.h"
+
+#include "CellLimits.h"
+#include "Spinner.h"
+#include "XlsCell.h"
+#include "XlsWorkBook.h"
+
 class XlsCellSet {
   // xls specifics
   xls::xlsWorkBook* pWB_;

diff --git a/src/XlsWorkBook.h b/src/XlsWorkBook.h
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "ColSpec.h"
+#include "cpp11/R.hpp"
+#include "cpp11/r_string.hpp"
+#include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
 
 #include "libxls/xls.h"
 #include "libxls/xlsstruct.h"
 
-#include "cpp11/R.hpp"
-#include "cpp11/r_string.hpp"
-#include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
+#include "ColSpec.h"
 
 class XlsWorkBook {
 

diff --git a/src/XlsxCell.h b/src/XlsxCell.h
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
+
 #include "ColSpec.h"
 #include "XlsxString.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
-#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
-
 // Key reference for understanding the structure of the XML is
 // ECMA-376 (http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-376.htm)
 // Section and page numbers below refer to the 5th edition October 2016

diff --git a/src/XlsxCellSet.h b/src/XlsxCellSet.h
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "CellLimits.h"
-#include "ColSpec.h"
-#include "Spinner.h"
-#include "XlsxCell.h"
-#include "XlsxWorkBook.h"
-
-#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
-
 #include "cpp11/integers.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/list.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/protect.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/sexp.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
 
+#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
+
+#include "CellLimits.h"
+#include "ColSpec.h"
+#include "Spinner.h"
+#include "XlsxCell.h"
+#include "XlsxWorkBook.h"
+
 // Page and section numbers below refer to
 // ECMA-376 (version, date, and download URL given in XlsxCell.h)
 // 18.3.1.73  row         (Row)        [p1685]

diff --git a/src/XlsxString.h b/src/XlsxString.h
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
-
+// R_ext/GraphicsEngine.h must be included before R_ext/GraphicsDevice.h
 #include <R_ext/GraphicsEngine.h>
-#include <R_ext/GraphicsDevice.h> // Rf_ucstoutf8 is exported in R_ext/GraphicsDevice.h
+#include <R_ext/GraphicsDevice.h> // Rf_ucstoutf8 is exported here
+
+#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
 
 
 // unescape an ST_Xstring. See 22.9.2.19 [p3786]

diff --git a/src/XlsxWorkBook.h b/src/XlsxWorkBook.h
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "ColSpec.h"
-#include "utils.h"
-#include "XlsxString.h"
-#include "zip.h"
-
-#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
+#include <map>
 
 #include "cpp11/protect.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/strings.hpp"
 
-#include <map>
+#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
+
+#include "ColSpec.h"
+#include "utils.h"
+#include "XlsxString.h"
+#include "zip.h"
 
 class XlsxWorkBook {
 

diff --git a/src/libxls/xls.h b/src/libxls/xls.h
@@ -33,7 +33,14 @@
 
 #ifndef XLS_INCLUDE
 #define XLS_INCLUDE
-
+
+/* readxl modification: process <stdint.h> in the global namespace, not inside
+ * namespace xls. Otherwise, on libcs (e.g. musl/Alpine) where <stdint.h> has
+ * not been transitively pre-loaded by other system or vendored headers, its
+ * typedefs (int64_t etc.) end up trapped in xls:: when libxls is consumed
+ * from C++ code. See readxl issue #775. */
+#include <stdint.h>
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 namespace xls {
 extern "C" {

diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "cpp11/protect.hpp"
-
 #include <cerrno>
 #include <cmath>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <sstream>
 
+#include "cpp11/protect.hpp"
+
 //May appear in cpp11
 template <typename T, typename N>
 T new_vector(R_xlen_t size, N val) {

diff --git a/src/zip.cpp b/src/zip.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 #include "zip.h"
 
-#include "rapidxml/rapidxml_print.h"
-
 #include "cpp11/as.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/function.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/raws.hpp"
 #include "cpp11/sexp.hpp"
 
+#include "rapidxml/rapidxml_print.h"
+
 std::string zip_buffer(const std::string& zip_path,
                        const std::string& file_path) {
   cpp11::function zip_buffer = cpp11::package("readxl")["zip_buffer"];

diff --git a/src/zip.h b/src/zip.h
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
 #include <string>
 
+#include "rapidxml/rapidxml.h"
+
 std::string zip_buffer(const std::string& zip_path, const std::string& file_path);
 bool zip_has_file(const std::string& zip_path, const std::string& file_path);