Excel File Format Documentation

1. Microsoft Documentation
• Download the Escher File Format Documentation
• Read the Escher File Format Documentation online (this document is very very large!)
• Pocket Excel File Format
• Q147732 Records needed to make a BIFF 5 file excel can use
• Q147942 DOCERR: Microsoft Excel Internal format table doc has errors
• Q284441 DOC: Excel BIFF8 FORMAT Record Documentation Is Incomplete
• Q284436 DOC: Excel BIFF8 Extended Rich String Formatting Run Is 4 Bytes
• Q269168 HOWTO: Distinguish Between Excel 97 and Excel 2000/2002 Files
• Q207475 DOC: Excel BIFF8 CONTINUE Record Information Is Incomplete
• Q195237 LABEL Doc Error in MS Excel 97 Developer's Kit
• Q184647 Xl97: BIFF Records Documentation Error in MS Excel 97 Developer's Kit
2. 3rd Party Documentation
• OpenOffice Excel File Format documenation (pdf file)
• Information on how Microsoft Excel handles encryption.
• Some nuggets on the BIFF8 format.

Source Code to deal with the Excel File Format

1. For C programmers:
• xlhtml - A c program for reading excel files.
• xlreader Another c program for reading excel files
2. For Java Programmers:
• ExcelRead A java program for reading excel files
• POI A java project to read and write Excel and OLE files
• A java program to read and write the Pocket Excel file format.
3. For Perl Programmers:
• ParseExcel A perl program to read excel files
• WriteExcel A perl program to write excel files
4. For other languages:
• A TCL package to write Excel files
• A PHP program to write Excel files
• Another PHP program to write Excel files
• A modula2 program to read excel files
• A modula2 program to write excel files