14.6 SYLK format (spreadsheets)
Description
This article is from the Spreadsheets FAQ, by Russell Schulz casfaq@locutus.ofB.ORG with numerous contributions by others.
14.6 SYLK format (spreadsheets)
this is a capable single-sheet format, and would be best for any
non-trivial single-sheet spreadsheet interface needs, except for the
historical difficulty in locating electronic documentation.
[
if ANYONE has a pointer to the official Microsoft specification of
this format on the web, PLEASE tell me; only unofficial locations
(of what appear to be official specifications) are known
]
14.6.1 documented SYLK
Stores: Values, Equations, Formatting, Named Regions
http://www.wotsit.org/download.asp?f=sylk
http://charon.silesia.linux.org.pl/formaty/bazy_danych/sylk_file_format.txt
used by Excel 4 and earlier, and all other SYLK software
used by Excel 7 and later (as far as I can tell, except where
using features not covered by the original specification)
documented in Multiplan manuals (and Walden's and later books)
documented in `sylksum.doc' (plain text), which I can no longer
find on Microsoft's ftp site or web site, but is temporarily at
http://www.worldgate.ca/~rschulz/misc/sylksum.doc .
[ do they still have a BBS I could check? ]
simple awk code to parse a SYLK file is at
http://www.worldgate.ca/~rschulz/misc/parseslk.awk .
14.6.2 Excel 5 SYLK
Stores: Values, Equations, Formatting, Named Regions, Charts [?]
used by Excel 5 (only?)
Born's book documents some (all?) extensions, but I am still looking
for documention for them from Microsoft -- what good is having two
families of file formats (Excel XLS and Excel SYLK) that pretty much
only Excel can read?!
in particular, the erroneous `M'atrix modifier has caused me
problems with software expecting to read a documented SYLK file.
Excel 7 (95) and later seem to be MUCH better at following the
documented format (in that they no longer add spurious `M'atrix
modifiers like Excel 5 did).
14.6.3 non-English Excel SYLK
French Excel 97 saves SYLK files with () around relative
references instead of []. I do not know if this problem
is present in any other version of Excel.
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