[Hidden-tech] Spread Sheet app?

Jan Werner jwerner at jwdp.com
Sat Mar 17 15:14:04 EDT 2007


The Excel file format and API (for the C language) were published by 
Microsoft 10 years ago in the Microsoft Excel 97 Developer's Kit. Most 
of the developers who have reviewed the book on Amazon have complained 
that it doesn't explain enough and requires far too much effort to allow 
one to duplicate or work directly with .XLS files.

Nonetheless, although Office programs have added bells and whistles 
since then, the Excel file format did not change until Office 2007, so 
unless you need VBA for macro programming purposes, it is perfectly 
legal to write software that can read and write Excel spreadsheet files, 
or even extend their capability in either open or proprietary ways.

Jan Werner
__________

Robert Heller wrote:
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> At Thu, 15 Mar 2007 23:20:40 -0400 "DAVID F. FARKAS" <david at farkas.com> wrote:
> 
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>>    ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee.
>>    ** You too can help the group
>>    ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi folks...
>>
>> Anyone know of a simple Windows freeware or shareware spread sheet 
>> application with a limited feature set and small footprint that will 
>> open and save in XLS format?
>>
>> There used to be a few around and I have not found one lately. Most 
>> of what I do does not require the moxie of Excel and I like to keep a 
>> few spreadsheets open, but not use as much system fire power.
> 
> Given Microsoft's anti-reverse engineering clause in their EULA, it is
> unlikely you will find anything *legal* (as freeware or shareware),
> unless you look for something out of Europe (where reverse engineering
> cannot be restricted under Europe's copyright law), and there you might
> find a *Linux* application.  The only one *I* know of is Star Office,
> which Sun acquired and also provides Open Office.  Open Office == MS
> Office for all practical purposes, both in terms of basic
> functionallity, feature set, and (to some extent) footprint.  OO
> *probably* has a somewhat smaller footprint than MS Office, esp. under a
> Linux environment, but it is not going to be very much smaller.
> 
> The only *legal* XLS compatible software for MS-Windows is going to be
> commercial software where the vendor has signed a NDA with Microsoft. 
> There is little point in making a *less* featurefull commercial
> spreadsheet program than Excel, unless it is a special purpose function
> (i.e. an XLS importor for something like Quicken or something like
> that).
> 
> I suspect that you are mostly out of luck.  (I'm guessing that the 'used
> to be a few around' programs have been quashed by Microsoft, either
> sued/threatened for copyright infringment or else just steamrolled by MS
> Office itself.)
> 
> Do you really *need* XLS compatibity?  Why?  There are several
> 'lightweight' spreadsheet programs out there, but they are likely not
> XLS compatible.
> 
>> Suggestions? Thanx.
>> David
>>
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