What is an XLSX file (and how do i open one)?

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A file with the .xlsx file extension is an open XML spreadsheet file (XLSX) Microsoft Excel created by Microsoft Excel. You can also open this format in other spreadsheet applications, como Apple Numbers, Google Docs y OpenOffice. They are stored as a compressed Zip file, which contains a bunch of other files that are used to open the document.

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What is an XLSX file?

XLSX files are files used in Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet application that uses tables to organize, analyze and store data. Each cell can contain text or numeric data, including incorporation of mathematical formulas.

Introduced for the first time with Microsoft Office 2007 in the Office Open XML standard, XLSX is the default format when creating a spreadsheet with modern versions of Excel. Microsoft introduced this open format largely due to increased competition from Open Office and its Open Document Format. (ODF). The XLXS format replaced the proprietary XLS format that Excel previously used.

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How do I open an XLSX file?

Because XLSX files have been standardized, you can open them in many applications on different platforms. Even though Windows doesn't open them natively unless you have a copy of Microsoft Office 2007 the later, you can download a third party open source application like Apache OpenOffice O LibreOffice to open your files.

Mac users just need to double click the file and it will open in the Apple Numbers app.

If you prefer to store, open and edit all your Office Open XML files in the cloud, you can do it by uploading your document through Excel online O Google Sheets.

Alternatively, if you are a Chrome user, you can download the extension Office Edition for Documents, Spreadsheets and Presentations (an official Google extension) for your browser. It enables you to upload any XLSX file directly from your local hard drive to your Google Drive by dragging and dropping it on any Chrome tab.

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