The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
SUMMARY
This article explains how to save files in different formats, and provides
additional information to be aware of when saving files.
MORE INFORMATION
How to Save a File in a Different Format
By default, Microsoft Excel 97 saves files in the Microsoft Excel Workbook
format. Files saved in this format cannot be opened in earlier versions of
Microsoft Excel, or in other spreadsheet programs.
If you want to save a file in a different format, do the following:
- Open the workbook you want to save.
- On the File menu, click Save As.
- In the Save As Type list, select the file format you want to use.
- If necessary, change the name of the file and click Save.
NOTE: If the file format does not support multiple sheets or plies, you may
receive the following warning message:
The selected file type does not support workbooks that contain
multiple sheets.
If the file format does not support multiple sheets, make sure you save the
other sheets in your workbook before you close it. Otherwise, some of your
work may be lost. The easiest way to save your entire workbook is to save
it in the Microsoft Excel Workbook format.
What File Formats are Available?
In Microsoft Excel 97, you can save files in any of the following formats:
Format Extension Notes
---------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Excel Workbook .xls 1
Template .xlt 2
Formatted Text (Space delimited) .txt 3
Text (Tab delimited) .txt 3
Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook .xls 4
Microsoft Excel 97 & 5.0/95 Workbook .xls 5
CSV (Comma delimited) .csv 3
Microsoft Excel 4.0 Worksheet .xls 3
Microsoft Excel 3.0 Worksheet .xls 3
Microsoft Excel 2.1 Worksheet .xls 3
Microsoft Excel 4.0 Workbook .xlw 6
WK4 (1-2-3) .wk4 7
WK3,FM3 (1-2-3) .wk3, .fm3 7
WK3 (1-2-3) .wk3 7
WK1,FMT (1-2-3) .wk1, .fmt 8
WK1,ALL (1-2-3) .wk1, .all 8
WK1 (1-2-3) .wk1 8
WKS (1-2-3) .wks 8
WQ1 (Quattro Pro/DOS) .wq1 8
DBF 4 (dBASE IV) .dbf 8
DBF 3 (dBASE III) .dbf 8
DBF 2 (dBASE II) .dbf 8
Text (Macintosh) .txt 9
Text (OS/2 or MS-DOS) .txt 9
CSV (Macintosh) .csv 9
CSV (OS/2 or MS-DOS) .csv 9
DIF (Data Interchange Format) .dif 3
SYLK (Symbolic Link) .slk 3
Microsoft Excel Add-In .xla 10
Microsoft Excel Workspace .xlw 11
Microsoft Excel 4.0 Chart .xlc 12
Microsoft Excel 3.0 Chart .xlc 12
Microsoft Excel 2.1 Chart .xlc 12
Microsoft Excel 4.0 Macro .xlm 13
Microsoft Excel 4.0 Int'l Macro .xlm 13
Microsoft Excel 3.0 Macro .xlm 13
Microsoft Excel 2.1 Macro .xlm 13
Notes
- The default file format. The entire workbook is saved in this format.
- The entire workbook is saved in this format.
- Only the active sheet is saved. This format is only available for
worksheets and macro sheets.
- The entire workbook, except for userforms, class modules, and "code
behind sheets" is saved.
- The entire workbook is saved, twice, into a single file. For more
information about this file format, please see the following articles
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q157497
TITLE : XL97: Using the Microsoft Excel 97 & 5.0/95 Workbook
Format
ARTICLE-ID: Q159361
TITLE : XL97: Read-Only Recommended Opening 97 & 5.0/95 File
Format
- All worksheets, macro sheets, and charts are saved into the file.
Modules, dialog sheets, userforms, class modules, and "code behind
sheets" are not saved in this format.
- All worksheets and charts are saved into the file. All other types of
sheets are not saved in this format.
- Only the active worksheet is saved. This format is only available for
worksheets.
- Only the active sheet is saved. Choose the appropriate operating
system (Macintosh, OS/2, MS-DOS) to ensure that the text file uses
the correct combination of tab characters, line breaks, carriage
returns, and other characters.
- The entire workbook is saved. For more information about creating
add-ins in Microsoft Excel 97, please see the following article in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q156942
TITLE : XL97: How to Create an Add-in File in Microsoft Excel
97
- To save a Microsoft Excel Workspace, click Save Workspace on the File
menu.
- Only the active chart sheet is saved. This format is only available
for chart sheets.
- Only the active macro sheet is saved. This format is only available
for macro sheets (not Visual Basic modules).
How to Set a Different Default File Format
Although the default file format is Microsoft Excel Workbook, it is
possible to set a different default file format. To do this, follow these
steps:
- On the Tools menu, click Options.
- Click the Transition tab.
- In the Save Excel Files As list, select the desired default file
format.
- Click OK.
When you save a file using the Save As, the new default file format will be
selected. Note that you can override this new default by simply selecting
another file format in the Save As Type list.
How Can I See this Information in Help?
To see the above information in Microsoft Excel Help, perform the following
steps:
- If the Office Assistant is visible, click it. Otherwise, click the
Office Assistant tool on the Standard toolbar.
- Type the following question:
How can I save a file in a different format?
and press ENTER.
In the help balloon that appears, there are a number of buttons:
- Click "File format converters supplied with Microsoft Excel" to read
about the different file formats included with Microsoft Excel.
- Click "Change the default file format for saving workbooks" to read
about how to change the default file format.
You can also click the other buttons to see additional help concerning
opening and saving files in different formats.
|