XLSX Viewer
Inspect Excel coordinates, raw numbers, formatted values and formula caches locally
Data is processed in this browser without saving input drafts. Limits: 10,000 data rows, 200 columns, 200,000 cells; 32,767 UTF-16 code units per cell.
About this tool
XLSX Viewer opens local XLSX or binary BIFF XLS workbooks up to 10 MiB and displays their data with actual worksheet coordinates. A range beginning at C5 uses columns C through its last used column and header row 5; the first data row is 6. Select another actual header row without treating the cropped preview as row 1. Raw XLSX mode preserves OOXML numeric tokens, including long integers, high-precision decimals and numeric date serials; ISO date cells retain their original ISO text. A declared worksheet range that omits stored cells is rejected before parsing. Formatted values may round, and dates follow the workbook’s 1900 or 1904 system; Excel serial 60 in the 1900 system uses the compatibility display 1900-02-29. Formula mode shows stored formula text without recalculation. Value modes use cached results when present; an uncached formula is empty and explicitly marked, never an invented zero. A stored empty-string formula cache remains an empty cached value. Error cells retain their Excel error text. Legacy XLS exposes stored binary values and cannot recover the original decimal spelling; rows beyond physical row 10,002 require saving as XLSX. Hidden rows and columns are included, and merged cells keep only the top-left value. Filter searches all columns, natural text sorting orders displayed strings, and TSV/CSV export uses the selected columns and all matched rows in the current display mode. Limits: 20 sheets, 10,000 data rows, 200 columns, 200,000 cells per range, 400,000 total cells, 40 MiB expanded ZIP, 16 MiB per ZIP entry and 16 MiB exported text. The preview is capped at 200 rows or 2,500 cells. It does not execute macros, load external connections, reproduce charts or save input drafts.
Scenario Recipes
Check a percent column without losing its underlying value
Goal: Separate formatted percentages from numeric source values.
- Open an XLSX worksheet with 0.125 formatted as 0.0%. Choose the actual worksheet header row shown by the range.
- Inspect formatted mode and confirm 12.5%; switch to raw mode and confirm 0.125. Long numeric tokens in XLSX are also retained in raw mode.
- Select the columns you need and export. The CSV contains values from the selected mode, so record the intended interpretation beside the file.
Result: A deliberate choice between human-readable display text and original stored numeric text.
Review formula caches before using an extract
Goal: Avoid treating missing or stale formula caches as calculated results.
- Open a workbook with formulas and inspect value mode. Cells without cached values are empty and marked Formula without cache.
- Switch to formula mode to inspect the stored expressions. A cached result indicates presence only, not freshness or successful recalculation.
- If current results are required, recalculate and save in a spreadsheet application, then reopen. Export only after checking the intended display mode.
Result: An extract whose cache and formula limitations are understood before downstream use.
Failure Clinic (Common Pitfalls)
The header row is outside the worksheet range
Cause: Row input uses actual worksheet coordinates, not a row index into the cropped preview.
Fix: For C5:E7, use 5, 6 or 7 as the physical header row. Use a decimal integer without fractions or leading zeros; the default is the first used worksheet row.
A formatted number differs from the raw number
Cause: Formatting may round, add a percentage sign, display a date or use scientific notation. XLSX raw mode reads the original OOXML numeric token.
Fix: Use raw mode for exact stored numeric text. Raw numeric dates are serials with a 1900/1904 epoch; ISO date cells keep their stored ISO text. Legacy XLS cannot recover the original typed decimal string; retain a text column in the source when exact spelling matters.
A formula is blank or appears outdated
Cause: The workbook has no cached result, or the stored cache is stale. This viewer does not calculate formulas.
Fix: Inspect formula text, then recalculate and save in a capable spreadsheet application if current values are needed. Missing caches remain empty rather than becoming zero. An empty-string cache is explicitly marked as a cached result.
Hidden data and merged cells do not resemble Excel layout
Cause: The viewer exposes tabular values rather than reproducing visibility, merged ranges, charts or print layout.
Fix: Expect hidden rows and columns to be included, and merged content only at the top-left cell. Review selected columns before export; CSV/TSV cannot retain workbook styles or merge metadata.
A small workbook is rejected or has an inconsistent range
Cause: ZIP entries or worksheet ranges can expand far beyond the compressed file size; sparse high coordinates can also imply large rectangular ranges.
Fix: If its declared range omits stored cells, repair and save the workbook first; the viewer rejects it without dropping cells. Otherwise trim unused ranges or split the workbook. Limits include 40 MiB total ZIP expansion, 16 MiB per entry, 200,000 cells per range and 400,000 across the workbook. XLS data beyond physical row 10,002 needs an XLSX copy.
Production Snippets
The same cell has distinct raw, formatted and formula meanings
text
Cell D6: stored numeric token 0.125; format 0.0%
Raw: 0.125
Formatted: 12.5%
Cell E6: formula 1+2; cached value 3
Raw: 3 [Cached formula result]
Formula: =1+2
Cell E7: formula 2+2; no cached value
Raw: empty [Formula without cache]
Formula: =2+2
A range C5:E7 uses header row 5 and data rows 6–7.Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the first visible row start at 5 instead of 1?
The viewer preserves physical worksheet coordinates. A C5:E7 range uses header row 5 and data rows 6–7. Enter an integer within the actual used range; fractions and leading zeros are rejected.
Which mode keeps long XLSX numbers exact?
Raw mode uses the original OOXML numeric token. Formatted mode may show a rounded value. XLS has already stored numbers in binary, so it cannot promise the original typed decimal spelling.
Why is a formula result blank?
The workbook may have no cached result for that formula. Value modes show an empty value with a Formula without cache label; formula mode shows the stored formula. Existing caches may also be stale.
How are dates and Excel error cells displayed?
Raw numeric dates remain serials; ISO date cells retain their original ISO text. Formatted dates use the workbook epoch, including Excel’s 1900-02-29 compatibility display for serial 60. Excel errors such as #DIV/0! remain error text.
What exactly does CSV or TSV export contain?
It contains selected headers and all filtered rows, in current natural text sort order and display mode. Types, styles, formulas as executable workbook objects, hidden flags and merged ranges are not retained; formula mode exports formula text.
Does it reproduce all Excel features?
No. It is a bounded tabular viewer. Password-protected, encrypted and unsupported ZIP formats are rejected. It includes hidden data, keeps merged values only at the top-left, and does not calculate formulas, execute macros or fetch external data.
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