The .xls filename extension is a native binary file format associated with the closed source spreadsheet application Microsoft Office Excel. First introduced in 1987 with the release of Excel 2.x, the file format acts as the container for storing spreadsheet data such as work sheets, charts, and macros. Prior to Microsoft Office Excel 2007, the xls binary format was the default standard for the Microsoft Office Excel until the later adoption of the Open Document standard .xlsx. Documents to be saved in the .xls format are saved as Excel 97, 2003 documents.
The Open Document spreadsheet filename extension format is an alternative open source spreadsheet file format and is part of the larger OpenDocument family of open source file formats. The format is associated with documents where tabular or spreadsheet information is represented. Several proprietary and open source applications are compatible with the format, allowing for interoperability between software systems that support the OpenDocument format. Proprietary applications such as in Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and above can open .ods files however certain proprietary features in Microsoft Office Excel may not be compatible with the format. Other open source spreadsheet applications (such as OpenOffice) support the .ods filename extension in its entirety.
FreeFileConvert uses tuned encoding for XLS to ODS conversions, preserving clarity while trimming file size. Finished audio streams instantly across phones, tablets, desktops, and modern browsers without extra tweaks.
Upload XLS files from desktop, tablet, or cloud storage, queue multiple jobs, and let the converter finish autonomously. Return whenever convenient to download synchronized ODS results on any device you rely on.
Process up to 5 files sized 1000 MB per batch without splitting queues manually. Mixed-format uploads convert together, producing consistent ODS audio with dependable progress tracking.
.xls was extended to the Microsoft Office XML format spreadsheetML which was later succeeded by the Office Open XML specification. The format stores data as fixed sized streams and sub streams which contain cell records with actual user input cell data, formulas, cell properties, along with meta data about the file including information such as document author, date of creation, worksheet names etc. The main streams in the xls format are Workbook stream, Globals sub stream, and the worksheet sub stream.
The ods file format extends the XML based file format for spreadsheets. It was standardized as an open source format for spreadsheet type documents in ISO/IEC 26300:2006 in 2005 by the OASIS consortium. It supports spreadsheet features such as OLE objects, hyperlinks, cell formating as well as advanced features such as cell formulas.
Upload your document file in the XLS format from your device, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Select ODS as the output format and click Convert. Adjust optional settings if needed.
Download the converted document file. Each file stays available for up to 5 downloads.