The Microsoft Excel File Format - OpenOffice.org

5 Worksheet/Workbook Records
5.38 EXTERNALBOOK – External Workbook
BIFF2 BIFF3 BIFF4 BIFF5 BIFF8
— — — — 01AE H
This record mainly stores the URL of an external document and a list of sheet names inside this document. Furthermore
it is used to store DDE and OLE links, or to indicate an internal 3D reference or an add-in function. See ➜4.10.3 for
details about external references in BIFF8.
5.38.1 External References
An EXTERNALBOOK record for external references stores the URL and a list of sheet names.
Record EXTERNALBOOK for external references, BIFF8:
Offset Size Contents
0 2 Number of sheet names (nm)
2 var. Encoded URL without sheet name (➜2.5.9). Unicode string, 16-bit string length (➜2.5.3).
var. var. List of nm sheet names (Unicode strings with 16-bit string length, ➜2.5.3)
5.38.2 Internal References
In each file occurs an EXTERNALBOOK that is used for internal 3D references. It stores the number of sheets of the
own document.
Record EXTERNALBOOK for 3D references, BIFF8:
Offset Size Contents
0 2 Number of sheets in this document
2 2 01 H 04 H (relict of BIFF5, the byte string “”, see ➜2.5.9)
5.38.3 Add-In Functions
Add-in function names are stored in EXTERNNAME records following this EXTERNALBOOK record.
Record EXTERNALBOOK for add-in functions, BIFF8:
Offset Size Contents
0 2 0001 H
2 2 01 H 3A H (relict of BIFF5, the byte string “:”, see EXTERNSHEET record, ➜5.41)
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