The Microsoft Excel File Format - OpenOffice.org

5 Worksheet/Workbook Records
5.40 EXTERNCOUNT
BIFF2 BIFF3 BIFF4 BIFF5 BIFF8
0016 H 0016 H 0016 H 0016 H —
This record contains the number of following EXTERNSHEET records. In BIFF8 this record is omitted because there
occurs only one EXTERNSHEET record. See ➜4.10.1 for details about external references in BIFF2-BIFF4 and
➜4.10.2 for BIFF5.
Record EXTERNCOUNT, BIFF2-BIFF5:
Offset Size Contents
0 2 Number of following EXTERNSHEET records (➜5.41)
5.41 EXTERNSHEET
BIFF2 BIFF3 BIFF4 BIFF5 BIFF8
0017 H 0017 H 0017 H 0017 H 0017 H
5.41.1 Record Contents (BIFF2-BIFF5)
In the file format versions up to BIFF5 this record stores the name of an external document and a sheet name inside of
this document. See ➜4.10.1 for details about external references in BIFF2-BIFF4 and ➜4.10.2 for BIFF5.
Record EXTERNSHEET, BIFF2-BIFF5:
Offset Size Contents
0 var. Encoded document and sheet name (➜2.5.9). Byte string, 8-bit string length (➜2.5.2).
The string length field is decreased by 1, if the EXTERNSHEET stores a reference to one of the own sheets (first
! character is 03 H ). Example: The formula =Sheet2!A1 contains a reference to an EXTERNSHEET record with the
string “Sheet2”. The string consists of 7 characters but the string length field contains the value 6.
If a formula uses an add-in function, a special EXTERNSHEET record will occur, followed by an EXTERNNAME
record with the name of the function.
Record EXTERNSHEET for add-in functions, BIFF2-BIFF5:
Offset Size Contents
0 2 01 H 3A H (byte string, 8-bit string length, containing the colon “:”)
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