Definition. Spreadsheet preview renders a workbook for viewing inside your product. OfficeAPI lists 10 preview entries in the Excel family, including .xlsx, legacy .xls, WPS, CSV and OpenDocument. The source list repeats .xlsx; it should not be interpreted as 10 unique extensions.
How does preview coverage differ from conversion?
The preview list includes .xlsb, while the conversion source does not mark XLSB as supported input or output. This distinction matters if your application offers both viewing and export.
| Source format | Preview list | Conversion matrix |
|---|---|---|
| XLSX | Listed | Input and output |
| XLS | Listed | Input only |
| XLSB | Listed | No supported direction |
| CSV | Listed | Input and output |
| ODS | Listed | Input only |
Check the complete preview list and conversion matrix separately. Avoid a single “supported” badge that makes a viewer claim look like a promise of conversion or editing.
What should users be able to verify visually?
Start with the question the user needs to answer: whether this is the correct workbook, whether a report is readable, or whether a converted result needs another review. Choose representative files with wide tables, long labels, different cell formats and multiple sheets.
The public overview does not establish an editable spreadsheet grid, formula recalculation behavior or a particular sheet-navigation API. Evaluate what your supplied integration renders and design the surrounding controls accordingly.
How do you plan the preview workflow?
Use 4 checks before shipping:
- Inventory the spreadsheet extensions your users provide, including XLSB if it appears in your collection.
- Choose one of the 2 invocation paths and integrate the engine where your product processes documents.
- Inspect representative workbooks in the actual application window, including the smallest supported screen size.
- Check how your application handles unsupported inputs, interrupted viewing and a user switching between workbooks.
If the next step consumes tabular records rather than a visual view, use the Excel-to-CSV guide to define a separate data-export acceptance check.
How do you avoid a confusing export action?
Show only conversion actions supported by the source matrix for that file. A previewable XLSB file is a useful example: its presence in the viewer should not cause the application to advertise an unsupported XLSB conversion path. Keep the original file available when reviewing output from a supported conversion.
Frequently asked questions
Does preview require Excel to be installed?
OfficeAPI is documented as a zero-dependency engine. It does not require an accompanying office suite for its documented processing capabilities.
Is a CSV preview the same as a workbook?
CSV is a text-data format. Viewing it does not add the workbook's formatting, sheets or interaction model.
Does a supported preview imply editable cells?
No editing capability is established by the preview list. This guide concerns document viewing.