Convert XSL to XLS

Understanding xsl and xls file formats

XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) is a file format used to define the presentation of XML documents. It is primarily used for transforming XML data into different formats, such as HTML or other XML structures, using XSLT (XSL Transformations). XSL files are not spreadsheets, but rather style sheets for XML data.

XLS is the proprietary spreadsheet file format used by Microsoft Excel prior to Excel 2007. It stores data in cells organized in rows and columns, supporting formulas, charts, and formatting.

Why convert xsl to xls?

Converting XSL to XLS is not a direct process, as XSL is not a data file but a stylesheet. However, if you have an XML file and an XSL file, you can use the XSL to transform the XML into a tabular format (such as CSV or HTML table), which can then be imported into Excel and saved as XLS.

How to convert xsl to xls

1. Transform XML with XSL: Use an XSLT processor (like Saxon or Altova XMLSpy) to apply the XSL stylesheet to your XML file, generating a CSV or HTML table output.
2. Open the output in Excel: Launch Microsoft Excel and use File → Open to open the generated CSV or HTML file.
3. Save as XLS: In Excel, go to File → Save As and select XLS as the output format.

Recommended software for conversion

• Altova XMLSpy: A powerful XML editor that supports XSLT transformations and exporting results to Excel-compatible formats.
• Saxon XSLT Processor: A popular tool for applying XSLT to XML files, available as a command-line utility.
• Microsoft Excel: For importing CSV or HTML tables and saving as XLS.

Summary

Direct conversion from XSL to XLS is not possible, but by transforming XML data with XSL into a tabular format, you can easily import the result into Excel and save it as an XLS file. Altova XMLSpy and Saxon are recommended for the transformation step, while Microsoft Excel is ideal for the final conversion to XLS.