BIFFtiedostoformaattiin

BIFF is a file format family developed by Microsoft for storing spreadsheet data. BIFF stands for Binary Interchange File Format. It was used in early versions of Microsoft Excel, prior to the introduction of the more modern XLSX format. BIFF files are binary files, meaning they are not human-readable in plain text editors. The format evolved over time, with different versions of BIFF corresponding to different versions of Excel. These versions often introduced new features or data types, requiring corresponding updates to the BIFF specification. For example, BIFF8 was used by Excel 97-2003. While largely superseded by XML-based formats like XLSX, BIFF files are still encountered, particularly when working with legacy spreadsheets. Many modern spreadsheet applications and programming libraries retain compatibility with BIFF formats to allow for the import and export of older Excel files. The structure of a BIFF file is a series of records, each with a type and length, followed by data. These records define various aspects of the spreadsheet, including cell values, formatting, formulas, and chart information. Understanding BIFF can be important for data recovery or for working with historical spreadsheet data.