The Problem (Q-score 8, ranked #90th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2013
I am writing a program which needs to read and write from excel files, irrespective of the format(xls or xlsx).
I am aware of the Apache POI, but it seems it has different classes to handle xls file(HSSF) and xlsx(XSSF) files.
Anyone aware of how I might achieve what I am trying to do here.
(Ideas for using an API other than POI are also welcome).
Why this Range / Worksheet targeting trips people up
The question centers on reaching a specific cell, range, or workbook object. In Excel VBA, this is the #1 source of failures after activation events: every property (.Value, .Formula, .Address) behaves differently depending on whether the parent Workbook is explicit or implicit.
The Verified Solution — strong answer (top 25 %%) (+15)
10-line Excel VBA pattern (copy-ready)
It’s very easy, just use the common SpreadSheet interfaces
Your code would look something like:
Workbook wb = WorkbookFactory.create(new File("myFile.xls")); // Or .xlsx
Sheet s = wb.getSheet(0);
Row r1 = s.getRow(0);
r1.createCell(4).setCellValue(4.5);
r1.createCell(5).setCellValue("Hello");
FileOutputStream out = new FileOutputStream("newFile.xls"); // Or .xlsx
wb.write(out);
out.close();
You can read, write, edit etc an existing file, both .xls and .xlsx, with exactly the same code as long as you use the common interfaces
When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)
Ranked #90th in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 96% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2013 and 2026
The answer is 13 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.