The Problem (Q-score 4, ranked #53rd of 95 in the VBA Core archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2010
Or at least describe about.aspx
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 95 VBA Core entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds solid answer (above median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+11)
Advisory answer — community consensus with reference links
Note: the verified answer below is a reference / advisory response rather than a copy-ready snippet.
For .aspx I assumed it stands for:
Active Server Page eXtended format
Though another opinion is that:
these files typically contain static (X)HTML markup, as well as markup defining server-side Web Controls and User Controls
Apparently it was the cool thing to do at time (the quote actually talks about the original name XSP, but doesn’t rule it out as an option):
The initial prototype was called “XSP”; Guthrie explained in a 2007 interview that, “People would always ask what the X stood for. At the time it really didn’t stand for anything. XML started with that; XSLT started with that. Everything cool seemed to start with an X, so that’s what we originally named it.”
For the office documents, since they are in XML format, it stands for XML.
When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)
Ranked #53rd in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 91% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the VBA Core archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2010 and 2026
The answer is 16 years old. The VBA Core 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.