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The Xls writer exports spreadsheets to Excel 97-2003 format (.xls), also known as BIFF (Binary Interchange File Format). Namespace: PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Xls Extends: BaseWriter

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Class Overview

The Xls writer creates binary files in the Excel 5.0/95 and Excel 97-2003 formats. This format uses the BIFF structure within an OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) container.
The Xls format has limitations compared to newer formats. Consider using Xlsx for new projects unless backward compatibility is required.

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Constructor

public function __construct(Spreadsheet $spreadsheet)
Creates a new Xls writer instance.
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spreadsheet
Spreadsheet
required
The spreadsheet object to write

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Key Methods

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save()

public function save($filename, int $flags = 0): void
Saves the spreadsheet as a .xls file.
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filename
string|resource
required
File path or resource to write to
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flags
int
default:"0"
Optional flags (see IWriter constants)

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Usage Examples

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Basic Export

use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Spreadsheet;
use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Xls;

$spreadsheet = new Spreadsheet();
$sheet = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet();
$sheet->setCellValue('A1', 'Hello World!');

$writer = new Xls($spreadsheet);
$writer->save('hello.xls');

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Disable Formula Calculation

use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Xls;

$writer = new Xls($spreadsheet);
$writer->setPreCalculateFormulas(false);
$writer->save('output.xls');

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Download to Browser

use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Xls;

// Set headers for download
header('Content-Type: application/vnd.ms-excel');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment;filename="report.xls"');
header('Cache-Control: max-age=0');

$writer = new Xls($spreadsheet);
$writer->save('php://output');
exit;

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Write to String

use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Xls;

// Create memory stream
$stream = fopen('php://temp', 'r+');

$writer = new Xls($spreadsheet);
$writer->save($stream);

// Get contents
rewind($stream);
$xlsContent = stream_get_contents($stream);
fclose($stream);

// Use $xlsContent as needed (save to database, send via email, etc.)

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Format Limitations

The Xls format has several limitations compared to Xlsx:

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Row and Column Limits

  • Maximum rows: 65,536 (2^16)
  • Maximum columns: 256 (A-IV)
  • Maximum cell content: 32,767 characters

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Feature Support

The Xls writer supports:
  • ✅ Multiple worksheets (limited to 255)
  • ✅ Cell formatting (fonts, colors, borders, fills)
  • ✅ Number formats
  • ✅ Formulas (with some limitations)
  • ❌ Charts (not supported)
  • ✅ Images (JPEG, PNG, BMP - converted to PNG/JPEG)
  • ⚠️ Rich text (limited support)
  • ✅ Merged cells
  • ✅ Data validation
  • ⚠️ Conditional formatting (limited)
  • ✅ Page setup
  • ✅ Headers and footers
  • ✅ Document properties
  • ✅ Named ranges
  • ✅ Autofilters
  • ❌ Tables (not supported)
  • ✅ Comments
  • ✅ Hyperlinks

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Image Handling

use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Spreadsheet;
use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Worksheet\Drawing;
use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Xls;

$spreadsheet = new Spreadsheet();
$sheet = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet();

// Add image
$drawing = new Drawing();
$drawing->setPath('logo.png');
$drawing->setCoordinates('B2');
$drawing->setWorksheet($sheet);

// GIF and BMP images are automatically converted to PNG
$writer = new Xls($spreadsheet);
$writer->save('with-image.xls');

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Technical Details

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File Structure

The Xls file format consists of:
  1. OLE Container - Provides compound file structure
  2. Workbook Stream - Contains global workbook data
  3. Worksheet Streams - One per worksheet
  4. Summary Information - Document metadata
  5. Document Summary Information - Extended properties

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String Table

The writer maintains a shared string table to optimize storage: 
// Strings are automatically deduplicated
$sheet->setCellValue('A1', 'Text');
$sheet->setCellValue('A2', 'Text'); // Reuses same string table entry

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Color Mapping

The Xls format uses an indexed color palette. PhpSpreadsheet automatically maps RGB colors to the nearest palette color: 
use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Style\Color;

$sheet->getStyle('A1')
    ->getFont()
    ->setColor(new Color('FF0000')); // Mapped to palette

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When to Use Xls

Use the Xls writer when:
  • ✅ Compatibility with Excel 97-2003 is required
  • ✅ Users have older versions of Excel
  • ✅ File format is mandated by legacy systems
  • ✅ Your data fits within the format’s limitations
Consider Xlsx instead when:
  • ❌ You need more than 65,536 rows
  • ❌ You need more than 256 columns
  • ❌ You need charts
  • ❌ You need advanced conditional formatting
  • ❌ File size is a concern (Xlsx is typically smaller)

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