An Object Linking and Embedding (.xla)
.xla file signature | application/vnd.ms-excel
An Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) Compound File is a structured storage format created by Microsoft for storing multiple streams and storages within a single file. It has been used by Microsoft Office applications, including Excel add-ins and other Office documents in older Windows environments. The format is legacy and largely superseded by newer Office formats; like other OLE files, it can carry embedded content, so files from untrusted sources should be handled with caution.
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1
Sources: Apache Tika, Gary Kessler
All Known Signatures
5 signature variants are documented for .xla files across multiple sources.
| Hex Signature | Offset | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 | 0 | Apache Tika, Gary Kessler |
| 4D 69 63 72 6F 73 6F 66 74 20 45 78 63 65 6C 20 35 2E 30 20 57 6F 72 6B 73 68 65 65 74 | 2080 | Apache Tika |
| 46 6F 67 6C 69 6F 20 64 69 20 6C 61 76 6F 72 6F 20 4D 69 63 72 6F 73 6F 66 74 20 45 78 63 65 | 2080 | Apache Tika |
| 42 69 66 66 35 | 2114 | Apache Tika |
| 42 69 66 66 35 | 2121 | Apache Tika |
Extension
.xla
MIME Type
application/vnd.ms-excel
Byte Offset
0
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .xla files in Python
def is_xla(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid XLA by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0xD0, 0xCF, 0x11, 0xE0, 0xA1, 0xB1, 0x1A, 0xE1])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(8) == signatureHow to validate .xla files in Node.js
function isXLA(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0xD0, 0xCF, 0x11, 0xE0, 0xA1, 0xB1, 0x1A, 0xE1]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 8).equals(signature);
}How to validate .xla files in Go
func IsXLA(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0xD0, 0xCF, 0x11, 0xE0, 0xA1, 0xB1, 0x1A, 0xE1}
if len(data) < 8 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:8], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/xla
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/xla
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .xla file?
A .xla file is a An Object Linking and Embedding file. An Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) Compound File is a structured storage format created by Microsoft for storing multiple streams and storages within a single file. It has been used by Microsoft Office applications, including Excel add-ins and other Office documents in older Windows environments. The format is legacy and largely superseded by newer Office formats; like other OLE files, it can carry embedded content, so files from untrusted sources should be handled with caution.
What are the magic bytes for .xla files?
The magic bytes for An Object Linking and Embedding files are D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .xla file?
To validate a .xla file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .xla files?
The primary MIME type for .xla files is application/vnd.ms-excel.
Is it safe to open .xla files?
An Object Linking and Embedding (.xla) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.