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SQL*Plus SPOOL File Output with .XLSX Extension Fails to Open in Excel (Doc ID 2423612.1)

Last updated on DECEMBER 19, 2024

Applies to:

SQL*Plus - Version 11.1.0.6 and later
Information in this document applies to any platform.

Symptoms

Use SQL*Plus SPOOL command to generate an .xlsx output file.  When attempting to open this output file in MS Excel, it fails with the following error message:

Excel cannot open the file 'spooled_output.xlsx' because the file format or file extension is not valid. Verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extension matches the format of the file.
  [OK]



STEPS:           

The issue can be reproduced at will when executing the following sample script in SQL*Plus:

Then, attempt to open /tmp/spooled_output.xlsx in MS Excel.
It will fail with the reported error above.

Changes

Generating .xlsx output files.

Cause

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In this Document
Symptoms
Changes
Cause
Solution
References


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