If you’ve ever encountered an XPS file and wondered how you can extract data from it into a more workable Excel format, then this guide is for you. We'll cover why you might want to perform this conversion, various methods to accomplish it, and the advantages and drawbacks of each approach.
XPS, or XML Paper Specification, is a file format designed by Microsoft as a direct competitor to Adobe’s PDF. However, XPS never gained the same level of popularity as PDF. Extracting data from an XPS file can be a cumbersome process, especially if you need to manipulate numbers or tables. Excel, on the other hand, is designed for data manipulation and calculation, making it an ideal format for storing this type of information.
One of the easiest ways to convert an XPS file to Excel is through online conversion platforms. Websites such as ‘Convertio’ and ‘Zamzar’ offer free conversions with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
Software like 'Adobe Acrobat DC' and 'Able2Extract' offer more secure ways to convert XPS files to Excel. These tools often come with additional features like batch conversion and OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
If you have a small amount of data, manual copy-pasting could be the simplest method. This involves opening the XPS file, selecting the data, and pasting it into an Excel sheet.
If you are familiar with programming, you can write a script using languages like Python to automate the conversion process. Libraries like ‘PyXPS’ can help parse XPS files.
Converting XPS files to Excel can be a straightforward process, depending on the tools and methods you choose. While online tools offer a quick solution, specialized software provides more features and security. Manual methods are simple but limited, and programming solutions offer the most flexibility but require coding skills.