DOC: Excel BIFF8 FORMAT Record Documentation Is Incomplete (284441)

MORE INFORMATION

The documentation on page 317 shows the structure of a FORMAT record as:

    Offset   Name      Size      Contents
    -------------------------------------
    4        ifmt      2         Format index code
    6        cch       1         Length of the string
    7        rgch      var       The string
				

This structure is correct for earlier versions of the BIFF format, such as BIFF7, but is incorrect for the current version, BIFF8. The correct structure for FORMAT records, which is shown below, complies with the string format for BIFF8 files, as described on page 264 of the "Microsoft Excel 97 Developer's Kit".

    Offset   Name      Size      Contents
    -------------------------------------
    4        ifmt      2         Format index code
    6        cch       2         Length of the string
    7        grbit     1         Option flags (described on page 264)
    8        rgb       var       Array of string characters