XLSM to CSV Converter

The XLSM format is a macro-enabled spreadsheet file created by Microsoft Excel 2007 and later versions, utilizing the Office Open XML (OOXML) standard (ISO/IEC 29500). Unlike the standard XLSX format, XLSM files store embedded macros written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), allowing for automation and complex scripting within the workbook. The file structure relies on ZIP compression to contain XML documents for data, styles, and macro binary parts (vbaProject.bin), presenting a security risk that often requires user authorization to execute active content.

XLSM files open natively in Microsoft Excel (2007+) on Windows and macOS, which provides full VBA execution support. For non-Microsoft environments, LibreOffice Calc, OpenOffice Calc, and WPS Office can open these files and view data, though VBA macro execution compatibility varies significantly. Google Sheets can import XLSM data but strips the VBA macros, converting the file to its native format without automation features.

A Comma-Separated Values (CSV) file is a delimited text file format codified under RFC 4180 that uses commas to separate values and newlines to separate records. The format stores tabular data (numbers and text) in plain ASCII or Unicode text, where each line constitutes a data record with identical field sequences. It lacks a formalized schema for styling or formulas, relying solely on character separation for data structure, making it a standard for platform-independent data exchange between disparate database management systems (DBMS).

Due to its plain text architecture, CSV files possess universal native support across all major operating systems. They can be viewed and edited using simple text editors like Microsoft Notepad or Vim, but are optimally managed with spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or Google Sheets, which parse the delimiters to render the data into columns.