http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nav/archive/2012/10/04/excel-buffer-using-openxml-instead-of-excel-automation.aspxIn Microsoft Dynamics NAV, there are several areas that enable the user to perform analysis in Microsoft Excel. Areas such as importing and exporting budgets, analysis by dimensions, and a number of selected reports all use Excel Buffer to export dataen-USTelligent Evolution Platform Developer Build (Build: 5.6.50428.7875)http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nav/archive/2012/10/04/excel-buffer-using-openxml-instead-of-excel-automation.aspx#10386800Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:10:11 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:10386800Steffen Balslev<p>Great question! One of the main reasons that we moved the document generation to the server was precisely the automation difficulties. The Open XML file format allows us to be independent of Excel versions and provides a way to avoid Excel automation when the document is created. On the server, the Excel Buffer writes to a file based on a set of rules that are defined by the Open XML file format for spreadsheets. When complete, the file is downloaded to the client and opened using the version of Excel that is present on the client computer.</p> <p>As long as you have a version of Excel that supports the Open XML file format, you can open any server-generated Open XML spreadsheet.</p> <p>If you want to know more about the Open XML file format, here’s the link to more information on the ECMA-376 standard: <a rel="nofollow" target="_new" href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/gg607163(v=office.14).aspx">msdn.microsoft.com/.../gg607163(v=office.14).aspx</a>. </p> <p>-Steffen Balslev</p> <div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=10386800" width="1" height="1">http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nav/archive/2012/10/04/excel-buffer-using-openxml-instead-of-excel-automation.aspx#10386613Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:40:23 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:10386613Capone<p>Very interesting!</p> <p>However I wonder how it deals with different Excel versions.</p> <p>The problem that exists with excel automation is that sometimes users have different versions of excel which you have make code around so the user uses the correct automation depending on which excel version it uses.</p> <p>How does this version work if the server and the user has different versions of excel?</p> <div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=10386613" width="1" height="1">