[Novalug] how to open an old file made by Quattro Pro

David L Durant emags4DLD@cox.net
Fri Sep 28 11:28:45 EDT 2012


------------------------------------------------------------------------
On 09/28/2012 10:53 AM, Mark Metz wrote:
 >
> I think it's WB(number one) not WB(letter 'el') for Quattro Pro.
> Later files were .WB2, .WB3, etc.
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Oh - I just copy/pasted the extension from the original message.

If there is no linux viewer for QuattroPro workbooks, some forum may
reveal how to combine filters to transform the file for viewing.
I have used the linux strings filter before to see readable text.
Of course you won't get the numbers or the dates, or the formats.

Perhaps view the file in a hex editor to examine its content?

More follows from http://filext.com/file-extension/WB1 :
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Detailed information for file extension WB1:
> Primary association: Argo WebLoad
>
> Other applications associated with file type WB1:
>
> QuattroPro for Windows (Spreadsheet) by Corel Corporation
> Spreadsheet; Quatro Pro for Windows Notebook
> This association is classified as Spreadsheet.
> The Mime types used with this association are:
> application/x-quattro-win, application/quattro-pro,
> application/x-qpro, application/x-quattropro,
> application/x-quattro-win, application/wb1, application/x-wb1.
> The identifying characters used for this association are -
> Hex: 00 00 02 00 , ASCII:
> Program ID: QuattroProNotebook , QuattroPro.Notebook ,
> QuattroPro.Notebook.7 , QuattroPro.Notebook.10 ,
> QuattroPro.Notebook.11
>
> WebShots (Image) by Twofold Photos, Inc.
> The Mime types used with this association are: application/x-webshots.
> The identifying characters used for this association are -
> Hex: 57 57 42 42 31 31 31 31 , ASCII: WWBB1111
> ----------------------------------------------
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David L Durant <emags4DLD@cox.net>
> To: novalug <novalug@calypso.tux.org>
> Sent: Fri, Sep 28, 2012 10:27 am
> Subject: Re: [Novalug] how to open an old file made by Quattro Pro
>
> This site collects information about file extensions and content types.
> I recall seeing a breakdown of internal formats for some binary files.
>
> http://filext.com/file-extension/WBL
>
> .WBL File
> File extension: WBL
> File type: II Upload
>
> Detailed information for file extension WBL:
> Primary association: Argo WebLoad
>
> http://filext.com/file-extension/WBL#
>
> System Info for File Extension .WBL
> The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the
> 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database
> and information FILExt collected directly from user systems.
> ProgramID: WBLfile
> EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\BPINST\Bpinst.exe
>
> Dave
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> On 09/28/2012 10:08 AM, Mark Metz wrote:
>   >
>>  I would think not. Without an application to open the file, no operating
>>  system is going to work.
>>  I am of the same mind set as Rich. What specifically is the challenge?
>>  Excel will run under Wine in Linux and there is a converter for WB0
>>  files for Excel. So you can make it work in Linux, but is that really
>>  the challenge?
>>  Likewise, OO and LibreOffice run under Mac and Windows so that doesn't
>>  make Linux special.
>>  Likewise 2, as Rich suggests, backwards compatability is a problem in
>>  any operating system. Worst in the Apple OS (No further System 9 and
>>  prior support since 10.4), perhaps not as bad in Linux (depends on the
>>  developer), perhaps best in Windows (I can run Win95 apps in Win7 and
>>  open files from apps from DOS days).
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: Miles D. Oliver<miles.d.oliver@gmail.com>
>>  To: sean<sean@mcgowanet.com>
>>  Cc: novalug<novalug@calypso.tux.org>
>>  Sent: Fri, Sep 28, 2012 9:52 am
>>  Subject: Re: [Novalug] how to open an old file made by Quattro Pro
>>
>>  Isn't the challenge to use Linux only?
>>
>>  On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 9:46 AM,<sean@mcgowanet.com
>>  <mailto:sean@mcgowanet.com>>  wrote:
>>
>>      On 2012-09-28 08:41,rich@the-goodwins.us
>>      <mailto:rich@the-goodwins.us>  wrote:
>>       >  On 28.09.2012 09:10, Nino R. Pereira wrote:
>>       >>  List,
>>       >>
>>       >>  Since I'm always boasting to my colleagues that linux can do all
>>       >>  kinds
>>       >>  of things way beyond
>>       >>  Windows, a colleague of mine sent me a challenge: open a file with
>>       >>  extension wbl,
>>       >>  ostensibly made with Quattro Pro some 15 years ago.
>>       >>
>>       >>  Any suggestions? I tried OpenOffice of course, but this didn't work.
>>       >>  'file' tells me it's
>>       >>  a Lotus 123 file. This is an old Windows spreadsheet program,
>>       >>  correct?
>>       >>
>>       >>  pereira@steve:~$ file 602W99.WB1
>>       >>  602W99.WB1: Lotus 1-2-3
>>       >>
>>       >>  Any suggestions?
>>       >
>>       >  So this is a challenge. How well does Office 2010 deal with the same
>>       >  file? Google is dropping Office formats older than 97-2003 and
>>       >  older.
>>       >  Push back on the underlying inference that Office can work - and I am
>>       >  not sure that is still the case.
>>       >
>>       >  Rich
>>
>>      If I recall, I had to open a .wb1 file about 7 years ago. I believe my
>>      solution was to install Microsoft Works (because I had a copy that came
>>      with an old desktop) and open it, save as a csv and then open with
>>      another spreadsheet. At the time, my Office suite would not open it (I
>>      think it was MSOffice 2001).



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