.XLL

📌 The .XLL file layout and hierarchy serves for storing and opening up custom add-ins utilized by Microsoft Excel, a popular spreadsheet-oriented solution and service. Basically, the .XLL schema comprises miscellaneous templates, functions, or other features that improve the overall capabilities of Excel suite. Examples of add-ins suggest custom template managers and chart generators. Initially, the entire .XLL standard area was introduced in 1996 with the consequent release and publication of Microsoft Excel 97. As a matter of fact, it is normally saved and opened in the identical extension representation as the Dynamic Link Library (in short, .DLL) file category but is renamed into .XLL tag to indicate its direct and implicit association and relation with the Excel bundle. On the make-up and composition, the .XLL logic is pretty close to .XLAM and .XLA add-in resources taking into consideration that they both offer a featured arsenal that extends the initial functional abilities of Excel. Nevertheless, .XLAM and .XLA patterns are written in the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming approach while .XLL instances are coded with the involvement of C++/C programming principles. While Microsoft manages to develop a small amount of advanced add-ins, third-party software companies succeeded in creating an overwhelming majority of them.

How to open an .XLL file?

📌 .XLL items are not suggested to be opened up directly, in the manual methodology. Instead, you are recommended to install a proper .XLL entry in Microsoft Excel environment to add and integrate its overall capabilities to the suite. In order to properly install an .XLL file item:

• pick File -> Options -> Add-Ins menu branch
• in the displayed Manage dropdown menu, pick Excel Add-Ins option, and then click Go button
• in the available Add-Ins form, pick the “Browse…” element and finally choose the requested .XLL file entry you would prefer to install.