WK4 File – What is .wk4 file and how to open it?
WK4 File Extension
Lotus 4 Worksheet – file format by IBM
WK4 is a spreadsheet file developed by IBM for their Lotus 1-2-3 software. It stores data, formulas, and formatting information in a worksheet format. WK4 files were widely used in the 1980s and 1990s but have since been replaced by more modern file formats.
Definition of a WK4 File
A WK4 file is a spreadsheet document created by Lotus 4, a spreadsheet application discontinued in 1990. It is an older file format that stores data in a tabular format, consisting of cells arranged in rows and columns. WK4 files contain worksheets, which can hold text, numbers, formulas, and other formatting. They are similar to modern spreadsheet file formats such as Microsoft Excel’s XLSX, but have a more limited feature set.
Uses of WK4 Files
WK4 files were widely used in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before the dominance of Microsoft Excel. They were frequently employed for financial planning, data analysis, and other business-related tasks. However, with the introduction of more advanced spreadsheet applications, the WK4 format gradually became obsolete. Today, WK4 files are primarily found in legacy systems or as historical archives of old spreadsheet data.
Opening WK4 Files Using Lotus 1-2-3 or Compatible Software
The WK4 file format is specifically associated with the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet application developed by IBM. Therefore, the primary method to open a WK4 file is to use Lotus 1-2-3 itself. If you have a copy of Lotus 1-2-3 installed, simply double-click on the WK4 file to open it. If Lotus 1-2-3 is not installed, you can use compatible software that supports the WK4 format. One such compatible software is IBM Symphony Documents, which can be used to open, view, and edit WK4 files.
Converting WK4 Files to Other Formats
If you do not have access to Lotus 1-2-3 or compatible software, you can convert the WK4 file to a more accessible format, such as CSV or XLSX. There are several online file converters that can perform this conversion. Once the WK4 file has been converted to a different format, it can be opened in various spreadsheet applications, including Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and OpenOffice Calc.
Lotus 4 Worksheet
WK4 files are spreadsheet files created with Lotus 1-2-3 version 4, a spreadsheet software developed by Lotus Development Corporation, now part of IBM. These files store data in a grid format, with each cell containing a value or formula. WK4 files support various data types, including text, numbers, dates, and formulas, and provide basic data analysis and manipulation capabilities. They are notable for their native binary file format, which is incompatible with modern spreadsheet applications.
WK4 File Structure
WK4 files have a hierarchical structure organized into multiple sections, including a header, a data section, and a formula section. The header contains information about the file, such as the file format version and the number of rows and columns in the spreadsheet. The data section stores the actual data values, while the formula section contains the formulas used to calculate values in the data section. This structure allows WK4 files to be relatively efficient and compact, despite their binary nature. However, the binary file format has also contributed to the limited compatibility of WK4 files with other spreadsheet applications.