NUMBERS file format
| Extension | .numbers |
| Category | documents |
| Programs | Apple Numbers |
| Main program | Apple iWork |
| Description | Files with a .numbers extension are unique to Apple's Numbers application, a spreadsheet program part of the Mac OS X iWork suite. This software is similar to Microsoft Excel in the Windows Office Suite, enabling users to create spreadsheets, generate tables, and use complex formulas for data calculations. However, it's important to remember that, despite their similarities, the proprietary structure of .numbers files prevents them from being opened in Excel or LibreOffice Calc. |
| Technical details | The .numbers file format, created by the Numbers software, is essentially a compressed archive of various files that combine to form a .numbers file. The specific files included in a .numbers document depend on the data displayed in the spreadsheet. The latest version of Numbers, from Apple Inc., stores spreadsheets in a folder containing proprietary IWA formatted files, .plist files, and .jpg screenshots, used for document previews. Crucially, like other proprietary office suites, the .numbers file format is not compatible with other popular spreadsheet applications, such as Excel and LibreOffice Calc. |
| MIME type | application/x-iwork-numbers-sffnumbers application/vnd.apple.numbers |