Opening a WLS File

The WLS file type is primarily associated with UVWinLab.

WLS	File extension: WLS
	File type:	scientific data file

What is a WLS file?

WLS files mostly belong to UVWinLab. WLS files are not a single, universal file type but rather a label used for several specialized file formats. In many cases, they store wavelength scan data produced by UV-Vis spectrophotometers. This means they hold measured values of light absorption or transmission over a range of wavelengths.
Other instances of WLS files include:

Spreadsheet Data: A small percentage are formatted as spreadsheets (using a Microsoft Compound structure) that can be found in products like MagicTab’s Works spreadsheet.

Script Files: Some files are Wolfram Language scripts for use with Mathematica. These are often plain text files with shell script formatting. (Wolfram Mathematica)

Wavelink Scripts: Others are scripts from Wavelink Studio used in supply chain or weighing scale data applications. (Ivanti Supply Chain)

Watchlist and Log Files: A few WLS files function as watchlists for financial data (as seen in Amibroker products) or as GPS log files integrated with Microsoft Access.

This diversity means that if you have a WLS file, you should first check what device or software created it. For spectrophotometry data, tools like UVWinLab or Avantes’ software are the answer. For scripts, a text editor or the related development environment (for example, Mathematica) is useful.
FilExt.com tip: Inspecting the file header in a text editor may reveal clues to its origin and internal structure, helping you choose the correct software to open it.

How to open a WLS file

You need a suitable software like UVWinLab to open a WLS file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your WLS file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a WLS file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online WLS Text Viewer

Choose your .wls file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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WLS file format:

The file format determines how the data is stored in the file. The file format can be deduced from the file extension and the signature. However, different programs can use the same file extension, and file extensions can be assigned incorrectly. So a detailed analysis of a file is vital in order to determine the format and the associated program. Below is our analysis of the WLS files:

An WLS file includes very many different file formats. The two most popular formats are as follows:

• 15% of all WLS files start with the bytes 67 00 00 00 crucial for this file format. They consist of unreadable binary data. WLS files can be up to 140 KB in size, but are often around 3 KB - 24 KB. The file type is old but is used even today. The files contain the following words: 1.56.0   Allan   mcu-263-net;13917290617   xV4. Examples of file names are Wavelength Scan 1.wls. Such files are related to comp.
• 9% of all WLS files use the Microsoft Compound File format, which is also known by the name OLE2 Compound Document Format or Composite Document File Format. This is a complex container format used by earlier versions of Microsoft Office and other Windows programs. Compound files begin always with signature bytes D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 (ÐÏࡱá). There is also a globally unique identifier 9c50cf64-f4ea-11cf-8d6e-444553540000. The file contains several sections which are named like OlePres000, SummaryInformation and MagicTab. A typical file size is 90 KB. Such files are related to bpft.

The remaining 76% of all WLS files are different files with different signatures, the following 10 formats can be found: shell script, UTF-8, JetDB, PDF and Wave. These files sometimes refer to monitoring, standard, aolusi, report, care or zncl. You can get all the details of your WLS file by dragging it onto this page or by clicking the button "Choose your .wls file to analyze" above.