I am automating a program which uses input and output files that are the same as .XLS files (BIFF8 I'm guessing).

To create, read, and write these files, I use Excel automation, creating an OLEapplication and then use Delpi-ized VBA to do the work.

This is taking too much CPU time and pages of difficult to read code - especially when I return to it 5 years after I wrote it.

Since these files are primitive, small, single sheet, n rows by m columns of numerical values w/o formatting, I'm thinking I should do this directly w/o Excel automation.

However, I'm not sure, and don't want to waste time down a dead end.

I'm looking for speed, simplicity and free unfortunately. (what is that saying, You can only get any two but not all three?)
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To solve the obtuse code problem, I'm tempted to work through .CSV files, limiting Excel to simply converting from and to XLS files. It may be slower (maybe not since VBA is slow, but then maybe not slow when "VBA" is run from Delphi), but the code would be easily understood.