File types
ModelxcelPro produces a handful of file types, and the most important thing to know about any of them is its job: is it the authoritative record, a companion that must travel with your workbook, or a one-off export? This reference lists every source-verified artifact with its producer, consumer, where it lives, and whether it’s safe to share.
Three kinds of artifact
Every file below is one of three things. Read the “Class” column with this key:
- Source of truth
- The authoritative record. Losing it loses the data — back it up and keep it with the model.
- Sidecar
- A companion file that holds real data and must travel with the workbook to reload (same base name, beside it).
- Export
- A point-in-time snapshot or report you generate on demand. Regenerable from the source; safe to hand off.
The complete list
| File | Produced by | Read by | Where it lives | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
license.lic | Licensing portal (admin) | Add-in activation / startup | %LocalAppData%\Modelxcel\ModelxcelPro\ | ★ Source of truth |
| Proof ledger | Bind / Sign / Verify | Proof commands, on load | Inside the workbook (hidden custom XML part) | ★ Source of truth |
.mxproof | Proof commands (mirror on save) | Proof, as a fallback for legacy files | Beside the workbook (or a per-user cache for cloud files) | ↔ Sidecar (mirror) |
.mxreview | Review Issues (auto-save) | Review Issues, on open | Beside the workbook (same base name) | ↔ Sidecar |
.mxaudit | Audit Trail (auto-save) | Audit Trail, on open | Beside the workbook (same base name) | ↔ Sidecar |
.mxcmp (.mxcmp.json) | Compare → Save Results | Compare Saved Results | Wherever you save it | ⇩ Export |
.mxreplay | Replay Proof → Export | Viewers / tooling (JSON) | Wherever you save it | ⇩ Export |
.mxreplay.signed | Replay Proof (sibling of .mxreplay) | The standalone verifier (offline) | Beside the .mxreplay you exported | ⇩ Export (signed) |
Certificate .json / .xlsx / .pdf | Certificate / Replay Proof | Auditors and reviewers | Wherever you save it | ⇩ Export |
Worksheet Maps - <timestamp>.xlsx | Worksheet Map → Export Map | Reviewers (and the add-in, to navigate back) | The source workbook’s folder | ⇩ Export |
Comparison_Results.xlsx | Compare → Export Results | Reviewers | Wherever you save it | ⇩ Export |
<workbook>_audit.csv · <workbook>_review.csv | Audit Trail / Review Issues → Export CSV | Spreadsheets / trackers | Wherever you save it | ⇩ Export |
Audit and Review can also export a standalone .xlsx (a dashboard plus a data sheet) and an in-workbook report sheet. In-workbook report sheets — like <source>_Map, MXP Compare, MXP Audit Status, and MXP Review Issues — are written into a workbook, not saved as separate files.
Clipboard outputs (not files)
A few commands put results on the clipboard instead of writing a file. These are transient — nothing is persisted to disk until you paste — so they aren’t artifacts in the sense above, but they’re worth knowing about:
- Sensitivity → Copy Data — copies the full results table as tab-delimited text, ready to paste into a worksheet or another tool.
- Worksheet Map → Copy Cell Address / Copy Full Formula — right-click helpers that copy a single address or formula string.
- Machine code → Copy — the License Status dialog’s Copy button puts your machine code on the clipboard.
The license file
license.licThe signed entitlement, stored per user. The current format is a v3 ES256-signed JSON envelope; legacy v2 licenses are signed XML. Sibling files in the same folder hold tamper-resistant metadata.license.licSource of truthThe signed license text (v3 JSON or legacy v2 XML). Verified offline against public keys built into the add-in.license.watermarkMetadataA monotonic “last seen” timestamp used to detect a system clock set backwards (mirrored in the registry).trial.datMetadataThe trial start instant, for developer-build local trials.pin.datMetadataThe legacy (v2) machine-fingerprint pin used by the move counter. Not used by v3 licenses.
The proof ledger has two homes
Workbook custom XML partAuthoritativeA hidden part inside the .xlsx (namespace http://modelxcel.pro/causality/1.0). Travels with the file automatically — this is the source of truth.<workbook>.mxproofMirror (local)A JSON mirror written beside a locally-saved workbook for fallback and command-line tooling.CausalityCache\<guid>.mxproofMirror (cloud)For a workbook at an unresolvable cloud URL, the mirror falls back to a per-user cache under %AppData%\ModelxcelPro.
Because the authoritative ledger is inside the workbook, proof data travels with the file with no extra steps. The Audit & Review sidecars are different: .mxreview and .mxaudit are separate files and must be kept beside the workbook (same base name) to reload — see sharing, below.
.mxreplay vs .mxreplay.signed
Replay Proof writes two files. The bare .mxreplay is the certificate JSON carrying only a SHA-256 self-hash — useful for viewing, but anyone can regenerate one. The sibling .mxreplay.signed is an Ed25519-signed envelope and is the externally verifiable artifact: a third party can verify it offline, without your workbooks, using the bundled verifier. The envelope embeds only the public key. (The Certificate command’s output, by contrast, is SHA-256 self-hashed and not externally verifiable.)
What’s safe to share
Share the sidecars with the model — and mind what exports contain
To hand off a model with its review state, share the .mxreview and .mxaudit sidecars alongside the workbook (same base name); email just the .xlsx and the findings won’t follow. Proof data already rides inside the workbook. Exports may contain more than you expect: the comparison and certificate .xlsx/.pdf reports embed formulas, workbook paths, and ledger hashes (the Replay certificate keeps the full JSON on a hidden sheet), and .mxcmp stores both sides of a diff. Review an export before sending it outside your organization. The one artifact that is not shareable is license.lic — it is machine-bound and personal; another machine can’t use it.
Where to go next