Export to csv (comma separated value) in excel and then import the csv file into the program of your choice. I would strongly recommend you use Python if you want to parse these data files. Python tutorial Here's an example of how to create a matrix of the cells from a csv file.
Code:
# open the file and store it in "spreadsheet"
spreadsheet = open("filename.csv")
# split "spreadsheet" into a one dimensional list of rows
spreadsheet.split("\n")
# split those rows into columns, creating a matrix (two dimensional list)
index = 0
while index < len(spreadsheet):
spreadsheet[index] = spreadsheet[index].split(",")
index += 1
# BAM a matrix of cells, Python is the perfect language for this kind of stuff
EDIT:
Or if you want to do it with one line:
Code:
spreadsheet = [row.split(",") for row in open("somename.csv").split("\n")]
Now is that a powerful language or what? It beats the s*** out of Perl and Ruby, the two languages closest to Python.