What is the REP file format?
.rep is a report file format native to SAP BusinessObjects, the enterprise business intelligence suite developed by BusinessObjects S.A. (acquired by SAP in 2007). A .rep file is a report document generated by the BusinessObjects desktop client, embedding query definitions, page layout, and formatted results drawn from connected data sources such as relational databases or OLAP cubes.
Older BusinessObjects desktop reports stored their content as ASCII text and could be opened in any text editor; later versions introduced proprietary binary or mixed binary/XML structures, so not every .rep is reliably human-readable outside the SAP BI client.
Worth noting: .rep is a heavily overloaded extension with no universal file signature (magic bytes). The same extension is also used by certain games for binary replay files, and by many applications for plain-text log or summary reports. The only reliable way to identify which format you have is to know the originating program.
- BusinessObjects report - open with the SAP BusinessObjects / BI client
- Plain-text log or summary report - open in any text editor such as Notepad
- Game or app replay - open with the originating game or application
For Crystal Reports documents, look for the .RPT format instead. BusinessObjects universe definitions use .UNV, and Web Intelligence documents carry the .wid extension.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWMost .rep files are passive reports (text or report documents) and pose little risk on their own. The main caution is that .rep is so generic you should know the source: only open business-intelligence reports and game replays in their legitimate application, and be wary of a 'report' file from an unknown source. The bigger SEO hazard is search results pushing generic 'universal .rep opener' downloads - these are often PUP/adware; identify the real source program instead.
Format details
in a nutshell- Game replay file - Many games (StarCraft, Warcraft III, and others) save match replays as .rep, opened by replaying them in the game itself.
- Act! (Sage Act!) report template - The Act! CRM stores report templates/definitions as .rep.
- Generic program / error report (text) - Lotus Organizer, dBASE and many utilities write plain-text .rep status or error reports you can open in any text editor.
Programs that open REP files
Windows3 apps
SAP BusinessObjects / BI client
Paid If it's a BusinessObjects report, open it in the BusinessObjects desktop/BI client that produced it (e.g. Web Intelligence / Desktop Intelligence).
Notepad / any text editor
Open-source Open the .rep to check whether it's a plain-text report (program/error output). If it's readable text, you're done; if it's binary garbage, it needs its source app.
The originating game (for replays)
Built-in If the .rep is a game replay, place it in the game's replay folder and open/watch it from inside the game - there's no generic viewer. 
macOS1 app
TextEdit (text reports)
Built-in Open a text-based .rep as plain text to read it; binary/app-specific .rep files need their own program. Technical details
deep spec| Developer | SAP SE (BusinessObjects division; originally BusinessObjects S.A., acquired by SAP in 2007) |
| Primary use | Desktop business intelligence report document containing query definitions, page layout, and formatted output |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| File signature | None - no reliable magic bytes; content type must be determined by the originating application |
| Extension overloading | Heavily overloaded: the same .rep extension is used by games for binary replay files and by many applications for plain-text log or summary reports |
| Encoding - older versions | ASCII plain text; openable in any text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit |
| Encoding - newer versions | Proprietary binary or mixed binary/XML structure; requires the SAP BI client to open |
| Data sources | Relational databases, OLAP cubes, and flat files accessed through BusinessObjects universe (.unv) connections |
| Primary platform | Windows (SAP BusinessObjects / BI client) |
| Proprietary format | Yes - closed, proprietary SAP specification with no published open standard |
| Related SAP formats | .wid (Web Intelligence document) and .unv (BusinessObjects universe definition) |
| Crystal Reports companion | .rpt - a separate SAP product with a distinct file structure, often confused with .rep |
| Identification method | Context or header inspection; no single signature reliably distinguishes a BusinessObjects .rep from other .rep variants |
| Text editor compatibility | Partial - ASCII-based variants are readable in any text editor; binary variants require the originating SAP BI client |
| Released | BusinessObjects desktop reporting (pre-SAP and post-SAP acquisition, 2007) |
| Specification | www.sap.com |
REP conversions
Community Q&A
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