How can I edit a local spreadsheet within Firefox?

You say the file has to be stored locally, but is there a restriction that prevents you from uploading it to Google Docs, editing it, then re-saving it locally? I assume there must be since you've considered Google Docs, but I thought I'd ask. There are some other online editing tools that I'm aware of, but I think they all have similar file upload requirements.

I'm a little confused. You need to edit the spreadsheet that is stored on, say, a shared network drive or shared on someone else's machine, but the only piece of software available is Firefox? You don't even have a text editor?

1. What software created the spreadsheet? 2. What OpenOffice plugin are you referring to? Got a link? 3. Who, exactly, needs to edit/save the spreadsheet... you only, others using the local computer, or you/others over the internet? 4. Do you have OpenOffice installed on the local computer? Any other office application? Lessee if we can make an X outa this XY.

I realise that what I want to do is a pretty non-usual way of doing things, and therefore may not be feasible or even remotely possible. I realise it would be much easier to do what I want in a different fashion, and I may end up doing it in a different fashion, but I'd rather do it in the way I want to if that's possible. I realise that this would be so much easier with a service like Google Docs, but I can't always guarantee internet access. An offline version of Google Docs would be ideal, I think. OpenOffice created the spreadsheet. It's all I have on hand, because it's free and convenient to download, but I'm not tied to that specific software. http://mozillalinks.org/2007/09/openofficeorg-documents-within-firefox/ that comes with OpenOffice. It will let me view the document but to edit it, I have to load OpenOffice. I'd rather avoid opening another window to edit the file. I am the only person who needs to edit the file, locally. Since I can't be sure that there will be internet access, an internet based solution wouldn't work, unfortunately. OpenOffice is installed locally. I don't have any other editing software, but I can get some if it will do the job.

If no one knows of a Firefox addon that can do this, here's a silly idea for you. I'm assuming you are a Windows user. If you have adequate hardware you can spin up a small sized virtual machine and install a VNC server that has a Java client (UltraVNC or RealVNC both support this feature, for example). Then, connect with Firefox and edit your spreadsheet in the remote desktop. BAM. Mission accomplished. Crazy overkill, but mission accomplished. If you are a Linux user you probably don't need a VM, I think you might be able to get away with installing VNC and then connecting to localhost, but I have never tried this.

OpenOffice is installed locally. I don't have any other editing software, but I can get some if it will do the job. You're still leaving important details out. Why not use Open Office's spreadsheet app to edit your spreadsheet?

How is that relevant to answering the question?

How is that relevant to answering the question? I think we're trying to figure out the broader context of the question so that we can offer better answers. Does the exact formatting of the spreadsheet need to be preserved, or is it all about the data? Are you looking to make major edits or just one or two things? Are you on a locked-down computer? (Is that the reason for the question?) Personally, I don't know a direct answer for what you're trying to do, but I might be able to suggest something broadly similar, but I don't know what you're trying to do, in broader terms.

Aside from tracert's solution (connecting to a virtual machine through Firefox to make the VM run the proper software for you) which is quite roundabout, the only other suggestion I would have is to set up a local private web server and run a spreadsheet editing web app on it. There are a number of them out there. You don't have to be online because the server is your own machine. FWIW, people are responding weirdly to your question because without details it seems like you're applying an incompatible tool to the job just to avoid opening another window. You're certainly welcome to not explain yourself to us, but I think that is the source of the response you've received so far.