diff --git a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Cell.java b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Cell.java
index 65f6447203..28b8b14ea2 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Cell.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Cell.java
@@ -17,8 +17,14 @@
 
 package org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel;
 
-public interface Cell {
+import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFRichTextString;
 
+/**
+ * This is a JDK 1.4 compatible interface for HSSFCell.
+ * If you are using JDK 1.5 or later, use the other set of interfaces,
+ *  which work properly for both HSSFCell and XSSFCell
+ */
+public interface Cell {
     /**
      * Numeric Cell type (0)
      * @see #setCellType(int)
@@ -67,4 +73,20 @@ public interface Cell {
 
     public final static int CELL_TYPE_ERROR = 5;
 
+
+    int getCellType();
+    short getCellNum();
+
+    byte getErrorCellValue();
+    String getCellFormula();
+
+    boolean getBooleanCellValue();
+    double getNumericCellValue();
+    HSSFRichTextString getRichStringCellValue();
+
+    void setCellType(int cellType);
+    void setCellValue(boolean value);
+    void setCellValue(double value);
+    void setCellValue(RichTextString value);
+    void setCellFormula(String formula);
 }
diff --git a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/CreationHelper.java b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/CreationHelper.java
index d9e545ca13..fb560199cc 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/CreationHelper.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/CreationHelper.java
@@ -16,4 +16,13 @@
 ==================================================================== */
 package org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel;
 
-public interface CreationHelper {}
+import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFRichTextString;
+
+/**
+ * This is a JDK 1.4 compatible interface for HSSFCreationHelper.
+ * If you are using JDK 1.5 or later, use the other set of interfaces,
+ *  which work properly for both HSSFCreationHelper and XSSFCreationHelper
+ */
+public interface CreationHelper {
+    HSSFRichTextString createRichTextString(String text);
+}
diff --git a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/RichTextString.java b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/RichTextString.java
index 0d2e17d820..d026f05fb7 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/RichTextString.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/RichTextString.java
@@ -17,4 +17,11 @@
 
 package org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel;
 
-public interface RichTextString {}
+/**
+ * This is a JDK 1.4 compatible interface for HSSFRichTextString.
+ * If you are using JDK 1.5 or later, use the other set of interfaces,
+ *  which work properly for both HSSFRichTextString and XSSFRichTextString
+ */
+public interface RichTextString {
+    String getString();
+}
diff --git a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Row.java b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Row.java
index 46d58cfb84..80a191d7c6 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Row.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Row.java
@@ -17,4 +17,20 @@
 
 package org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel;
 
-public interface Row {}
+import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFCell;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+
+/**
+ * This is a JDK 1.4 compatible interface for HSSFRow.
+ * If you are using JDK 1.5 or later, use the other set of interfaces,
+ *  which work properly for both HSSFRow and XSSFRow
+ */
+public interface Row {
+    int getRowNum();
+    short getFirstCellNum();
+    short getLastCellNum();
+    int getPhysicalNumberOfCells();
+    HSSFCell getCell(int cellnum);
+
+    Iterator cellIterator();
+}
diff --git a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Sheet.java b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Sheet.java
index e2acdec93f..ef5aac4cea 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Sheet.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Sheet.java
@@ -17,4 +17,19 @@
 
 package org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel;
 
-public interface Sheet {}
+import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFRow;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+
+/**
+ * This is a JDK 1.4 compatible interface for HSSFSheet.
+ * If you are using JDK 1.5 or later, use the other set of interfaces,
+ *  which work properly for both HSSFSheet and XSSFSheet
+ */
+public interface Sheet {
+    int getPhysicalNumberOfRows();
+    int getFirstRowNum();
+    int getLastRowNum();
+
+    HSSFRow getRow(int rownum);
+    Iterator rowIterator();
+}
diff --git a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Workbook.java b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Workbook.java
index 728736a6cd..871947bd32 100644
--- a/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Workbook.java
+++ b/src/ooxml/interfaces-jdk14/org/apache/poi/ss/usermodel/Workbook.java
@@ -17,4 +17,26 @@
 
 package org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel;
 
-public interface Workbook {}
+import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.*;
+
+/**
+ * This is a JDK 1.4 compatible interface for HSSFWorkbook.
+ * If you are using JDK 1.5 or later, use the other set of interfaces,
+ *  which work properly for both HSSFWorkbook and XSSFWorkbook
+ */
+public interface Workbook {
+    int getNumberOfSheets();
+    short getNumberOfFonts();
+    int getNumberOfNames();
+
+    HSSFName getNameAt(int index);
+    String getNameName(int index);
+
+    String getSheetName(int sheet);
+    HSSFSheet getSheetAt(int index);
+    int getSheetIndex(String name);
+    int getSheetIndex(Sheet sheet);
+    int getSheetIndexFromExternSheetIndex(int externSheetNumber);
+
+    CreationHelper getCreationHelper();
+}