Document file format

A document file format is a text or binary file format for storing documents on a storage media, especially for use by computers. There currently exist a multitude of incompatible document file formats. The file format currently used by Microsoft Word (.doc) is arguably the most widespread de facto-standard.

A rough consensus has been established that XML is to be the basis for future document file formats. Open XML-based standards include DocBook and, more recently, OpenDocument. The latter became an ISO standard on May 3, 2006. Microsoft also has an XML-based standard, but due to licensing issues this is not an open format.

In 1993 the ITU-T tried to establish a standard for document file formats, known as the Open Document Architecture (ODA) which was supposed to replace all competing document file formats. It is described in ITU-T documents T.411 through T.421, which are equivalent to ISO 8613. It did not succeed.

Page description programming languages such as PostScript and PDF have become the de facto-standard for documents that a typical user should only be able to be read, not edit.

Common document file formats

Amigaguide
CHM (Microsoft's help format)
DocBook
HLP
HTML (.html, .htm), in combination with possible image files referred to; IE can also combine these, having just one MHT-file to represent a webpage.
OpenDocument
PalmDoc Handheld de facto document standard.
Plucker Handheld navigable wide used document standard.
PDF - many people can read them (since the viewer is free), fewer can make and edit them
RTF (a textual encoding of the data in a Word DOC; many programs' Word export filters actually write RTF as RTF is much easier to generate reliably)
SYmbolic LinK (SYLK)
TeX
Troff
TXT (plain text)
Microsoft Word (.doc) (Format revised and altered in new software versions; structural binary format identical since Word 97; specifications available from Microsoft upon request)
WordPerfect (.doc) (Note: possible confusion with Word format extension)
XML

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Common document file formats

See also