Document file format
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
[edit] Common document file formats
- Amigaguide
- CHM (Microsoft's help format)
- DocBook (an XML format for technical documenation)
- 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.
- OOXML (open format using XML for MS Office suite documents)
- OpenDocument (open, XML-based standard for office documents)
- 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)
- TEI (an XML format for digital publication)
- 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
