What are the different OpenDocument file types?

The OpenDocument standard, also known as the Open Document Format (ODF) for Office Applications, is a file format developed for office productivity applications. OpenDocument is an alternative to the popular Microsoft Office formats, such as Word (.DOCX), Excel (.XLSX), PowerPoint (.PPTX), and Access (.ACCDB). While the OpenDocument standard was initially developed for use in the open source office productivity suite, OpenOffice.org, it has been adopted by many other applications as well.

The OpenDocument format uses XML to specify document structure and content. Each OpenDocument file is actually an archive compressed with .ZIP compression. The archive contains an XML document and other related files. To see the contents of an OpenDocument file, simply decompress it with a Zip-compatible utility.

Below are the most common OpenDocument file types:

Icon File Extension File Type Description
OpenDocument Text Document Icon .ODT OpenDocument Text Document Word processing document that supports text, graphics, and page formatting information.
OpenDocument Spreadsheet Icon .ODS OpenDocument Spreadsheet Spreadsheet that may include multiple sheets, charts, formulas, and formatting properties.
OpenDocument Presentation Icon .ODP OpenDocument Presentation Slideshow that can include multiple slide layouts, themes, drawn shapes, and imported pictures.
OpenDocument Database Icon .ODB OpenDocument Database Relational database that supports table definitions, data records, and connection information.
OpenDocument Graphic Icon .ODG OpenDocument Graphic Vector graphic that contains drawn elements such as shapes, letters, color fills, and gradients.
OpenDocument Formula Icon .ODF OpenDocument Formula Mathematical formula that stores the text for the formula as well as the pretty-printed equation.

The OpenDocument standard was originally developed by Sun Microsystems for use in the OpenOffice.org productivity suite. It is now owned and maintained by OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards).