An ultimate list of Document File Formats

A file format is, essentially, the layout of a file in terms of the way in which the data within the file is organized. In order to use a program to open that file, it must be able to recognize and access the data that is located inside the file.

The file format is usually stated as part of a file’s name – usually as an extension or suffix –and this extention is commonly separated by a period from the name of the file itself. This file extention usually contains three or four letters that identify the file format.

There are many different file formats out there and many different programs work with these different file formats. Here, we have compiled a very complete list of various types of document, spreadsheet and presentation file formats.

Document File Formats

ABW

Associated with AbiWord, a word processing program, developed and maintained by the Abisource community.
open with: AbiWord

WRF

Associated with Thinkfree Write, part of Thinkfree Office, and used for document files created by the application.
open with: Thinkfree Write
WRI

Associated with Windows Write, a simple word processor used in older versions of Windows OS.
open with: Microsoft Write
XHTML

A family of current and future document types and modules that reproduce, subset, and extend HTML 4.
open with: Internet browsers
XML

Used for files written in Extensible Markup Language and is a structured text file with various content for many programs.
open with: Open Office
PDF – Portable Document Format

The Portable Document Format is associated with Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) documents first and foremost.
open with: Adobe Reader
HTML

Associated with Hypertext Markup Language and provides a means to create structured documents by denoting structural semantics for text such as headings, paragraphs, lists, links, and quotes among other things.
open with: Internet browsers
HWP

A Haansoft (Hancom) Hangul Word Processor document.
open with: Open Office
QUOX

This is a Question Object File Format Question Object document for Quobject Designer or Quobject Explorer.
open with: Quobject Designer and Explorer
TeX

The TEX file extension is associated with TeX/LaTeX text document files and is a document preparation system for high-quality typesetting.
open with: Dia
AWW

Associated with Ability Write and used for its documents file. Use for preparing, editing and presenting letters, reports, quotations, memos, mailings and newsletters.
open with: Ability Write
ACL

Associated with Microsoft Officeand is used to store lists of corrections used by the AutoCorrect feature in the Microsoft Office Suite.
open with: Microsoft Office Suite
SXW

This is used for document files created by OpenOffice.org Writer.
open with: Open Office
Amigaguide

A hypertext file used by AmigaGuide.
open with: AmigaGuide
NB

Associated with Mathematica and used for its notebooks, which are structured interactive documents that can contain text, graphics, sound, calculations, and typeset expressions.
open with: Mathematica Notebook
CWK

Associated with Apple ClarisWorks, a now discontinued office suite, formerly developed by Apple.
open with: ClarisWorks/AppleWorks
MCW

Associated with Microsoft Word.
open with: Microsoft Word for Macintosh
DOT

Associated with Microsoft Word.
open with: Microsoft Word
HWPML

A Haansoft (Hancom) Hangul Word Processor Markup Language document.
open with: Open Office
LWP

The LWP file extension is associated with IBM Works, an office suite for the IBM OS/2 operating system.
open with: Lotus Word Pro
Texinfo

This is a UNIX GNU info reader file format and the official documentation format of the GNU project.
open with: UNIX GNU
DOTX

The DOTX file extension is associated with Microsoft Word.
open with: Microsoft Word
RTF – Rich Text document

Associated with documents in Rich Text Format, which is a text format with some very basic formatting preserved.
open with: WordPad
DOC – Microsoft Word document

The DOC file extension is associated with Microsoft Word and is the most commonly used format in this program.
open with: Microsoft Word
CSV

An ASCII text encoded as Comma Separated Values, used in most spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel or by most database management systems
open with: Microsoft Excel
FDX

Associated with Final Draft and contains Final Draft documents in XML file format.
open with: Final Draft
WPD

Associated with Corel WordPerfect, a word processing program.
open with: Word Perfect
ODM

An open XML-based document file format for office applications to be used for documents containing text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical elements.
open with: Open Office
ANS

Associated with Microsoft Word.
open with: Microsoft Word
ODT

This is used for OpenOffice.org Writer text documents and can be converted into Microsoft Word file formats.
open with: Open Office
TXT

Many MS-DOS, Unix, Windows applications and text editors used this file extension for common text file.
open with: Note Pad
WPS

Associated with Microsoft Works, an office suite produced by Microsoft, which was offered as smaller, less expensive aleternative to the Microsoft Office suite.
open with: Microsoft Works
WPT

Associated with Microsoft Works.
open with: Microsoft Works
PAGES

Associated with Apple Pages, a word processor and page layout application developed by Apple, which is part of the iWork productivity suite.
open with: Apple Pages
PAP

A file format used in Papyrus word processor documents.
open with: Papyrus Word Processor
AFP

This is the InfoPrint Solutions Company’s Advanced Function Presentation platform,which is a standard in the print industry for printing variable data at very high speeds with complete integrity.
open with: Xenos 2de Vision
SDW

This is a StarWriter text document, used in earlier versions of StarOffice.
open with: Star Office
NBP

Associated with Mathematica and used for its notebooks.
open with: Mathematica Notebook
UOF

A Chinese developed open standard for office applications.
open with: Open Office
DOCX

The DOCX file extension is associated with Microsoft Word’s more recent versions.
open with: Microsoft Word
OTT

An open XML-based document file format for office applications to be used for documents containing text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical elements.
open with: Open Office

Spreadsheet File Formats

CELL

A Haansoft (Hancom) SpreadSheet software document.
open with: Haansoft Viewer
numbers

Associated with iWork Numbers, a spreadsheet application developed by Apple Inc. as part of the iWork productivity suite alongside Keynote and Pages.
open with: iWork Numbers
ODS

Associated with OpenOffice.orc Calc and used for its spreadsheet files.
open with: Open Office
VC

Associated with VisiCalc. VisiCalc was the first spreadsheet program available for personal computers.
open with: VisiCalc
OTS

An open XML-based document file format for office applications to be used for documents containing text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical elements.
open with: Open Office
QPW

Associated with Quattro Pro, which is a spreadsheet program developed by Borland and later sold by Corel.
open with: Quattro Pro
XLS

Associated with Microsoft Works.
open with: Microsoft Excel
XLSB

Associated with Microsoft Excel.
open with: Microsoft Excel
CSV

Associated with Comma Separated Value files, which is a simple text format for a database table.
open with: Open Office
XLW

Associated with Microsoft Excel, and contains the screen locations of one or more workbooks and also the references to each individual workbook.
open with: Microsoft Excel
XLSM

Associated with Microsoft Excel, and is used in Microsoft Excel 2007/2010 for Workbooks, spreadsheet document files.
open with: Microsoft Excel
XLSX

Associated with Microsoft Excel as file formats for Excel Spreadsheets based on Open XML data format.
open with: Microsoft Excel
WK4

Associated with Lotus 1-2-3 and are used by Lotus 1-2-3 version 4.
open with: Lotus 1-2-3
XLR

Associated with Microsoft Works version 6.0.
open with: Microsoft Works
123

Associated with Lotus 1-2-3 and used by some versions of Lotus 1-2-3.
open with: Lotus 1-2-3
SDC

Spreadsheet file used by StarOffice StarCalc in older versions (3.0-5.0).
open with: Star Office
XLT

Associated with Microsoft Excel and is used in Microsoft Excel 97 to 2003 for template documents.
open with: Microsoft Excel
SXC

Associated with OpenOffice.Org and used for spreadsheets in OpenOffice Calc.
open with: Open Office
XLK

Associated with Microsoft Excel,and used by Microsoft Excel 2000 and earlier version for backups of the the .xls workbook files.
open with: Microsoft Excel
XLTM

Associated with Microsoft Excel, and is used in Microsoft Excel 2007/2010 for template documents with macros enabled.
open with: Microsoft Excel
WK3

Associated with Lotus 1-2-3 and is used by Lotus 1-2-3 version 3.
open with: Lotus 1-2-3
STC

A template for creating a new OpenOffice spreadsheet file, often used for creating many similar spreadsheets.
open with: Open Office
SLK

Associated with Microsoft Excel and conventionally have a .slk file extension.
open with: Microsoft Excel
AWS

Associated with Ability Spreadsheet.
open with: Ability Spreadsheet
WKS

Associated with Lotus 1-2-3 and used by Lotus 1-2-3.
open with: Lotus 1-2-3
WKS

Associated with Microsoft Works.
open with: Microsoft Works
WQ1

Associated with Quattro Pro for DOS and contain spreadsheets.
open with: Quattro Pro
WK1

Associated with Lotus 1-2-3 and used by Lotus 1-2-3 version 1.
open with: Lotus 1-2-3

Presentation File Formats

NBP

Associated with Mathematica Player slideshows.
open with: Mathematica Player
ODP

A file format for electronic office documents such as spreadsheets, charts, presentations and word processing documents.
open with: Open Document
STI

A file extension used by OpenOffice.org Impress. File contains presentation template.
open with: Open Office
SXI

Associated with OpenOffice.org. File contains presentation.
open with: Open Office
OTP

An open XML-based document file format for office applications to be used for documents containing text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical elements.
open with: Open Document
SHW

Associated with Corel Presentations, developed by Corel Corporation, which is part of Corel WordPerfect Office suite. The files contain slide shows created using Corel Presentations.
open with: Corel Presentations
NB

Associated with Mathematica notebook Slideshows.
open with: Mathematica Notebook
SDD

A file extension used by StarOffice (StarDraw 3.0/5.0). File contains presentations, drawings.
open with: Star Office
POT

Associated with Microsoft PowerPoint and is used for templates, which are used when creating multiple PowerPoint presentations with the same formatting.
open with: Microsoft PowerPoint
PPS

Associated with Microsoft PowerPoint and may include formatted text, bullet points, images, movies, sound effects, or music.
open with: Microsoft PowerPoint
PRZ

Associated with Lotus Freelance Graphics and allows users to create and compile text, digital images, diagrams, basic drawings, and charts (such as bar charts and pie charts) into a digital slide show.
open with: Lotus Freelance Graphics
KEY, KEYNOTE

A presentation software application developed as a part of the iWork productivity suite by Apple Inc.
open with: Apple Keynote
PPT

Associated with Microsoft PowerPointand is used for editable slide shows, which are very often used for presentations.
open with: Microsoft PowerPoint
SLP

Associated with the Logix-4D Manager Show Control Project
open with: Logix-4D Manager
WATCH

Associated with Dataton Watchout presentations.
open with: Dataton Watchout
SSPSS

Associated with SongShow Plus slideshows
open with: SongShow Plus
PPTX

Associated with Microsoft PowerPoint and is used for editable slide shows, which are very often used for presentations.
open with: Microsoft PowerPoint