DOC, XLS, PPT - let's see what lies beyond These types of Microsoft Office files we've been using for years.
Have you paid attention to some of the unfamiliar file format options that pop up in your office suite when you try to save a file? Or have you received files from someone in one of these formats and found the files "unreadable"? We're here to tell you more about weird-looking file types. How to Open Weird File Types in Windows How to Open Weird File Types in Windows Computers know thousands of different file formats. Sometimes both you and Windows have no idea how to open a strange file. Here is how you can find out how to open those files. Read more.
Note: The file format options available to you may vary depending on the office suite you use. What is the best package for you? Which office suite is best for you? You will be pressured to find an occupation that does not require word or number processing of any kind. And you may be wondering, is Microsoft Office really the best solution? Here are your options. Read more . Online office suites typically have fewer options. Microsoft Office, the original office program, has them all.
Before we explore various file formats, let's take a quick look at some “Office” files that will come in handy when it comes to Office programs. Take note if you are not familiar with these terms already.
1. Legacy file formats: These refer to file formats that are no longer being developed (but may still be in use).
2. OOXML or OpenXML: OOXML stands for Office Open XML, a file format that Microsoft introduced in 2007. Don't confuse it with Open Office XML, which was a file format developed as part of the OpenOffice open source office suite.
3. Workbook: A workbook is just an Excel file that contains one or more worksheets or spreadsheets.
4. Macro: A macro is a small program that can help you automate repetitive tasks in Excel. When you record a macro, it's as if you're creating a sequence of instructions using keystrokes and mouse actions. Once you save and run the macro, it will run that script without asking for your input.
5. Complement: An add-in extends the functionality of your Office program with some useful additional features. For example, this Office 2003 / XP add-in [no longer available] allows you to remove hidden data (such as comments) from documents.
This set of file extensions, which are in OpenXML, became the default in Microsoft Office 2007, replacing the DOC, XLS, and PPT formats in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint, respectively.
If you've always used DOC, XLS, and PPT, this new set may take some getting used to.
You will notice that the files in the newer formats are smaller than the corresponding ones in the legacy formats. That's because they come with a lossless compression mechanism. To share these files with people who use earlier versions of Microsoft Office, you can choose to save the OpenXML file to the corresponding legacy version via File> Save As .
If you're running a version of Microsoft Office earlier than 2007, you can still buy Microsoft Office 2003 online and we'll show you where you can buy Microsoft Office 2003 online and we'll show you where while Office 2016 is rolling out, some people do. I still yearn for Office 2003 instead. Here's how to get your 2003 fix. Read More , you can easily view and edit OpenXML files by installing this Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack. Or you can let Saikat talk you into upgrading to Microsoft Office 2016 13+ Reasons Why You Should Upgrade to Microsoft Office 2016 13+ Reasons Why You Should Upgrade to Microsoft Office 2016 Microsoft Office 2016 is here and it's time to take a decision. The productivity question is:should I upgrade? We give you the new features and the new reasons to help you ... Read more .
Some other office suites like Google Docs also support OpenXML formats, so you should have no problem importing, for example, an XLSX file into Google Docs.
By the way, these OpenXML formats are essentially compressed files that contain separate folders for media, XML files, etc. This means that, for example, you can view the content of a DOCX file by renaming the extension from DOCX to ZIP. This is very convenient when you need to access an image embedded in the DOCX file without Actually having to read the file in that format.
This trio of file types is in the Open Document Format (ODF), which is a standardized file format that is free from usage restrictions of any kind. This means that any company can implement this format as part of their software. Not surprisingly, ODF is used in a variety of office programs, both open source and proprietary, including OpenOffice, Google Docs, LibreOffice, Zoho Office Suite, and AbiWord.
If you are running Office 2010 and above You will be able to open ODT (for word processing), ODS (for spreadsheets), and ODP (for presentations) files with ease, as these versions come with native support for ODF files. For older versions of Microsoft Office, this free OpenXML/ODF Translator plugin available on SourceForge is very useful.
Of course, if you want to read a single ODF file, you can upload it to Google Docs and view it there. You can even download Google Docs files in ODF.
Microsoft Office does not support some of its common features (or only partially supports them) in ODF files.
XLSB, which stands for Excel Binary Workbook, behaves more or less like the XLSX format, except that it saves data in the binary format. Its main advantage over XLSX is that the former reduces file size by a significant margin and thus speeds up read and write operations.
If you want to compress a spreadsheet to save storage space and make file transfers easier, XLSB is a good solution. You may want to save a test file as XLSB before using this format regularly.
The problem is that XLSB is rarely supported by office suites beyond Microsoft's domain, so you'd be better off using a universal format like XLS in case you want to share the file you're saving. If you know that recipient uses an office suite that supports XLSB, feel free to send it in that format to speed things up.
If you receive an XLSB file, do not open it unless you trust the sender , because XLSB files support macros and could contain malicious code. Of course, Microsoft's default security setting of macros disabled is there to keep you safe, but why invite trouble?
PPS or PowerPoint Slide is the presentation mode for PPT files (PowerPoint Templates). This means that when you click on a PPS file, it will open as a slideshow directly, which is very convenient when you want to start a presentation without bothering to get to the slideshow option.
A PPS is not editable, that is, it is visible only if you open it by double-clicking on the file. Fortunately, converting a PPS to a PPT (editable) and vice versa is as easy as renaming the file extension from .pps to .ppt or vice versa as needed.
Of course you don't need the above conversion to edit the PPS. You can drag and drop the PPS file from Windows Explorer into an empty PowerPoint window. Alternatively, you can use the File>Open Option in PowerPoint to open an editable version of the PPS. This applies to editing PPSX files as well.
For the PPTX-PPSX combo, the conversions are a bit more complex. You will need to open Microsoft PowerPoint, use the File>Open option to open the PPSX file, and then use the Save As Dialog box to save the presentation file as PPTX..
Speaking of file conversions, bookmark our Microsoft Office File Converter Guide The Complete Guide to Microsoft Office File Converter The Complete Guide to Microsoft Office File Converter If you've ever converted a text file, such as PDF to Word , is familiar with the challenge. Sometimes it's as easy as printing, other times you need special tools. Enter this converter guide. Please read further for detailed information on converting between various file formats.
If you want a fast and reliable way to view files online in various formats, try a solution like rollMyFile or Docs Online Viewer. If you are looking for conversion software, we recommend Zamzar. It's one of our favorite free file format conversion tools. How To Convert Any File Format Online With Free Tools How To Convert Any File Format Online With Free Tools If you need to convert a file, this is the definitive list of sites to go to. which should go. Read more.
Other Microsoft Office products like Access have their own protocol for saving files, but for now we've chosen to focus on the most popular Microsoft Office trio:Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
When it comes to office suites, one thing is clear:Microsoft Office's core legacy formats will not be silent. Even in 2016, DOC, XLS, and PPT seem to be the most reliable and compatible formats for saving files, especially if you plan to share them with others.
What formats do you save your Microsoft Office files in? Do compatibility issues often arise when you share them with others? How do you solve them? We'd love to know!
