ODF

ODF, or Open Document Format, is an open, XML-based file format for office applications. It is an open standard maintained by OASIS and designed to enable interoperable storage of text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings. ODF documents are packaged in a ZIP container containing multiple XML files for content, styles, metadata, and other data.

The main components are OpenDocument Text (ODT), OpenDocument Spreadsheet (ODS), OpenDocument Presentation (ODP), and OpenDocument Drawing (ODG), with related templates and flat XML variants (FODT, FODS, FODP, FODG). The standard specifies how formatting, styles, metadata, formulas (OpenFormula), and other features should be represented.

History and governance: The format originated with the OpenOffice.org project and was formalized by OASIS in the mid-2000s. It became an ISO/IEC standard (ISO/IEC 26300) and has since evolved through revisions such as 1.2 and 1.3, which add new features and improve interoperability.

Adoption and usage: ODF is supported by major office suites, including LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, Calligra Suite, and other open-source projects; Microsoft Office and Google Docs provide import and/or export support as well. The standard is used in government and institutional settings to promote vendor-neutral document formats.

Interoperability: While ODF aims for broad compatibility, fidelity can vary with complex layouts, macros, or feature-rich documents across different implementations. ODF remains a key component of the push for open, long-term access to office documents.