Editing Microsoft Word (section)

==File formats==
{{Infobox
| bodystyle        = width:314px
| title            = Native file formats
| image            = 
| caption          = Left: The icon for <code>.doc</code> files.<br />Right: The icon for <code>.docx</code> files. The file formats are differentiated by using the Word logo as seen in Office 2000 and the logo for the current version of Word.
| label1           = [[Doc_(computing)|DOC]]
| data1            = Legacy Word document
| label2           = DOT
| data2            = Legacy Word templates
| label3           = WBK
| data3            = Legacy Word document backup
| label4           = DOCX
| data4            = XML Word document
| label5           = DOCM
| data5            = XML Word macro-enabled document
| label6           = DOTX
| data6            = XML Word template
| label7           = DOTM
| data7            = XML Word macro-enabled template
| label8           = DOCB
| data8            = XML Word binary document
}}

===Filename extensions===
Microsoft Word's native file formats are denoted either by a <code>.doc</code> or <code>.docx</code> [[filename extension]].

Although the [[Doc (computing)|<code>.{{color|blue|doc}}</code>]] extension has been used in many different versions of Word, it actually encompasses four distinct file formats:
# Word for DOS
# Word for Windows 1 and 2; Word 3 and 4 for Mac OS
# Word 6 and Word 95 for Windows; Word 6 for Mac OS
# Word 97 and later for Windows; Word 98 and later for Mac OS

(The [[classic Mac OS]] of the era did not use filename extensions.)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eclecticlight.co/2015/05/02/why-the-extensions-quirks-in-the-naming-of-files-and-folders/|title=.why .the .extensions? Quirks in the naming of files and folders|last=Oakley|first=Howard|date=May 2, 2015|website=The Eclectic Light Company|language=en|url-status=dead|access-date=February 26, 2020|quote=Macs used to be the only computers that did not need filename extensions...on classic Mac systems, you can name applications, documents, and most other files almost anything that you like, as the name is not linked in any way to the type of thing that file is.|archive-date=February 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226054403/https://eclecticlight.co/2015/05/02/why-the-extensions-quirks-in-the-naming-of-files-and-folders/}}</ref>

The newer <code>.docx</code> extension signifies the [[Standardization of Office Open XML|Office Open XML international standard]] for Office documents and is used by default by Word 2007 and later for Windows as well as Word 2008 and later for macOS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000397.shtml|title=DOCX Transitional (Office Open XML), ISO 29500:2008-2016, ECMA-376, Editions 1-5|date=January 20, 2017|website=loc.gov|access-date=July 9, 2019|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020030/https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000397.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Binary formats (Word 97–2007)===
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the default Word document format ([[DOC (computing)|.DOC]]) became a ''de facto'' standard of [[document file format]]s for Microsoft Office users.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}} There are different versions of "Word Document Format" used by default in Word 97–2007.<ref>{{cite book|title=[MS-DOC]: Word (.doc) Binary File Format|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|location=Redmond, WA|url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/4/8/24862317-78F0-4C4B-B355-C7B2C1D997DB/%5BMS-DOC%5D.pdf|chapter=5 Appendix A: Product Behavior|chapter-url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd946767%28v=office.12%29.aspx|access-date=January 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110202652/http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/4/8/24862317-78F0-4C4B-B355-C7B2C1D997DB/%5BMS-DOC%5D.pdf|archive-date=January 10, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Each binary word file is a [[Compound File Binary Format|Compound File]],<ref>{{cite book|title=[MS-DOC]: Word (.doc) Binary File Format|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|location=Redmond, WA|url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/4/8/24862317-78F0-4C4B-B355-C7B2C1D997DB/%5BMS-DOC%5D.pdf|chapter=2.1 File Structure|chapter-url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd923543%28v=office.12%29.aspx|access-date=January 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110202652/http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/4/8/24862317-78F0-4C4B-B355-C7B2C1D997DB/%5BMS-DOC%5D.pdf|archive-date=January 10, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> a hierarchical [[file system]] within a file. According to [[Joel Spolsky]], Word Binary File Format is extremely complex mainly because its developers had to accommodate an overwhelming number of features and prioritize performance over anything else.<ref name="spolsky-commentry">{{cite web | url=http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/02/19.html | title=Why are the Microsoft Office file formats so complicated? (And some workarounds) | work=Joel on Software | date=February 19, 2008 | last=Spolsky | first=Joel | access-date=May 23, 2011 | archive-date=October 14, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014090710/http://joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/02/19.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

As with all OLE Compound Files, Word Binary Format consists of "storages", which are analogous to [[folder (computing)|computer folders]], and "streams", which are similar to [[computer file]]s. Each storage may contain streams or other storage. Each Word Binary File must contain a stream called the "WordDocument" stream and this stream must start with a File Information Block (FIB).<ref>{{cite book|title=[MS-DOC]: Word (.doc) Binary File Format|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|location=Redmond, WA|url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/4/8/24862317-78F0-4C4B-B355-C7B2C1D997DB/%5BMS-DOC%5D.pdf|chapter=2.1.1 WordDocument Stream|chapter-url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd926131%28v=office.12%29.aspx|access-date=January 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110202652/http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/4/8/24862317-78F0-4C4B-B355-C7B2C1D997DB/%5BMS-DOC%5D.pdf|archive-date=January 10, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> FIB serves as the first point of reference for locating everything else, such as where the text in a Word document starts, ends, what version of Word created the document and other attributes.

Word 2007 and later continue to support the DOC file format, although it is no longer the default.

===XML Document (Word 2003)===
{{Main|Microsoft Office XML formats}}The .docx XML format introduced in Word 2003<ref>{{cite web|year=2004|title=What You Can Do with Word XML [Word 2003 XML Reference]|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa223584(office.11).aspx|publisher=MSDN|access-date=August 13, 2010|archive-date=August 21, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821014000/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa223584(office.11).aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> was a simple, [[XML]]-based format called [[Microsoft Office XML formats#File formats|WordProcessingML or WordML.]]

The '''Microsoft Office XML formats''' are [[XML]]-based document formats (or [[XML schema]]s) introduced in versions of [[Microsoft Office]] prior to [[Office 2007]]. [[Microsoft Office XP]] introduced a new XML format for storing Excel spreadsheets and Office 2003 added an XML-based format for Word documents.

These formats were succeeded by [[Office Open XML]] (ECMA-376) in [[Microsoft Office 2007]].

===Cross-version compatibility===
Opening a Word Document file in a version of Word other than the one with which it was created can cause an incorrect display of the document. The document formats of the various versions change in subtle and not-so-subtle ways (such as changing the font or the handling of more complex tasks like footnotes). Formatting created in newer versions does not always survive when viewed in older versions of the program, nearly always because that capability does not exist in the previous version.<ref name="casson_ryan" /> [[Rich Text Format]] (RTF), an early effort to create a format for interchanging formatted text between applications, is an optional format for Word that retains most formatting and all content of the original document.

===Third-party formats===
[[Plugin (computing)|Plugins]] permitting the Windows versions of Word to read and write formats it does not natively support, such as [[international standard]] [[OpenDocument]] format (ODF) (ISO/IEC 26300:2006), are available. Up until the release of [[Windows XP#Service packs|Service Pack 2]] (SP2) for Office 2007, Word did not natively support reading or writing ODF documents without a plugin, namely the SUN ODF Plugin or the OpenXML/ODF Translator. With SP2 installed, ODF format 1.1 documents can be read and saved like any other supported format in addition to those already available in Word 2007.<ref name="casson_ryan">{{cite book | last1=Casson | first1=Tony | last2=Ryan | first2=Patrick S. | ssrn=1656616 | chapter=Open Standards, Open Source Adoption in the Public Sector, and Their Relationship to Microsoft's Market Dominance | title=Standards Edge: Unifier or Divider? | editor-last=Bolin | editor-first=Sherrie | date=May 1, 2006 | page=87 | publisher=Sheridan Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Microsoft Expands List of Formats Supported in Microsoft Office, May 21, 2008 |url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2008/may08/05-21ExpandedFormatsPR.aspx |work=News Center |publisher=Microsoft |date=May 21, 2008 |access-date=April 24, 2013 |archive-date=April 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418055644/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2008/may08/05-21ExpandedFormatsPR.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Next Office 2007 service pack will include ODF, PDF support options |date=May 21, 2008 |url=http://www.betanews.com/article/Next_Office_2007_service_pack_will_include_ODF_PDF_support_options/1211343807 |work=Betanews |first=Scott M. III |last=Fulton |access-date=December 24, 2008 |archive-date=December 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204140151/http://www.betanews.com/article/Next_Office_2007_service_pack_will_include_ODF_PDF_support_options/1211343807 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Andy Updegrove |url=http://consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20080521092930864 |title=Microsoft Office 2007 to Support ODF&nbsp;– and not OOXML |date=May 21, 2008 |publisher=Consortiuminfo.org |access-date=June 21, 2010 |archive-date=May 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080523233233/http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20080521092930864 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://software.silicon.com/applications/0,39024653,39230395,00.htm |title=Microsoft: Why we chose ODF support over OOXML |date= 23 May 2008 |first1= Tom |last1=Espiner |publisher=Software.silicon.com |access-date=June 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090721062335/http://software.silicon.com/applications/0%2C39024653%2C39230395%2C00.htm |archive-date=July 21, 2009 }}</ref> The implementation faces [[OpenDocument software#Microsoft Office 2007 SP2 support controversy|substantial criticism]], and the [[ODF Alliance]] and others have claimed that the third-party plugins provide better support.<ref name="sp2-fact-sheet">{{cite web |url = http://www.odfalliance.org/resources/fact-sheet-Microsoft-ODF-support.pdf |title = MS Office 2007 Service Pack 2 With Support for ODF: How Well Does It Work? |access-date = May 24, 2009 |quote = MS Excel 2007 will process ODF spreadsheet documents when loaded via the Sun Plug-In 3.0 for MS Office or the SourceForge "OpenXML/ODF Translator Add-in for Office," but will fail when using the "built-in" support provided by Office 2007 SP2. |publisher = OpenDocument Format Alliance |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090611181719/http://www.odfalliance.org/resources/fact-sheet-Microsoft-ODF-support.pdf |archive-date = June 11, 2009}}</ref> Microsoft later declared that the ODF support has some limitations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA102835631033.aspx |title=Differences between the OpenDocument Text (.odt) format and the Word (.docx) format - What happens when I save a Word 2007 document in the OpenDocument Text format? |website=Microsoft Office Online |access-date=April 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318034328/http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA102835631033.aspx |archive-date=March 18, 2010 }}</ref>

In October 2005, one year before the Microsoft Office 2007 suite was released, Microsoft declared that there was insufficient demand from Microsoft customers for the international standard OpenDocument format support and that therefore it would not be included in Microsoft Office 2007. This statement was repeated in the following months.<ref name="office12-pdf">{{cite web |last=Goodwins |first=Rupert |url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39225406,00.htm |title=Office 12 to support PDF creation |publisher=News.zdnet.co.uk |date=October 3, 2005 |access-date=June 21, 2010 |archive-date=July 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723224815/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39225406,00.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="odf-must">{{cite web |last=Marson |first=Ingrid |url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39226547,00.htm |title=Microsoft 'must support OpenDocument' |publisher=News.zdnet.co.uk |date=October 6, 2005 |access-date=June 21, 2010 |archive-date=July 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725100911/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39226547,00.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="gates-odf">March 23, 2006, Gates: Office 2007 will enable a new class of application {{cite web |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/mass-holding-tight-to-opendocument/ |title=Mass. holding tight to OpenDocument |website=ZDNet |date= Jul 5, 2006 |first1=Martin |last1=LaMonica }}</ref><ref name="odf">{{cite web |first=Martin |last=LaMonica |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/microsoft-office-to-get-a-dose-of-opendocument/ |title=Microsoft Office to get a dose of OpenDocument |date=May 5, 2006 |work=[[CNET News]] |access-date=August 25, 2024}}</ref> As an answer, on October 20, 2005, an online petition was created to demand ODF support from Microsoft.<ref name="petition">{{cite web |url=http://opendocumentfellowship.com/press/2005-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323060829/http://opendocumentfellowship.com/press/2005-10-20 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 23, 2008 |title=OpenDocument Support: Tell Microsoft You Want It! |publisher=OpenDocument Fellowship |date=October 20, 2005 |access-date=June 21, 2010 }}</ref>

In May 2006, the ODF plugin for Microsoft Office was released by the OpenDocument Foundation.<ref name="mso-odf-plugin">{{cite web |url=https://www.debianhelp.co.uk/coming-soon-odf-for-ms-office.html |title=Coming soon: ODF for MS Office |publisher=DebianHelp |first1= Steven J. |last1=Vaughan-Nichols |date=May 4, 2006 |access-date=June 21, 2010 |archive-date=December 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221214316/https://www.debianhelp.co.uk/coming-soon-odf-for-ms-office.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Microsoft declared that it had no relationship with the developers of the plugin.<ref name="odf" />

In July 2006, Microsoft announced the creation of the Open XML Translator project – tools to build a technical bridge between the Microsoft Office Open XML Formats and the OpenDocument Format (ODF). This work was started in response to government requests for interoperability with ODF. The goal of the project was not to add ODF support to Microsoft Office, but only to create a plugin and an external toolset.<ref name="ms-odf-plugin">{{cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jul06/07-06OpenSourceProjectPR.mspx |title=Microsoft Expands Document Interoperability |publisher=Microsoft |date=July 5, 2006 |access-date=June 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204160529/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jul06/07-06OpenSourceProjectPR.mspx |archive-date=February 4, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://blogs.msdn.com/brian_jones/archive/2006/07/05/657510.aspx |title=Open XML Translator project announced (ODF support for Office) |first1=Brian |last1=Jones |first2=Zeyad |last2=Rajabi |work= Office Solutions |publisher=Microsoft |date=July 6, 2006 |access-date=April 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118181302/http://blogs.msdn.com/brian_jones/archive/2006/07/05/657510.aspx |archive-date=January 18, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In February 2007, this project released a first version of the ODF plugin for Microsoft Word.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.cnet.com/Microsoft-to-release-ODF-document-converter/2100-1046_3-6155585.html | title=Microsoft to release ODF document converter | work=[[CNet News]] | date=February 1, 2007 | access-date=April 24, 2013 | last=LaMonica | first=Martin | archive-date=October 12, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012044009/http://news.cnet.com/Microsoft-to-release-ODF-document-converter/2100-1046_3-6155585.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

In February 2007, Sun released an initial version of its ODF plugin for Microsoft Office.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lombardi |first=Candace |url=http://news.cnet.com/Sun-to-release-ODF-translator-for-Microsoft-Office/2100-1012_3-6157189.html |title=Sun to release ODF translator for Microsoft Office |publisher=CNET |date=February 7, 2007 |access-date=June 21, 2010 |archive-date=May 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510085757/http://news.cnet.com/Sun-to-release-ODF-translator-for-Microsoft-Office/2100-1012_3-6157189.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Version 1.0 was released in July 2007.<ref>{{cite web |last=Paul |first=Ryan |url=https://arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2007/07/07/sun-releases-odf-plugin-1-0-for-microsoft-office |title=Sun releases ODF Plugin 1.0 for Microsoft Office |publisher=Ars Technica |date=July 7, 2007 |access-date=June 21, 2010 |archive-date=October 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016090840/http://arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2007/07/07/sun-releases-odf-plugin-1-0-for-microsoft-office |url-status=live }}</ref>

Microsoft Word 2007 (Service Pack 1) supports (for output only) [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] and [[XML Paper Specification|XPS]] formats, but only after manual installation of the Microsoft "Save as PDF or XPS" add-on.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=4d951911-3e7e-4ae6-b059-a2e79ed87041 |title=Download details: 2007 Microsoft Office Add-in: Microsoft Save as PDF or XPS |publisher=Microsoft.com |date=November 8, 2006 |access-date=June 21, 2010 |archive-date=June 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618201506/http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4D951911-3E7E-4AE6-B059-A2E79ED87041&displaylang=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Microsoft to remove PDF support from Office 2007 in wake of Adobe dispute, Friday, June 2, 2006 [http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/26786/118/ Microsoft to remove PDF support from Office 2007 in wake of Adobe dispute | TG Daily] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201042942/http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/26786/118/ |date=February 1, 2009 }}</ref> On later releases, this was offered by default.