The Complete List of Document File Extensions for Developers

Between DOC files, PDFs, TXT files and more, there are many different document file extensions you can use. Similar to our posts on The Complete Image File Extension List for Developers and  The Complete List of Audio / Video File Formats for Developers, we have created a complete list of document file extension types for you to reference when working on projects with Filestack and other tools.

.DOC and .DOCX

.DOC and .DOCX are the standard file format of Microsoft Word documents. DOCX files are XML-based DOC files. In newer versions of Word, files are saved as the DOCX format by default.

.DOC File Example on Word
.DOC File Example on Word

.HTML and .HTM

.HTML and .HTM are the standard markup language used when creating web pages. When opened in a text editor, like Sublime, HTML and HTM files allow HTML code to be edited. When opened in a web browser, the web page the code creates is presented.

HTML Example on Sublime and In Browser
HTML Example on Sublime and In Browser

.ODT

.ODT files are text documents that are similar to DOCX files. However, these files can be opened in open-source word processor programs, such as Openoffice. This is useful when you’re sharing files with others who may not have Microsoft Office.

ODT Example on OpenOffice
ODT Example on OpenOffice

.PDF

PDF files protects text and images within the document, allowing information to be distributed in an inalterable form. They’re nearly-universal file types, in that they can be opened on almost any modern device.  PDFs can also contain unalterable watermarks to further protect original documentation.

PDF Example on Haunted Bay
PDF Example on Haunted Bay

.XLS and .XLSX

.XLS and .XLSX are the standard file formats for Microsoft Excel. Like with DOCX files, XLSX files are used in the more modern versions of Excel.

.XLS Example from STHDA
.XLS Example from STHDA

 

.ODS

.ODS is the spreadsheet counterpart of .ODT files. Unlike XLS and XLSX files, they can be opened in third-party, open-source programs in addition to Microsoft Excel.

.ODS File Example from CodeGuru
.ODS File Example from CodeGuru

.PPT and .PPTX

.PPTs and .PPTX are the standard file formats for Microsoft PowerPoint. Again, PPTX is the more modern, XML-based version of the PPT file format.

.PPT Example on PowerPoint
.PPT Example on PowerPoint

.TXT

.TXT files are the most basic plaintext file format available. TXT files allow users to create text-based documents without worrying about formatting, font style, or text color.

.TXT File Example from WebAppers
.TXT File Example from WebAppers

Conclusion

In summary, the most common document file extensions are:

  • .DOC and DOCX
  • .HTML and .HTM
  • .ODT
  • .PDF
  • .XLS and XLSX
  • .ODS
  • .PPT and .PPTX
  • .TXT

As we discussed, there are many occasions when you will prefer to use a certain filetype over another. Filestack’s Document Conversion API offers a way for you to convert between document files programmatically in your code.

For example, you can convert a PDF with the external URL:

http://www.hauntedbay.com/tomes/stories/ebooks/AGhostStory.pdf

into a TXT file by calling:

https://process.filestackapi.com/AhTgLagciQByzXpFGRI0Az/output=format:txt/http://www.hauntedbay.com/tomes/stories/ebooks/AGhostStory.pdf

^Click on that link and you will see a .txt file!

Filestack also offers a Document Viewer, so you can embed documents on your website without any heavy plugins. The Filestack Document Viewer supports all of the document file extensions listed above, as well as all common image formats.  You can implement it with just a few lines of code:

<div type="filepicker-preview" data-fp-url="https://www.filestackapi.com/api/file/7cSeLSlZSmCk3k8CQtAv" style="width:75%; height:500px"> </div>

With Filestack, these types of programmatic document conversions can save you hours, while maintaining secure file upload best practices. Get started for free today.

 


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