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| Filename extension | .doc |
|---|---|
| Internet media type | application/msword |
| Uniform Type Identifier | com.microsoft.word.doc[1] |
| Developed by | Microsoft |
| Type of format | Word document |
| Container for | Text, Image |
In computing, DOC or doc (an abbreviation of 'document') is a file extension for word processing documents; most commonly for Microsoft Word. Historically, the extension was used for documentation in plain-text format, particularly of programs or computer hardware, on a wide range of operating systems. During the 1980s, WordPerfect used DOC as the extension of their proprietary format. Later, in the 1990s, Microsoft chose to use the DOC extension for their proprietary Microsoft Word word processing formats. The original uses for the extension have largely disappeared from the PC world.
Binary DOC files often contain more text formatting information (as well as scripts and undo information) than files using other document file formats like Rich Text Format and HyperText Markup Language, but are usually less widely compatible.
The DOC format varies among Microsoft Office Word Formats. Word versions up to 97 used a different format from Microsoft Word version between 97 and 2003.
In Microsoft Office Word 2007 the binary file format was replaced as the default format by the new XML based Office Open XML format. The filename extensions of this format are docx or docm.
The DOC format is native to Microsoft Office Word, but other software, such as the free software word processors OpenOffice.org Writer, and AbiWord, can create and read .doc files. Command line programs for Unix-like operating systems which can convert files from the DOC format to plain text or other standard formats include the wv library, which itself is used directly by AbiWord and as a source of ideas and some coding by KWord. Because the .doc file format was a closed specification for many years, inconsistent handling of the format persists and may cause some loss of formatting information when handling the same file with multiple word processing programs.
The format specification was available from Microsoft on request until February 2008. Following documentation done by Sun and OpenOffice.org[2], Microsoft released the .DOC format specification[3] under the Microsoft Open Specification Promise.[4]
On the Palm OS, DOC is shorthand for PalmDoc, a completely unrelated format used to encode text files such as ebooks.
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