In computing, DOC or doc (an abbreviation of 'document') is a filename extension for word

processing documents, most commonly in the proprietary Microsoft Word Binary File Format.
[4]

Historically, the extension was used for documentation in plain text, 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 1983, Microsoft chose to use the DOC
extension for their proprietary Microsoft Word format. The original uses for the extension have
largely disappeared from the PC world
Contents
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1 Microsoft Word Binary File Format

o

1.1 Application support

1.2 Specification

2 Other file formats

3 See also

4 References

5 External links

Microsoft Word Binary File Format[edit]

Binary DOC files often contain more text formatting information (as well as scripts and undo
information) than some other document file formats like Rich Text Format and HyperText Markup
Language, but are usually less widely compatible.
The DOC files created with Microsoft Word versions differ. Microsoft Word versions up to Word 97
used a different format from Microsoft Word 97 - 2003.
In Microsoft Word 2007 and later, the binary file format was replaced as the default format by
the Office Open XML format, though Microsoft Word can still produce DOC files.

Application support[edit]
See also: Comparison of word processors
The DOC format is native to Microsoft Word. Other word processors, such as OpenOffice.org
Writer, IBM Lotus Symphony, Apple Pages and AbiWord, can also create and read DOC files,
although with some limitations. Command line programs for Unix-like operating systems that can
convert files from the DOC format to plain text or other standard formats include the wvlibrary, which
itself is used directly by AbiWord.

Specification[edit]
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. Some specifications for Microsoft Office 97 binary file formats
were published in 1997 under a restrictive license, but these specifications were removed from
online download in 1999.[5][6][7][8] Specifications of later versions of Microsoft Office binary file formats
were not publicly available. The DOC format specification was available from Microsoft on
request[9] since 2006[10] under restrictive RAND-Z terms until February 2008. Sun
Microsystems and OpenOffice.org reverse engineered the file format.[11] On February 15, 2008,
Microsoft released a .DOC format specification[4][12][13] under the Microsoft Open Specification Promise.
[14][15]

However, this specification does not describe all of the features used by DOC format and

reverse engineered work remains necessary.[16] Since 2008 the specification was changed several
times, the last change was made in October 2014.

Other file formats[edit]

Some historical documentations may use the DOC filename extension for plain-text file format. The
DOC filename extension was also used in historical versions of WordPerfect for its proprietary
format.
Some software applications use the name "DOC" in combination with other words (such as the
name of software manufacturer) for different file formats. As an example, on the Palm OS, DOC is
shorthand for PalmDoc, a completely unrelated format (commonly using PDB filename extension)
used to encode text files such as ebooks.