Chapter 2 · 2.1
Docx or odt, xlsx or ods: which file format should you choose?
Word, Excel and PowerPoint save as docx, xlsx and pptx by default. LibreOffice saves as odt, ods and odp (OpenDocument) by default. Euro-Office works internally with docx, xlsx and pptx. All three programs can open and save both types. So which should you choose?
Quick advice
| Situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| You collaborate in Euro-Office in your Nextcloud | docx, xlsx, pptx: then nothing gets converted |
| You send files to people who use Word or Excel (clients, accountant) | docx, xlsx, pptx |
| You work only or mainly in LibreOffice | odt, ods, odp give the most faithful result in LibreOffice |
| A government body or client asks for an open standard | odt, ods, odp or pdf |
| The document must be fixed or archived for a long time | pdf or PDF/A (see Saving a document as PDF or PDF/A) |
The most important rule: choose one format per type of document and stick to it. Every time a file is converted back and forth, from docx to odt and back again, something can shift.
In LibreOffice
Saving in a different format once: choose File > Save As... and select the format under the file type at the bottom, for example the Word format (.docx).
Editing and saving a docx: LibreOffice warns you that the document may contain formatting or content that cannot be saved in that format. You then choose:
- Use Word ...! (the button with the name of the Word format): the file stays a docx. Choose this if the file will also be opened in Word or Euro-Office.
- Use ODF Format!: LibreOffice turns it into an odt, alongside the original.
Always docx, xlsx and pptx: choose Tools > Options... > Load/Save > General. Under Document type, select the text documents and under Always save as, select the Word format (.docx). Then select the spreadsheets (Excel format, .xlsx) and the presentations (PowerPoint format, .pptx) under Document type. If you no longer want to see the warning, untick Warn when not saving in ODF or default format.
In Euro-Office
Euro-Office automatically saves a file in the format it was opened in: a docx stays a docx, an odt stays an odt. Want a different format? Choose File > Download as (to your computer) or Save Copy As (in your Nextcloud) and pick, for example, DOCX, ODT, PDF or PDF/A. See Download as docx, xlsx, pptx, odt or pdf.
Tip: you can read exactly what docx and odt are (both open standards, both zip files containing XML) in Office formats: OOXML, ODF and pdf.