Everything You Need To Know About DOCX Files

Written by John Harris, Updated on October 06, 2023

DOCX is a Microsoft Office file format extension for Microsoft Word document files created using the new Microsoft Office Word program. This new Word format is based on XML, allowing better compression and reduced file sizes. It was first introduced in Microsoft Office Word 2007 and is now the default format for all the above versions of Microsoft Word, like Word 2010 and Word 2013.

The DOCX format is the Microsoft Office Open XML format. It replaces the older Microsoft Word program with the format .doc. Due to this reason, the .docx files do not open in older versions of MS Office software. The latest Microsoft Office software program is required to open, edit, and read the .docx format Word document files.

Documents created with this .docx format contain text, images, formatting, styles, drawn objects, and other document elements used for authoring, business, academic, and personal documents; it is one of the most popular word-processing document formats.

DOCX is the most popular file format for word-processing documents, and a wide range of software and devices supports it. This makes it a good choice for sharing documents with others, even if they do not use Microsoft Word.

Features of DOCX

DOCX format has enhanced features that offer advanced and useful features to Microsoft Word users. It is designed as a combination of both XML architecture and ZIP compression for the purpose of reducing the file size.

  • DOCX was included with a new GUI called Fluent User Interface.
  • It uses ribbons and an office start menu instead of menu bars and toolbars as used in earlier versions.
  • It is the last version of Microsoft Office to support Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.
  • DOCX files can be opened with Word 2007 or later for Windows or with Word 2008 or later for Mac OS X.
  • DOCX documents are not compatible with the older versions of Microsoft Word, either on Windows or Mac, unless they have the Open XML Document support.

Benefits of DOCX format

Unlike the DOC format, which stores the data in a single binary file, DOCX files are created with the help of Open XML format. A DOCX file comprises an XML file and three folders, docProps, Word, and _rels, which hold the document properties, content, and relationships between the files. This structure is designed to make document content more accessible.

  • DOCX files are compressed, meaning they take up less space on your computer or device.
  • These files are compatible with a wide range of software and devices, making them easy to share with others.
  • The DOCX files support more features than older DOC files, such as embedded images and fonts.
  • DOCX format includes new applications and server-side tools like Microsoft Groove, a collaboration and communication suite for smaller businesses.
  • It even comes with Office SharePoint Server 2007, which supports Excel Services.
  • Includes a client-server architecture for supporting Excel workbooks shared in real time between multiple viewable and editable machines through a web page.

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