Why are there so many file saving options?

[bettyblueberry]

(inline display activated nby ajlittoz – please use the correct tool with images: the “slide” instead of the “paperclip”)

Hi there, I can’t seem to find a way to save a file in the same way each time. There are so many versions and it confuses me when I assume I saved it as a regular word doc, but when saving it asks how I want to save it and sometimes creates multiple files.

Why are there so many options? What is the difference for all of the options? How can I save files so they are all the same.
thank you

[mikekaganski]

Because the world is complex thing, and different people came with different file formats serving different goals at different times, and those formats are still in use today.

Just save as the software suggests you: use ODT for text documents.

[EarnestAl]

Always save in native format, so for Writer that is .odt which should be the default format in file type field. This will retain all the formatting and features that you have included in your document, in the way you did it.

The file types are fundamentally different and there are parts where there is no cross-over, see Differences between Microsoft and AOO/LO files

Your “regular word doc” was a standard in 2003 for Microsoft Word, almost 20 years ago. Word now uses .docx format, it also claims to be able to open .odt files. If a recipient needs one of these two files types and for some reason cannot open .odt, then from your saved .odt, do a Save as [filename].doc(x) or export as pdf.

[Hrbrgr]

Your screenshot seems to be part of a view from Windows Explorer.
If you created the files all by yourself, you saved them in different file types or you got them from someone.

Well, if you work with LibreOffice, you should always save in ODT format.

When you open Writer and edit a document, you then click on “Save” and it will normally automatically offer you the ODT format to save.

Different file types exist in order to establish a certain compatibility with other, in this case text programs.

It could be a compatibility problem between Word and Writer.

Basically:

Always create and save your files in LibreOffice and save them in ODF format (ODT, ODS, etc.).
Always keep these files as their source. If you need other formats for distribution to partners, you can open an ODF file and save and distribute another format with ″ Save as… ″.

This way, you always have working files available in your system environment.

See:

https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Faq/General/118#Edit_different_file_formats_in_LibreOffice

[compressor_nickel]

That looks like a screenshot from your File Explorer. You should enable the mode that shows you the file extensions. You seem to have 4 file types there. DOC, DOCX, ODT#(?), ODT.
If you think 3 or 4 formats is too much, you should check out formats for images. There are 25 or so image formats.
What about movie files? The extension count is not high: avi, mp4, mpeg, mov, fmv, ah_something, …
but the number of codecs is probably over 50.
There was a time when watching a movie was very difficult since the video player (Media Player, DivX, VLC, XING) doesn’t come with every codec. Welcome to codec hell.

[Hrbrgr]

@compressor_nickel

How does your answer help the questioner?

[mikekaganski]

FTR: ODT# is the result of showing hidden files, and seeing lockfiles having such an extension.