.dot File Extension
.dot file is, how to tell a Word template from a Graphviz graph, which apps open it, and how Poly supports it. File extension details for .dot
Storage Only| File type | Word 97-2003 template or Graphviz DOT graph |
|---|---|
| MIME type | |
| Encoding | Binary OLE compound document or UTF-8/Latin-1 text |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Opens with | Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, Graphviz, Text editors |
| Poly support | Yes. Poly stores, syncs, shares, versions, and downloads DOT files. |
| Indexed by Poly | Name only by suffix. The ambiguous extension is not assigned a format automatically. |
| Preview in Poly | No automatic preview by suffix. Download the file and open it with the matching application. |
| Poly agent | No by suffix. The Poly agent cannot read an unclassified DOT file's contents. |
What kind of file is a .dot?
A .dot file usually has one of two unrelated meanings:
- A Microsoft Word 97-2003 template is a binary file used to create documents with reusable styles, layouts, fields, and possibly macros. It belongs to the
application/mswordfamily.1 - A Graphviz DOT graph is a text description of nodes, edges, graphs, and attributes. IANA registers
text/vnd.graphvizwith both.gvand.dotextensions.2
Inspect the contents before choosing an app. A typical Word template uses the OLE Compound File Binary header D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1, although that signature is shared by other Microsoft formats. A Graphviz file is readable text and, after optional comments, normally begins with graph, digraph, strict graph, or strict digraph followed by a brace-delimited definition.3
.gv, or a graph to .doc, does not convert it. Legacy Word templates can contain macros, so do not enable active content in an unexpected file.How do I open a .dot on my computer?
For a Word template, use Microsoft Word on Windows or macOS, or LibreOffice Writer on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Word still lists .dot as its Word 97-2003 template format.1 Opening a trusted template through Word's New workflow creates a document based on it; editing the template itself changes what future documents inherit.
For a text graph, use Graphviz or a text editor. This command renders a graph as scalable SVG:4
dot -Tsvg input.dot -o output.svg
If the command reports a syntax error, check whether the file is actually a binary Word template rather than text.
Poly support for .dot
Poly stores, syncs, shares, versions, downloads, and finds .dot files by name. It does not infer a format from this suffix because Word templates and Graphviz graphs require different handling.
A file explicitly supplied as application/msword can receive supported document processing. A Graphviz source supplied as ordinary readable text may receive text-oriented features. Those capabilities depend on correct classification, not on the .dot filename alone. Poly does not render a Graphviz diagram from the suffix.
History of .dot
The suffix joins two separate conventions. Microsoft used .dot for the binary template paired with Word 97-2003 documents. Office 2007 introduced the newer .dotx template and .dotm macro-enabled template conventions, while current Word releases retain .dot compatibility.1
Graphviz also used DOT as the name of its graph language. When text/vnd.graphviz was registered in 2008, its registration listed .gv and .dot but explicitly noted the collision with Microsoft Word.2 Graphviz documentation now describes .gv as the normal extension, though its command-line examples still accept .dot input.45
Working with .dot and alternatives
| If the file contains | Prefer for new work | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A Word template without macros | .dotx | Modern package format with no VBA macros |
| A Word template with macros | .dotm | Makes macro capability explicit |
| A Graphviz graph | .gv | Avoids the Word-template collision |
| A finished diagram | SVG or PDF | Easier to view without Graphviz |
Convert a Word template by opening it in a compatible word processor and saving to the appropriate modern template format. Render a Graphviz source to SVG, PDF, or PNG when recipients only need the diagram. Keep the original graph source when they may need to edit nodes, edges, or layout attributes.
Footnotes
- Microsoft. File Format Reference for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Microsoft identifies
.dotas the Word 97-2003 template format and distinguishes.dotxand.dotm. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 - Internet Assigned Numbers Authority.
text/vnd.graphvizMedia Type Registration. The registration lists.gvand.dot, UTF-8 and Latin-1 text, and the extension collision with Word. ↩ ↩2 - Graphviz. DOT Language. The grammar defines directed and undirected graphs, statements, attributes, comments, and character encodings. ↩
- Graphviz. Command Line. The documentation shows rendering
input.dotwith thedotprogram and selecting an output format with-T. ↩ ↩2 - Graphviz. dot Manual Page. The manual describes
.gvas the normal graph-language extension. ↩