What is a .DOT file?
A .DOT file is a special kind of file made by Microsoft Word, which is a program used for writing and editing text documents. Think of a .DOT file like a blueprint or a pattern for making new documents that look the same. This is really helpful when you want all your documents, like letters or memos, to have a consistent style without having to set up everything from scratch each time.
Inside a .DOT file, there are settings already made for you, such as how the top and bottom of the page look (headers and footers), how wide the edges of the page are (margins), the size and type of text (font sizes), and other rules for how the page should look. This way, if you're making something like a set of business letters for your company, they can all have the same professional look easily.
You can open .DOT files with different programs, not just Microsoft Word. Some of these programs include OpenOffice Writer, Kingsoft Writer, and File Viewer Plus. If you're using a Mac, you can use Apple Pages or Preview, which come with the operating system. There's also Planamesa NeoOffice, a program you can get for Macs. For people who prefer working online, Google Docs is an option that works on many devices, including computers with Chrome OS, smartphones, and tablets. There are also specific apps for Android and iOS devices that can open .DOT files.
It's important to know that the ".dot" extension used to be confused with Graphviz graph files, which are something completely different. To avoid this confusion, Graphviz graphs now use the ".GV" extension instead. This way, there's no mix-up between the two types of files.
Verification
Our goal is to help people find the most up-to-date information about file extensions for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. We researched over 10,000 file extensions and their respective programs that open those files. If you want to suggest edits or updates about .DOT file formats, example files, or programs that are compatible. Please contact us.