Overview
ISO/IEC 26300-3:2015 (OpenDocument v1.2 - Part 3: Packages) is the International Standard that specifies the package format for OpenDocument office files (ODF v1.2). Published by ISO/IEC and originating from the OASIS OpenDocument TC, this part defines how ODF documents are packaged, described, secured and signed for reliable interchange and long‑term storage.
Note: OpenDocument v1.2 is a multipart specification - Part 1 covers the XML schema, Part 2 covers OpenFormula (recalculated formulas), and Part 3 focuses on package-related technologies.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Package structure: Defines the OpenDocument package and extended package conventions - how multiple files (XML content, resources, images) are bundled.
- Manifest schema: The mandatory manifest file (manifest.xml) and its elements (e.g., , ) that enumerate package entries and attributes such as media type and path.
- Metadata ontology: Package metadata manifest ontology for embedding package‑level metadata using declared namespaces.
- Digital signatures: Schema and processing rules for embedding/verifying digital signatures inside the package to protect integrity and authenticity.
- Encryption: Encryption model and attributes in the manifest, including encryption-data, algorithms, key derivation and initialization vectors used to protect package entries.
- MIME media type and preview: Rules for the package MIME type, content types and optional preview images for display in file browsers.
- Namespaces & schemas: Declared XML namespaces (manifest, digitalsignature, package metadata) and normative references required for implementation.
Practical applications and who uses it
- Office suite developers implement this standard to produce and consume interoperable .odt/.ods/.odp files.
- Document management & archiving systems rely on package, metadata and signature rules for trustworthy long‑term storage and retrieval.
- Security and compliance teams use package encryption and signature features to meet confidentiality and non‑repudiation requirements.
- Converters, validators and viewers use manifest and MIME rules to correctly interpret package contents and previews.
- Government and enterprises adopt ISO/IEC 26300-3:2015 to ensure vendor-neutral, standards‑based document interchange.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 26300‑1 (OpenDocument Schema) - content model and XML schema.
- ISO/IEC 26300‑2 (OpenFormula) - formula language and recalculation rules.
- OASIS OpenDocument v1.2 specification (source normative text).
Keywords: OpenDocument, ODF v1.2, ISO/IEC 26300-3:2015, package format, manifest, digital signatures, encryption, metadata, MIME, interoperability.
Open preview (PDF)Information technology — Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) v1.2 — Part 3: Packages
