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Understanding OpenDocument spreadsheet

ODS is the OpenDocument spreadsheet used by LibreOffice and other office suites. Read about the ZIP package, ODF versions and formulas in bank data.

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An ODS file is an OpenDocument spreadsheet, the spreadsheet type of the Open Document Format, standardised by OASIS. It is a ZIP package with a manifest and XML for the sheets, cells and styles. ODF 1.4 became an OASIS Standard on 6 October 2025; earlier 1.2 and 1.3 files also exist. Cells may hold formulas rather than values. Klarbon support is planned, not available yet.

What is in an ODS package?

Part Holds
mimetype the media type, first in the ZIP and uncompressed
META-INF/manifest.xml a list of every file in the package
content.xml the sheets, rows and cells, with values and formulas
styles.xml cell and page styles
meta.xml title, author and dates
settings.xml view settings
Property Value
Container ZIP
Media type application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet
Versions ODF 1.2 (2011), 1.3 (2021), 1.4 (2025)
Standard OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications

OASIS publishes ODF and its package rules, including the uncompressed mimetype first in the ZIP (ODF 1.3 packages, ODF 1.3, ODF 1.4).

ODS, XLSX or CSV?

ODS XLSX CSV
Standard OASIS ODF ECMA-376, ISO/IEC 29500 RFC 4180 and many variants
Container ZIP with XML ZIP with XML plain text
Several sheets yes yes no
Formulas yes yes text can be interpreted as formulas by a spreadsheet

What does Klarbon do with ODS?

Klarbon does not open ODS files today; reading bank transactions from an ODS sheet, with a column mapping you confirm, is planned, not available yet. Klarbon does not calculate formulas from a file. Klarbon writes bank statements as XLSX and CSV; see supported bank statement files.

Frequently asked questions

What is an ODS file?

An OpenDocument spreadsheet, the spreadsheet type of the Open Document Format for Office Applications (ODF). It is a ZIP package with XML for the sheets and a manifest, standardised by OASIS.

Which ODF version is current?

ODF 1.4, an OASIS Standard of 6 October 2025. ODF 1.3 became an OASIS Standard on 27 April 2021 and ODF 1.2 on 29 September 2011; files may declare any of these versions.

How is an ODS file recognised?

Its first file is an uncompressed file named mimetype, which holds the media type. For a spreadsheet that is application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet.

Can I use an ODS export of my bank statement?

The rows can be read, but cells may hold formulas rather than values, and dates and amounts may be formatted for display. Check the totals against the bank's own statement.

Sources

Updated 5 November 2026

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