OpenDocument Master Document

OpenOffice Writer is a free, open-source alternative to Microsoft Word. An OpenOffice Writer user who is producing a long document, such as a book, thesis, or report, may save that document as an ODM file.

ODM files are master documents that allow users to save document sections, such as chapters and report sections, as separate documents (ODT files). Each section can then be edited separately and re-combined within the master document. The ability to edit a long document in sections is meant to improve users' experience with OpenOffice Writer, because document sections load more quickly and are easier to work with than long documents.

Since ODM files allow users to easily split, edit, and re-combine a document's sections, the ODM format is especially useful to those writing group documents. Each writer can edit their section as a separate document, before combining it within a single ODM file.

NOTE: The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) maintains the OpenDocument standard.

You can open an ODM file in OpenOffice Writer (cross-platform) or LibreOffice Writer (cross-platform). To do so, select File → Open... from either program's menu bar and then open your ODM file.

You can also use OpenOffice Writer to export an ODM file as a single ODT file, after you've finished editing the ODM file. To do so, select File → Export... from the program's menu bar.

Programs that open ODM files

Updated: March 17, 2021

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