Source files
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Source files are the files containing the original, editable version of a digital resource from which a final format optimised for distribution or end use can be created.[1][2][3] Various types of digital resources can be modified through access to their source files. File formats may be based on open or closed standards. Their availability, alongside modification rights conferred by open licenses, is a consideration in open practices.
Digital Resources
[edit source]Documents
[edit source]Portable Document Format (PDF) is one of the most common final formats for documents, which can be created from a variety of source files such as word processor formats (ODT, DOCX), presentation formats (PPTX, ODP), or markup languages (Markdown, LaTeX).[4][5][6][7] These source files, used to author and edit the content, are then converted to PDF for consistent display and distribution across different systems.
Image
[edit source]In graphic design, source files such as SVG or PSD preserve layers that can be independently manipulated using graphics software.[8] From these source files, compressed distribution formats such as PNG or JPEG are derived.
Software
[edit source]In the context of software development, a source file is a file containing source code.[9][10] The two terms are therefore distinct: source code refers to the human readable text written in a programming language, while a source file refers to the file in which that text is stored. As computers cannot directly understand source code, software source files must be either compiled into an executable, or interpreted at runtime.
Hardware
[edit source]In hardware design, source files include CAD files for mechanical components and schematics or PCB layout files for electronic components. From these editable source files, manufacturing outputs such as STL files for 3D printing or Gerber files for circuit board fabrication are created.[11][12]
Fonts
[edit source]In typography, font source files such as UFO, VFC or .glyphs contain human-readable glyph outlines manipulated using a font editor, from which font binary files such as OTF, TTF, or WOFF are generated.[13] These binary files are then used by applications such as word processors to render and format text.
Video
[edit source]Formats
[edit source]Source files may use open or proprietary formats, based on open standard or closed standards respectively.[citation needed]
Open Practices
[edit source]The UNESCO 2019 Recommendation on Open educational resources recommends that Member States develop mechanisms to incentivize stakeholders to publish source files using open file formats in public repositories.[16] It is common for Open Educational Resources such as open textbooks to be available only in a final format such as PDF, limiting the ability of users to modify them despite the rights provided by open licenses.[17][18][19]
References
[edit source]- ↑ "Definition of Free Cultural Works". Freedom Defined.
- ↑ Tobin, Jonathan (2013-10-17). "Does A Designer Have to Turn Over Source Files When A Client Asks For Them?". AIGA Los Angeles. AIGA.
- ↑ "About the Journal of Open Source Education". Journal of Open Source Education. The Open Journals. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
- ↑ "Supported file formats for PDF conversion". Adobe Acrobat. Adobe. Retrieved 2026-07-27.
- ↑ "Why Submit the TeX/LaTeX Source?". arXiv.
- ↑ "File Preparation". INFORMS PubsOnline. Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
- ↑ Artefactual Systems and Digital Preservation Coalition (July 2021). "Preserving Documents". doi:10.7207/twgn21-07.
- ↑ "Digital Image File Formats and When to Use Them". Newcastle University. 2021-11-09. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
- ↑ "Definition of Source File". PCMag Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
- ↑ Meredith, Alisdair; Hughes, Lori (2025-05-19). Input Files Are Source Files (PDF) (Report). ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22/WG21.
- ↑ Bonvoisin, Jérémy; Mies, Robert; Boujut, Jean-François; Stark, Rainer (2017). "What is the "Source" of Open Source Hardware?". Journal of Open Hardware. 1 (1) 5. doi:10.5334/joh.7.
- ↑ "Best Practices for Open Source Hardware 1.0". Open Source Hardware Association. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ Translation Commons (2025). "Font Creation Guidelines" (PDF). Translation Commons. p. 32.
- ↑ "Spring Open Movie". Blender Foundation. Blender Institute. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
- ↑ "Open Art License". Open Art Network. three.org.
- ↑ "Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER)". UNESCO. 2019-11-25.
- ↑ "Using Open Educational Resources (OER) for Online Teaching". Western Washington University. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ Bothmann, Ludwig; Strickroth, Sven; Casalicchio, Giuseppe; Rügamer, David; Lindauer, Marius; Scheipl, Fabian; Bischl, Bernd (2022). "Developing Open Source Educational Resources for Machine Learning and Data Science". Proceedings of the Third Teaching Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Workshop. arXiv:2107.14330.
- ↑ Gurell, S. M. (2012). Measuring the Technical Difficulty in Reusing Open Educational Resources with the ALMS Analysis Framework (Thesis). Brigham Young University. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
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