Translations:Aanbevolen bestandsformaten om je digitaal archief leesbaar te houden/5/en

Software durability is determined by:

• the extent of backward compatibility: a new version of the software might not be able to properly read files from older versions;
• the complexity of the software: the more complex the software, the harder it is to guarantee backward compatibility;
• its distribution in the market or community: a large market means more software for reading files;
• its open documentation: if the source code is available, programmers can continue to develop the software to read the file format. Using open file formats reduces the risk of being reliant on particular technologies or providers.