Novus Convert
Convert files
Data format

ORC format guide

A .orc file is columnar Apache ORC data remains gated until a maintained permissive browser decoder passes memory, bundle-size, malformed-input, and semantic-reopen checks. This release documents the format but does not expose a converter until its browser engine passes the fixture gate.

Current availability

Format information only

Novus Convert does not currently process this format. No upload or download control is shown because the site never represents an unavailable conversion as working.

View available formats

Where ORC comes from

Apache ORC files using the .orc extension belong to the data ecosystem and remain in use where their particular interchange or storage model is required. Browser support varies, so this profile distinguishes a tested local engine from reference-only coverage.

How ORC works

  • The public file extension is .orc.
  • The format is classified as data data.
  • Recognized signatures include ORC.
  • No conversion route is published until output can be independently validated.

When to use ORC

  • Opening or exchanging Apache ORC files without sending them to a remote converter.
  • Moving compatible content from .orc into a more broadly supported target.
  • Inspecting format capabilities and expected fidelity before conversion.

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Can be handled without uploading private source data when a local engine is available.
  • Registry-backed routes expose only outputs with a concrete encoder.
  • Format and size validation catches common extension mismatches early.

Limitations

  • Some format-specific metadata cannot be represented by every target.
  • Large or unusually complex files can exceed browser memory limits.
  • Compatibility depends on the exact dialect and features used by the source file.

Compatibility

Apache ORC compatibility depends on the producing application and the format revision. Novus Convert's guide remains reference-only until the browser implementation is verified.

Metadata preservation is target-dependent and may be partial; the converter reports normalization or loss where applicable.