PDF files aren’t typically created from scratch, but are usually converted, saved or ‘printed’ from other documents or images before sharing, publishing online or storing. It is maintained by the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO). The PDF format is now a standard open format that isn’t just available under Adobe Acrobat. The format has evolved to allow for editing and interactive elements like electronic signatures or buttons. It was developed by Adobe so people could share documents regardless of which device, operating system, or software they were using, while preserving the content and formatting. PDF stands for ‘Portable Document Format’ file. If you have access to Microsoft Project, you can use this to open your project and then export or print the file as a PDF instead. However, you can find MPP-viewer applications, such as Seavus Project Viewer or Project Plan 365. MPP files are specifically designed for Project so it can be hard to open them in other programs. While it’s still widely used by businesses, nowadays there are many cloud-based project management tools, including, Asana and Trello. Microsoft Project was one of the first software programs for project management.

Microsoft Project is used by project managers to develop plans, assign tasks, set deadlines and display spend against budgets, while monitoring task or program progress and collaborating with colleagues. Microsoft first launched its Project program in the 1980s and it is now available as a cloud-based subscription or as a one-off software download. MPP is the file extension of the format developed for Microsoft Project.

Ms project file