Inside each first-level directory of a MAFF archive, the second-level directory named ^metadata^ (case-sensitive) is reserved and should not contain actual content. A file or folder named ^metadata^ (case-insensitive) should not exist inside any first-level directory.

MAFF files are standard ZIP files containing one or more web pages, images, or other downloadable content. Additional metadata, like the original page address, is saved along with the content.

They are proof that our openness about our data formats means that you do not have to fear data lock-in.

So while we can’t endorse those systems, and indeed we have to advise you against using them; their existence is still a Good Thing

It’s this third way that we avoid lock-in that is relevant to today’s topic. Our data format design is specified well enough so that people with no connection to AgileBits can write software to be able to handle it.

The second way we avoid locking you into 1Password is through the ability to export data to a more neutral format. Not all versions are yet where we want them to be with respect to export, and we’re working on that. But there is usually some path, if not always a simple click away, to export your 1Password data.

Although we don’t anticipate publishing source code for manipulating 1Password keychains, others, unaffiliated with AgileBits, have done so.

OPVault is an almost perfectly documented format. This makes it highly improbable to come across a file that will fail to be imported. If it ever happens, a bug in the plugin is probably to be blamed.

1Password wasn’t built in a vacuum. It was developed on top of open standards that anyone with the right skills can investigate, implement, and improve. Open tools are trusted, proven, and constantly getting better. Here’s how 1Password respects the principles behind the open tools on which it relies:

Your task list is a plain text file, not some proprietary format owned by a company or locked to a specific application.

In this system, plaintext files are used for most of the backbone of your organizational system.

You're not going to find many checkboxes, drop-downs, reminders, or date pickers here.

Countless productivity apps and sites store your tasks in their own proprietary database and file format. But you can work with your todo.txt file in every text editor ever made, regardless of operating system or vendor.

Most to-do lists give you no control over your data. Your tasks live inside the app, not in a document you can edit, and syncing is handled by whichever company made the app. If you don't like this, todo.txt is a great alternative.