What is the EPF file format?
An .epf file is an Eclipse Preferences File - a portable, plain-text export of IDE settings produced by Eclipse IDE, developed by The Eclipse Foundation. It lets developers back up their workspace configuration and transfer it to another Eclipse installation on any supported platform.
Eclipse generates .epf files via File > Export > General > Preferences. To restore the settings, use File > Import > General > Preferences on the target machine. The format follows the same conventions as a Java properties file: plain text encoded in ISO-8859-1 (with \uXXXX escapes for non-ASCII characters), one preference entry per line.
A typical .epf file opens with a comment line holding a timestamp (prefixed by #), then a file_export_version=1.0 header line. The remaining entries take the form /instance/<bundle-id>/<key>=<value>, where <bundle-id> is the Eclipse plug-in identifier - for example, /instance/org.eclipse.jdt.core/ for Java tooling preferences. Other scope prefixes such as /configuration/ and /default/ also appear depending on the preference layer being exported.
Because .epf is plain text with no binary magic bytes and no checksum, any text editor can open and modify it - Notepad, VS Code, gedit, or nano work equally well. Typical export sizes range from 1 KB for a minimal workspace to roughly 100 KB for a heavily customized installation.
The format overlaps in purpose with Eclipse's internal .prefs workspace files, but .epf is the shareable, portable form. The Eclipse Foundation's Oomph tooling can automate preference provisioning at setup time, yet .epf import/export remains the standard manual method for migrating or distributing team-wide IDE configuration.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWAn Eclipse .epf is plain-text settings with no executable code, so it's safe to open and inspect. The minor caution is that an imported preferences file changes your IDE configuration - review it before importing settings from an unknown source (e.g. it could point tools at unexpected paths/servers). Don't confuse it with .eps, which CAN carry active PostScript; if your file is really PostScript, see the eps safety notes.
Format details
in a nutshell- EPSF Encapsulated PostScript image - A rare alias for Encapsulated PostScript; the standard extension is .eps - open with Illustrator/Inkscape/Ghostscript (see the eps entry).
- Entelligence / EDGECAM / EAGLE project preferences - Several CAD/security tools (EdgeCAM, EAGLE, Entelligence) also use .epf for their own settings or part files - app-specific, unrelated to Eclipse.
Programs that open EPF files
Windows3 apps
Eclipse IDE
Open-source File > Import > General > Preferences, select the .epf to apply the saved settings. (Export via File > Export > General > Preferences.) 
Visual Studio Code
Free Open the .epf as a text file to inspect or hand-edit the key=value preferences. 
macOS2 apps
Linux2 apps
Any text editor (gedit, nano, VS Code)
Free Open the .epf as text to inspect/edit the preference lines. Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Plain-text key/value pairs following Java `.properties` conventions |
| Character encoding | ISO-8859-1 (Latin-1); non-ASCII characters escaped as `\uXXXX` Java Unicode sequences |
| Binary signature | None - plain text; identified by the `file_export_version` header line and Eclipse-style `/scope/bundle/key=value` entries |
| File structure | Opening `#` comment with timestamp, `file_export_version=1.0` marker, then one preference entry per line |
| Preference line syntax | `/instance/<bundle-id>/<key>=<value>` - scope prefix maps each entry to its owning Eclipse plug-in |
| Scope prefixes | `/instance/`, `/configuration/`, `/default/`, `/bundle_defaults/` - correspond to Eclipse preference node layers |
| Comment syntax | Lines beginning with `#`; the first line is conventionally a `#`-prefixed ISO date-time export timestamp |
| Line delimiter | Platform-native at export time (CRLF on Windows, LF on Unix/macOS); Eclipse imports either variant |
| Compression | Not applied - the file is distributed as raw plain text, keeping it human-readable and diff-friendly |
| Encryption | Not applied - all preference values are stored in plaintext; credentials or tokens should not be included in exports |
| Typical file size | 1 KB - 100 KB, scaling with the number of non-default preferences recorded |
| Platform portability | Cross-platform; the same `.epf` file can be imported on Windows, macOS, or Linux Eclipse installations |
| Export/import path | Eclipse IDE: `File > Export > General > Preferences` to create; `File > Import > General > Preferences` to apply |
| Editable with | Any plain-text editor (Notepad, VS Code, gedit, nano); no Eclipse tooling required to view or modify |
| Internal version key | `file_export_version` (value `1.0`); format has remained stable since early Eclipse 3.x releases |
| Complementary formats | Eclipse workspace `.prefs` files (per-bundle storage); Oomph setup XML for automated provisioning |
| Released | Early 2000s (Eclipse IDE preference import/export) |
| Latest version | Tracks the Eclipse platform; format stable (key=value lines) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | help.eclipse.org |
EPF conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about EPF files.
