What is an iXBRL file?
iXBRL (ilnine XBRL) file format lets XBRL data to be embedded in an HTML file to make it both machine and human-readable. It is actually an xHTML file that uses the XBRL tags and was developed by XBRL International to meet the requirements of the UK’s HMRC. Using iXBRL, financial statements can be created keeping the layout of the original document intact. iXBRL files can be opened in any text editor such as Notepad on Windows Operating System and TextEdit on MacOS.
iXBRL File Format
Inside the iXBRL, contents of XBRL are wrapped in xHTML file format that uses XML tags. Like XBRL, is the root element of iXBRL files. The XHTML format represents its contents as collection of different document types and modules. All the files in XHTML are based on XML file format and conform to the XML document standards. XHTML is the format of essential usage for operational utilization of dependent HTML Document Object Model (DOM) or the XML Document Object Model. For the outside world, iXBRL follows the xHTML file format specifications.
iXBRL vs XBRL
XBRL can be compared to iXBRL based on the following factors:
- Complexity
- Formatting options
- File Types/Extensions
- Rendering Option
- Filing Process
The following table illustrates these differences.
| Parameter | XBRL | iXBRL |
|---|---|---|
| Complexity | More complex than iXBRL | Less complex due to the existing organization scheme of XHTML |
| Formatting Options | Limited Flexibility | High Flexibility for contents formatting |
| File Types/Extension | Formally saved with .xml extension | Usually saved as .html or .xhtml extension |
| Rendering Options | XBRL viewers required to view these | Human readable content that can be viewed in browsers |
| Filing Process | XBRL (machine-readable) and HTML (human readable) instance documents to be filed separately. | Both human readable as well as machine-readable formats are available in a single instance document |
