  We review recent progress in the construction of four-dimensional vacua of
Type II string theory and F-theory which yield the Standard Model of particle
physics (SM) or extensions thereof. In Type II orientifold compactifications
the SM gauge group and chiral spectrum arise from the open string sector of the
theory, namely from stacks of D-branes. The universal features of the chiral
spectrum between various sets of D-branes allow for a general approach to build
realistic models, which can be implemented in different setups. We describe the
realisation of this strategy in Type II Calabi-Yau orientifold
compactifications and Rational Conformal Field Theories, discussing the
specific model building rules and features of each setting. The same philosophy
can be extended to F-theory constructions. These provide new model building
possibilities, as they combine the localisation properties of D-branes with
exceptional gauge groups and their representations.
