What Is a File Format?

File format (or file type) refers to the special encoding method used by computers to store information, and is used to identify internally stored materials. For example, some store pictures, some store programs, and some store text messages. Each type of information can be stored in computer storage in one or more file formats. Each file format usually has one or more extensions that can be used to identify it, but it may not have an extension. The extension can help the application recognize the file format.

Some file formats are designed to store special data, such as:

From a program perspective, files are data streams, and the file system specifies the access method for each file format. For example: metadata. Different operating systems use their own methods to solve this problem, each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Of course, modern operating systems and applications generally require the methods described here to handle different files.

Many file formats have

use

A widely used in

The last way is to save the file format information to a specific location on the disk.

In this way,

Apple Computer's file system stores the creator and type code for each file's directory entry. These codes are called OSType. For example, the creator of a file created by Apple Computer will be AAPL and the type is APPL. The RISC operating system uses a similar system, describing the table with a 12-bit digital index. For example: FF5 in hexadecimal stands for PoScript,

Magic Number (Foreign Language:

HPFS, NTFS, FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32 file systems can save additional file attribute information. It consists of a name and a value corresponding to the name. For example, the extended attribute ".type" is used to determine the type of the file, and the value may include "Plain Text" or "HTML document". A file can have multiple attributes.

Multipurpose Internet Mail Expansion (Foreign Language Abbreviation:

File format

Xi: Chinese C language source code

File format connection

Interface: Chinese C language source interface source code

7 File format 7

7Z: 7-Zip format compressed file

A File format A

AAC: MPGE-4 Advanced Audio Coding

ACC: Exclusive Music Format for Apple Devices

ACE: Ace Compressed File Format

ACT: Microsoft office assistant file

AIF, AIFF: Audio Interchange File, Sound Format for Silicon Graphic and Macintosh Applications

ANI: Animated Cursor in Windows

APK: AndroidPackage / Android (Android) installation package, APK is a file format similar to Symbian Sis or Sisx. Install the APK file directly to the Android emulator or Android phone and execute the installation

ARC: LH ARC compressed archive file

ARJ: Robert Jung ARJ archive file

ASD: Auto-save file for Microsoft Word; Microsoft advanced streaming format

format (ASF) description file; Velvet Studio example file can be opened with NSREX

ASF: Microsoft Advanced Streaming Format File

ASM: assembly language source files, Pro / E assembly files

ASP: dynamic web file; ProComm Plus installation and connection script file; Astound introduction file

AST: Astound Multimedia File; ClarisWorks "Assistant" File

avi: Windows video file

Axx: Sub-package serial number file of ARJ compressed file, used to compress a large file into several small compressed packages (xx takes the number 01-99)

A3L: Authorware 3.x library file

A4L: Authorware 4.x library file

A5L: Authorware 5.x library file

A3M, A4M: Authorware Macintosh Unpacked File

A3W, A4W, A5W: Unpackaged Authorware Windows files

B File format B

BAK: backup file

BAS: Visual Basic Module VB6 module file

BAT: batch file

BDICT: Baidu input method thesaurus file

BIN: binary file, its use depends on the system or application

BINHex: Apple's encoding format

BMP: Windows or OS / 2 bitmap file

BOOK: Adobe FrameMaker Book file

BOX: Mailbox file for Lotus Notes

BPL: Borlard Delph 4 Packaging Library

BPS: Baidu input method skin file

BSP: Quake Graphics File

BUN: CakeWalk sound bundle file (a MIDI program)

C File format C

C: C code file

C0l: Typhoon waveform file

CAB: Microsoft Compressed Archive

CAD: Softdek's Drafix CAD file

CAM: Casio camera format

CAP: Compressed Music File Format

CAS: comma separated ASC file

CCB: Visual Basic Dynamic Button Configuration File

CCH: Corel chart file

CCO: CyberChat data file

CCT: Macromedia Director Shockwave projection

CDA: CD audio track

CDF: Microsoft Channel Definition Format File

CDI: Philip's High-Density Disk Interactive Format

CDM: Visual dBASE Custom Data Module File

CDR: CorelDRAW drawing file; original audio CD data file

CDT: CorelDRAW template

CDX: CorelDRAW compressed drawing file; Microsoft Visual FoxPro index file

CFG: configuration file

CGI: Common Gateway Interface script file

CGM: Computer Graphics Metafile

CH: OS / 2 configuration file

CHI: An index of .CHM files, used to support the search function in the corresponding .CHM file, to be used together with a .CHM file of the same name

CHK: File fragmentation saved by Windows Disk Defragmenter or ScanDisk

CHM: HTML Help

CHP: Ventura Publisher Chapter File

CHR: character set (font file)

CHT: ChartViem file; Harvard Graphics vector file

CIF: Adaptec CD Creator CD Image File

CIL: Clip Gallery download package

CIM: SimCity 2000 file

CIN: OS / 2 change control file is used to track changes in the INI file

CLASS: Java class file

CLP: Windows Clipboard File

CLL: Crick Software Clicker File

CLS: Visual Basic Class File

CMD: Windows NT, OS / 2 command file; DOS CD / M command file; dBASE program file

COM: A binary executable file in the operating system. There are two types of executable files: .COM and .EXE.

CPI: Microsoft MS-DOS code page information file

CPL: Control Panel Extension, Corel Color Plate

CPP: C ++ code file

CPR: Corel provides instructions

CPT: Corel Photo-Painting Image

CSS: Cascading style sheet documents, used in conjunction with HTML to define style sheets individually

CST: Macromedia Director Cast file

CSV: Comma Separated Value, usually a plain text file

CTL: Visual Basic User Control VB6.0 user-defined control

CTX: Visual Basic User Control Binary File VB6.0 user-defined control binary cache file

CUR: Windows cursor file

D File format D

DAT: Data stream format. DAT files are also in MPG format. VCD burning software automatically generates MPEG-1 files that comply with the VCD standard. There are also data files with a suffix of .DAT. The file format is uncertain. The suffix of any file can be set to .DAT, because the read data is not judged by the suffix, but by the file format.

DB: database file, Thumbs.db is thumbnail cache

DBF: dBASE file, a format created by Ashton-Tate, can be ACT! , Lipper, FoxPro, Arago, Wordtech, Xbase, and similar databases or database-related product identification; available data files (can be used by Excel

97 open); Oracle 8.1.x table space file

DBX: DataBearn image; Microsoft Visual FoxPro form file

DCF: unified recording format for digital cameras, DCF also has audio format

DCT: Microsoft Visual FoxPro Database Container

DCU: Delphi compilation unit file

DCX: Microsoft Visual FoxPro database container; PCX-based fax image; macro

DIR: MacromediaDirector file

DLF: a language file in the INI configuration file format

DLL: Dynamic Link Library

DOC: Microsoft Word 2003 Document File

DOCX: Microsoft Word 2007 document file

Perfect documents, Microsoft: Word documents; DisplayWrite documents

DOT: Microsoft Word Document Template

DPL: Borland Delph 3 compression library

DRV: Driver

DRW: Micrografx Designer / Draw; Pro / E drawing file

DSF: Micrografx Designer VFX file

DSG: File saved by DOOM

DSM: Dynamic Studio Music Module (MOD) file

DSP: Microsoft Developer Studio project file

DSQ: Corel QUERY (Query) File

DST: Embroidery Machine Graphic File

DSW: Microsoft Developer Studio workspace file

DTA: World Bank's STARS Data File

DTD: SGML Document Type Definition (DTD) file

DTED: ground height digital data (graphical data format) file

DTF: Symantec Q & A related database data files

DTM: DigiTrakker module file

DUN: Microsoft dial-up network export file

DV: Digital Video File (MIME)

DWG: AutoCAD drawing file; AutoCAD or Generic CADD old version drawing format

DXR: Macromedia Director protected (non-editable) movie files

E File format E

E: Easy language code source file

EC: Easy Language Module File

EDA: Ensoniq ASR Disk Image

EDD: Element Definition Document (FrameMaker + SGML Document)

EDE: Ensoniq EPS Disk Image

EDK: Ensoniq KT Disk Image

EDQ: Ensoniq SQ1 / SQ2 / Ks32 Disk Image

EDS: Ensoniq SQ80 Disk Image

EDV: Ensoniq VFX-SD Disk Image

EFA: Ensoniq ASR File

EFE: Ensoniq EPS file

EFK: Ensoniq KT file

EFQ: Ensoniq SQ1 / SQ2 / Ks32 file

EFS: Ensoniq SQ80 file

EFV: Ensoniq VFX-SD file

EMD: ABT Expansion Module

EMF: Windows Enhanced Metafile

EML: Microsoft Outlook Express Mail Message (MIME RTC822) File

EOT: It is a compressed font library, the purpose is to solve the problem of embedding special fonts in web pages. Only Microsoft's IE browser supports it.

EXE: executable file (program)

F File format F

FAV: Microsoft Outlook Navigation Bar

FAX: Fax type image

FCD: Virtual CD-ROM

FDF: Adobe Acrobat Form Document File

FLA: Macromedia Flash Animation Source File

FLAC: lossless audio compression encoding

FLV: Flash video file

FNE: One of the easy language support library files is used to load and provide corresponding commands and methods in the easy language. The easy language support library also has FNR format, NPK format, and LPK file package.

FND: Search file saved by Microsoft Explorer (Find applet)

FNR: FNR file is one of the easy language support library files, which is used to load and provide corresponding commands and methods in the easy language. However, unlike the FNE format support library, FNR does not have editing information and has run support code Support library.

FON: system font

FRM: Visual Basic Form File VB6.0 form file

FRT: Microsoft FoxPro report file

FRX: Visual Basic form text; Microsoft FoxPro report file

FXP: Source files compiled by Microsoft FoxPro

G File format G

GDM: Ringtone, Whistle, and Soundboard Module Format

GetRight: GetRight unfinished download file

GHO: Norton clone disk image

GID: Windows 95 global index file (including help status)

GiF: Motion Picture File

GL: Animation format

GRP: Program Management Group

H File format H

H: C / C ++ Header

HEX: Macintosh BinHex2.0 file

HLP: Help file; Date CAD Windows help file

HPP: C ++ program header file

HQX: Macintosh BinHex 4.0 file

HT: HyperTerminal

HTM, HTML: Hypertext Document

HTT: Microsoft Hypertext Template

HTX: Extended HTML Template

I File format I

ICO: Windows icon

IDX: Microsoft FoxPro related database index file; Symantec Q & A related database index file; Microsoft Outlook

Express file

IMG: GEM image

INC: Include File Reference file, also used in ASP

INF: A file used to describe data information such as devices or files under the Windows operating system

INI: configuration file, ini file format is suitable for the program to record some basic configuration settings

INP: Oracle version 3.0 or earlier form source code

INRS: INRS remote communication audio

INS: InstallShield installation script; X-Internet signature file; Ensoniq EPS cluster equipment; Cell / MAC / PC sampling equipment

INT: Intermediate code. When a source program is compiled after syntax checking, an executable code is generated.

IOF: Findit documentation

IQY: Microsoft Internet Query File

ISO: List files on CD-ROM according to ISD 9660 standard for CD-ROM file system

ISP: X-Internet Signature Document

ISS: Inno Setup project script file (Inno Setup is an installation package generation tool)

IST: Digital Tracking Device File

ISU: InstallShield uninstall script

IT: Pulse Tracking System Music Module (MOD) File

ITI: Pulse Tracking System Equipment

ITS: Pulse Tracking System Sampling, Internet Document Location

IV: File formats used in Open Inventor

IVD: more than 20/20 microdata dimension or variable level file

IVP: Profile of a subset of users over 20/20

IVT: more than 20/20 table or collection data files

IVX: More than 20/20 microdata catalog files

IW: Idlewild screen saver

IWC: Install Watch Document

J File format J

J62: Ricoh Camera Format

JAR: Java archive (a compressed file for applets and related files)

JAVA: Java source files

JFF, JFIF, JIF: JPEG files

JPE, JPEG, JPG: JPEG graphic files

JS: javascript source file

JSP: HTML web page that contains a reference to a Java servlet

JSON: A lightweight data exchange format.

K File format K

KAR: Karaoke MIDI file (text + MIDI)

KEY: authorization file

L File format L

LAB: Visual dBASE tag file

LBT, LBX: Microsoft FoxPro label file

LDB: Microsoft Access Lock File

LHA: LZH replace file suffix

LIB: library file in Windows system, divided into two types, static library and dynamic library

LIC: License user license file

LNK: Shortcut file

LOG: log file

LPK: The LPK file is one of the easy language support library installation packages, including all or part of the files of ".FNE", ".FNR", related routines, and documentation. Used to load and provide corresponding commands and methods in easy language

LST: List File / MASM Listing

LUA: LUA scripting language file

LZH: LH ARC Compressed Archive

M File format M

M1V: MPEG related files (MIME "mpeg" type)

M3D: Corel Motion 3D animation file

M3U: MPEG URL (MIME sound file)

MAM: Microsoft Access Macro

MAQ: Microsoft Access query file

MAR: Microsoft Access report file

MBX: Microsoft Outlook saves email format; Eudora mailbox

MCW: Macintosh Document for Microsoft Word

MDB: Microsoft Access database

MDN: Microsoft Access empty database template

MDW: Microsoft Access Workgroup File

MID: MIDI Music

MKV: Video file

MMM: Microsoft Multimedia Movies

MOV: QuickTime for Windows video file

MP2: Layer 2 MPEG audio file

MP3: Layer 3 MPEG audio file

MP4: video or audio file

MPA: MPEG related files, MIME "mpeg type"

MPE, MPEG, MPG: MPEG animation files

MPP: Microsoft engineering file; CAD drawing file format

MPR: Microsoft FoxPro menu (compiled)

MSI: Windows Installer Pack

MSN: Microsoft Web Documentation; Descent Mission File

N File format N

NPK: NPK belongs to the easy language COM packaging support library, which is generated by referring to the COM packaging library, such as WebBrowser, Windows Media Player. The extension format support library can be opened in Notepad.

O File format O

OBD: Microsoft Office Binder

OBJ: Object file

OBZ: Microsoft Office Binder Wizard

OCX: Microsoft Object Linking and Embedding Custom Controls

ODS: Microsoft Outlook Express mailbox file

OFT: Microsoft Outlook Template

OPX: OPL Extension DLL (Dynamic Link Library)

OSS: Microsoft Office Finding Files

OST: Microsoft Exchange / Outlook offline files

P File format P

PAL: compressed file

PART: Go! Zilla partial download file

PAS: Pascal source code

PCS: PICS animation file

PDF: Adobe Acrobat

Exportable document format file (displayable by Web browser); Microsoft Systems Management Server package definition file; NetWare printer definition file

PEM: OpenSSL uses the PEM file format to store certificates and keys. PEM is essentially Base64-encoded binary content, plus the start and end lines BEGIN CERTIFICATE, ENDCERTIFICATE. There can be additional information outside these tags, such as a textual representation of the encoded content. The file is ASCII and can be opened with any text editing program

PHP, PHP3: HTML pages with PHP scripts

PHTML: HTML pages containing PHP scripts; HTML interpreted by Perl

PM5: Pagemaker 5.0 file

PM6: Pagemaker 6.0 file

PNG: Portable Image File

PPS: Microsoft Powerpoint Slideshow

PPT: Microsoft Powerpoint presentation

PRF: Windows system files, Macromedia director settings files

PSD: Adobe photoshop bitmap file

PSM: Protracker Studio model format; source data files for Epic games

PST: Microsoft Outlook Personal Folder File

PWL: Windows 95 password list file

Q File format Q

QIF: QuickTime Related Images (MIME); Quicken Import File

QPYD: QQ Pinyin input method thesaurus file

QPYS: QQ Pinyin input method skin file

QT, QTM: QuickTime Movie

QTI, QTIF: QuickTime related images

QTP: QuickTime Priority File

QTS: Mac PICT image file; QuickTime related image

QTX: QuickTime related images

R File format R

RA: RealAudio sound file

RAM: RealAudio metafile

RAR: Windows RAR compressed file

RC: Resource files used by the Resource Script development environment. To modify resources, you need to modify 3 files, .aps file, .rc file, Resource.h

REC: Recorder Macro; RapidComm Sound File

REG: Registry file

REP: Visual dBASE report file

RES: Microsoft Visual Studio resource file

RM: RealAudio video file

RMF: Rich Map format (3D game editor uses it to save maps)

ROM: Cassette-based home game emulator files (ROMs from Atari 2600, Colecovision, Sega, Nintendo and other cassettes are fully copied, and cannot be modified between the two emulators)

RTF: Rich Text Format (also known as Rich Text Format)

Rxx: RAR compressed file on multi-volume archives (a number between xx = 1 and 99)

S File format S

SAV: Game Save File

SB: raw signed byte (8-bit) data

SBK: Creative Labs Soundfont 1.0 Bank file; (Soundb laster) / EMU SonndFont v1.x Bank file

SBL: Shockwave Flash Object File

SCC: Microsoft SourceSafe Status is a management log file in VB6.0

SCF: Windows Explorer command file

SCH: Microsoft Schedule + 1

SCP: Dial-Up Networking Script File

SCR: Windows screen saver; fax image; script file

SFX: RAR self-extracting archive

SHTML: HTML file with server-side include (SSI)

SKN: skin file, skin source file of QQ pinyin input method is also .skn

SLN: Solution file for Microsoft Visual Studio Solution VS development environment

SPL: Shockwave Flash object; DigiTrakker sampling

SQL: Informix SQL queries; file extensions commonly used by database products for SQL queries (script, text, binary)

STF: Microsoft installation files

STM: short suffix form of .shtml, containing a server-side include (SSI) HTML file; Scream Tracker V2 music module (MOD) file

STR: screen saver file

SVG: An XML-defined language for describing two-dimensional vectors and vector / raster graphics

SWA: Shockwave sound file in Macromedia director file (MP3 file)

SWF: Flash animation file

SYS: system file

T File format T

T64: Commodore 64 emulator tape image file

TDF: Text Design File is a text format, or a subtitle file format

THEME: Windows 95 Desktop Theme File

TIF, TIFF: Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) bitmap

TLB: similar to .ocx, is an ActiveX file

TMP: Windows temporary files

TORRENT: BT seed file

TRM: terminal file

TTF: TrueTypeFont is a font file format jointly launched by Apple and Microsoft

TXT: Windows Text Document

TZ: Old Compressed Format File

V File format V

VBA: VBase file

VBP: Microsoft Visual Basic project file

VBW: Microsoft Visual Basic Workspace File

VBX: Microsoft Visual Basic user-defined control

VCXPROJ: VC ++ Project / C ++ project file

VCXPROJ.FILTERS: VC ++ Project Filters File / C ++ project file virtual directory

VCXPROJ.USER: Visual Studio Project User Options file

VOB: DVD video file

VQE, VQL: Yamaha Sound-VQ Locator File

VQF: Yamaha Sound-VQ file (standard may appear)

VRF: Oracle 7 configuration file

VSL: Download List File (GetRight)

W File format W

WAB: Microsoft Outlook file

WAD: Large files of DOOM games containing videos, player levels and other information

WAL: Quake 2 body file

WAV: Windows Waveform

WBK: Microsoft Word backup file

WFM: Visual dBASE Windows Form

WFN: Symbol used in CorelDRAW

WIZ: Microsoft Word Wizard

WOFF: Web Open Font Format Web Open Font Format, a font format standard used by web pages

WRL: The Virtual Reality Model

WWL: Microsoft Word Interpolator File

X File format X

XLK: Microsoft Excel backup

XLL: Microsoft Excel interposer file

XLM: Microsoft Excel Macro

XLS: Microsoft Excel 2003 Spreadsheet

XLSB: Microsoft Excel Binary Spreadsheet

XLSX: Microsoft Excel 2007 Spreadsheet

XLT: Microsoft Excel Template

XLV: Microsoft Excel VBA module

XLW: Microsoft Excel Workbook / Workspace

XML: Extensible Markup Language

Z File format Z

ZAP: Windows Software Installation Configuration File

zip: Windows RAR archive

000-999: used to number the old version (or backup) file (such as the CONFIG.SYS file changed by the installer); it can also be used to number multiple user-related data files for small-scale PC applications

12M: Lotus 1-2-3 97 SmartMaster file

123: Lotus 1-2-3 97 file

2D: VersaCAD's 2D drawing file

2GR, 3GR: VGA graphics driver / profile under Windows

386: Files used on 386 or higher processors

3D: VersaCAD's 3D drawing file

3DM: 3D NURBS Modeler, Rhino

3DS: 3D Studio (under DOS) format file

4GE: Informix 4GL compiled code

4GL: Informix 4GL source code