A collection of bytes stored as an individual entity. All data on disk is stored as a file with an assigned file name that is unique within the folder (directory) it resides in.
To the computer, a file is nothing more than a string of bytes. The structure of a file is known to the software that manipulates it. For example, database files are made up of a series of records. Word processing files contain a continuous flow of text.
Except for ASCII text files, which contain only raw text, other files have proprietary structures. Formatting and other types of information are contained in headers or interspersed throughout the file. Following are the major file types. See file association.
To the computer, a file is nothing more than a string of bytes. The structure of a file is known to the software that manipulates it. For example, database files are made up of a series of records. Word processing files contain a continuous flow of text.
Except for ASCII text files, which contain only raw text, other files have proprietary structures. Formatting and other types of information are contained in headers or interspersed throughout the file. Following are the major file types. See file association.
Type Contents data file (table) data records document text spreadsheet rows and columns of cells image rows and columns of bits drawing list of vectors audio digitized sound waves MIDI MIDI instructions video digital video frames Web page text batch file text source program text executable program machine language
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
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