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What is a file extension?

#250 | 2:30 |

Tutorials

Thursday June 4, 2009

A file extension is, very simply, the usually three characters after the '.' in a file name. For example: MySpreadsheet.xls, MyDocument.doc, MyCompressedFolder.zip. Different programs use different file extensions. Michael "Doc" Callahan explains.

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Show Notes

- Wikipedia on file extensions.

- FILExt Web Site is a great resource for file extensions.

- File extensions are most often associated with particular programs or functions. Examples:

- .DOC are Microsoft Word files.
- .XLS are Microsoft Excel files.
- .EXE are executeable files.
- .CFG files are configuration files.
- .SYS are system files.
- .TXT are text files.
- .ZIP are compressed files.

- File extensions are shown by some file managers.

- File extensions are associated with specific programs to make files easy to open.

- Under DOS file extensions were required, but with some operating systems they're optional.

- File extensions are typically three (3) characters, but they can be less or more.

- An example of a longer file extension is the new .ZIPX or Microsoft Office's .DOCX file format.

- Under Windows you can have multiple programs associated with one file extension.

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