File Types
Jennifer Lagier · The Internet Encyclopedia · 2004
Abstract Internet searching results in retrieval of information in the form of a file that can be displayed, downloaded, or executed. The organization of the file is called its format. The type of information as well as the way the information will be used determines the choice of file format. File formats and their file name extensions provide users with clues about what kinds of information the file contains—text, image, sound, video, animation, or data. To view, play back, manipulate, interpret, or alter the contents of a file requires different software tools or hardware configurationsfor different file types. This chapter examines a variety of file types: text, compressed, data, images, and multimedia formats. Possible uses and specific examples of each format are explored. Various file transfer tools and procedures are examined.