File Types

These extensions at the end of a filename refer to the type of file it is. This information is used by your operating system to launch an appropriate program when you click on the filename. Example: file.txt is a text file and can be opened by a text editor program.

File Extension

File Description

.$$$

Temporary file

.2GR

A file that allows Windows to display text and graphics in standard mode on a 286 or 386 computer (filename extension).

0.386

Swap file; enables computer running in enhanced mode to use Windows with virtual memory (filename extension).

.3GR

A file that allows Windows to display text and graphics in enhanced mode on a 386, 486, or Pentium computer (filename extension).

0.906

Calcomp plotter

.A3W

MacroMedia Authorware Windows 3.5 (filename extension).

.ABK

AutoBackup, Corel Draw (filename extension).

.ABR

Brush - Adobe Photoshop (filename extension).

.ACL

Keyboard accelerator, Corel Draw 6 (filename extension).

.ACM

Windows system directory file (filename extension).

.ACV

Drivers for compressing or decompressing audio files, OS/2 (filename extension).

.AD

After Dark

.ADB

1. Appointment DataBase, HP 100LX (filename extension). 2. Body file type, Ada language (filename extension).

.ADD

Adapter Driver - OS/2 (filename extension).

.ADM

AfterDark MultiModule (filename extension).

.ADR

AfterDark Randomizer (filename extension). AfterDark is a screensaver program that can be set to randomly display a variety of screensaver patterns one after another.

.ADS

Specification file type, Ada language (filename extension).

.AFM

Adobe Font Metrics - Type 1 font metrics (filename extension).

.AG4

Access G4

.AI

Adobe Illustrator

.AIF

Audio Interchange File Format or AIFF (filename extension). A format developed by Apple Computer for storing high-quality sampled audio and musical instrument information. It can be played on PC and Mac.

.aiff

Audio Interchange File Format. An uncompressed sound format developed by Apple Computer for storing high-quality sampled audio and musical instrument information. It can be played on PC and Mac, using QuickTime or Sound Player.

.ALL

Arts and Letters Library (filename extension).

.ANI

Animated cursor (filename extension).

.ANS

ANSI text (filename extension).

.API

Application Program Interface (filename extension). An interface between the operating system and application programs.

.APP

MacroMedia Authorware package (filename extension).

.ARC

ARC or ARC+ compressed

.arj

A PC compressed format found on European sites (filename extension), which can be decoded with unArjMac, DeArj, and SITEX10.EXE (win).

.ART

An art file, in some draw or paint applications (filename extension).

.ASC

ASCII text file

.ASF

Active Streaming File - HoTMetaL Pro (filename extension).

.ASM

Assembly Source Code

.ASP

Active Server Page - Microsoft (filename extension).

.AST

Assistant file - Claris Works (filename extension). Assistants guide the user through a task by asking a series of questions and then use the answers to perform a task. Assistants in Claris Works can be used to create such useful items as calendars, newsletters, stationery, labels, and address lists, to make footnotes within a file, to find documents, etc.

.ATT

AT&T

.AU

A sound file format used on Sun Microsystems or other UNIX computers

.AVI

AVI movie format

.AVS

Intel video capture format (filename extension).

.b64

Base 64 (filename extension), the encoding format used by the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension.

.BAK

Backup copy in DOS or OS/2

.BAS

BASIC program file

.BAT

Batch

.BFC

Briefcase document - Windows 95 (filename extension).

.BG

Backgammon game (filename extension).

.BI

Binary file (filename extension).

.BIN

Driver

.bin

A MacBinary II encoded file (filename extension). This file type, downloaded as MacBinary or Binary, can be decompressed with Stuffit Expander.

.BK

Backup copy

.BK$

Backup file (filename extension).

.BLT

Wordperfect for DOS (filename extension).

.BMP

Bitmap

.BNK

Sim City game file (filename extension).

.BRX

Browse Index (filename extension). Found on multimedia CD-ROMs.

.BTM

Batch file - Norton Utilities (filename extension).

.C

C program file

.CAB

Microsoft compressed format

.CAL

Calendar or CALS

.CAP

Caption

.CBT

Computer-Based Training; a tutorial file (filename extension).

.CCH

Corel chart (filename extension).

.CCM

Lotus cc:Mail (filename extension).

.CDA

CD Audio track (filename extension).

.CDR

CorelDraw

.CDT

Corel Draw template (filename extension).

.CDX

Corel Draw compressed file (file extension).

.CDX

Visual FoxPro database index (filename extension).

.CFB

Compton’s multimedia encyclopedia (filename extension).

.CFG

Configuration

.CFL

Corel Flow (filename extension).

.CGI

Common Gateway Interface (filename extension). A file that makes it possible for HTTP servers to interface with computer programs to provide interactive functions like fill-out forms.

.CGM

CGM graphics

.CHK

Checkdisk - DOS

.CHP

Chapter - Ventura

.CIF

Chapter Information - Venture

.CIM

Sim City file (filename extension).

.CIT

Intergraph scanned image

.CLP

Clipboard

.CMD

Command file -- OS/2

.CMF

Corel MetaFile (filename extension).

.CMF

SoundBlaster file (filename extension).

.CMP

LEAD Technologies graphics

.CMV

Corel Move animation (filename extension).

.CNF

Configuration file (filename extension).

.CNQ

Compuworks Design Shop (filename extension).

.COB

COBOL source code

.COM

Command file - small version of .EXE

.CPE

Fax Cover document (filename extension).

.CPI

Code Page - DOS

.CPL

Control Panel - Windows

.CPP

C++ program file

.CPR

Knowledge Access graphics

.CPT

Compact Pro

.CPX

Corel Presentation Exchange compressed file (filename extension).

.CRD

Windows Cardfile (filename extension).

.CSC

Corel Script (filename extension).

.CSS

Cascading Style Sheet (filename extension).

.CSV

Comma delimited

.CTL

Control file (filename extension).

.CTY

City file - SimCity (filename extension).

.CUR

Windows cursor image

.CUT

Dr. Halo graphics

.CV

Microsoft CodeView (filename extension).

.CWK

Claris Works (filename extension).

.CWS

Claris Works template (filename extension).

.DAT

Data

.DB

Table - Paradox

.DBC

Visual FoxPro database (filename extension).

.DBF

Database File - dBASE

.DBT

Database text - dBASE

.DBX

DATABEAM graphics

.DCA

IBM text

.DCS

Color Separation - EPS

.DCT

Dictionary

.DD

Disk Doubler

.DDI

Disk Doubler Image (filename extension).

.DEF

Definition - C++ (filename extension).

.DER

Certificate (filename extension).

.DEV

Device driver file (filename extension).

.DG

Autotrol graphics

.DGN

Intergraph graphics

.DIB

DIB graphics - Windows

.DIC

Dictionary

.DIF

Data Interchange Format spreadsheet

.DLL

Dynamic link library

.DOC

Document file

.DOT

Document Template - Microsoft Word (filename extension).

.DOX

MultiMate document

.DPI

Dots Per Inch - graphics

.DPR

Delphi project file (filename extension).

.DRV

Driver

.DRW

Designer graphics

.DS4

Designer graphics, version 4

.DSF

Designer graphics, version 6

.DWG

AutoCAD vector format

.DWG

Drawing - AutoCAD (filename extension).

.DX

Document Imaging

.DXF

AutoCAD vector format

.ED5

EDMICS graphics

.EMF

Enhanced Windows Metafile (filename extension).

.eml

electronic mail

.enc

encoded

.EPS

Encapsulated PostScript format

.ESI

Esri plot file

.EXE

Executable file -- machine code

.FAX

Fax

.FDX

Force Index

.FH3

Aldus Freehand 3 (filename extension).

.FLC

AutoDesk animation

.FLD

Thumbnail folder - Hijaak

.FLI

AutoDesk animation

.FLR

Live3D (filename extension).

.FLT

Filter - graphics conversion

.FM

Framemaker (filename extension).

.FM3

Format for 1-2-3 Version 3

.FMT

Format - dBASE

.FNT

Font

.FOG

Fontographer font (filename extension).

.FON

1. Bitmapped Font - Windows 2. Phone

.FOR

FORTRAN

.FOT

Windows TrueType font

.FOX

FoxBase

.FP

Claris FileMaker Pro (filename extension).

.FP1

Flying Pigs (filename extension).

.FP3

Filemaker Pro 3

.FPX

FlashPix bitmap (filename extension).

.FRM

Form design -- Visual Basic

.FRS

WordPerfect Graphics Driver

.G4

GTX RasterCAD

.GCA

GOCA graphics

.GED

Arts & Letters graphics

.GEM

GEM graphics

.GEO

VideoScope (filename extension).

.GIF

Graphics Interchange Format

.GLY

Glossary

.GP3

CCITT compressed Group 3 TIFF file (filename extension).

.GP4

Group 4 - CALS, ITU (filename extension). CCITT compressed Group 4 TIFF file.

.GRA

Microsoft Graph (filename extension).

.GRF

Graph

.GRP

Group

.GX1

Show Partner graphics

.GX2

Show Partner graphics

.GZ

GNU gzip compressed file - Unix

.H

Header (filename extension -- C).

.HDF

Hierarchical Data File

.HED

HighEdit document (filename extension).

.HEL

Microsoft Hellbender game file (filename extension).

.HGL

HP Graphics Language (filename extension).

.HLP

Help

.HPJ

Help Project - Visual Basic (filename extension).

.HPL

HP Graphics

.HQX

BinHex (filename extension -- Macintosh).

.HST

Host

.HT

HyperTerminal (filename extension).

.htm

DOS filename extension for a document with HTML coding, which can be read by WWW browsers.

.html

Filename extension for a document with HTML coding, which can be read by WWW browsers.

.HWP

Hangul Word Processor (filename extension).

.HYC

Hyphenation - WordPerfect

.HYP

Hyphenation

.ICA

IOCA graphics

.ICB

Targa bitmap (filename extension).

.ICM

Image Colour Matching (filename extension).

.ICO

Icon - Windows or OS/2

.ICON

Sun icon and cursor

.IDD

Instrument Definition - MIDI (filename extension).

.IDE

Integrated Development Environment configuration (filename extension)

.IDX

Index

.IFF

Amiga

.IGF

Inset Systems graphics - Hijaak

.IIF

Interchange File - QuickBooks for Windows (filename extension).

.IL

Icon Library

.ima

Winimage compressed format These files can be decoded or mounted by ShrinkWrap.

.image

Mac disk image (filename extension); a compressed format which can be decoded or mounted by DiskCopy, Disk Image Mounter, Disk Charmer, and ShrinkWrap (ImageMaster).

.IMG

Image. This file is a Macintosh Disk Image. Disk Copy can be used to mount the disk image on the Macintosh desktop. The mounted disk image will behave like a read-only disk.

.IND

Index

.INF

Information

.INI

Initialization - configuration settings

.IOB

Imagine file (filename extension).

.ISU

Netscape file (filename extension).

.IT

MOD music file format (filename extension).

.IW

Idlewild screensaver (filename extension).

.IX

Index File - Framemaker (filename extension).

.JFF or .JFIF

JPEG File Interchange Format; a 24-bit graphic format. It can be opened with QuickTime, a WWW browser, or a graphics viewer such as JPEGView.

.JIF

JPEG Image Format (filename extension).

.JPEG

JPEG bitmap (filename extension).

.JPG

file extension for JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). A file stored in JPEG format. JPEG,an ISO/ITU standard for storing images with high compression capability, uses a discreet cosine transform that can achieve compression rates of 100:1 (significant loss of data from original) and 20:1 (minimal loss). C-Cube Microsystems introduced the first JPEG chip.

.JT

JT Fax

.JTF

JPEG bitmap (filename extension).

.KDC

Kodak Photo-Enhancer (filename extension).

.KFX

Kofax

.LBL

Label - dBASE

.LBM

Deluxe Paint graphics file

.LDB

Lock file - Microsoft Access (filename extension).

.LEG

Legacy document (filename extension).

.lha

Filename extension for a PC/Amiga compression format decodable by LHA Expander or MacLHA.

.lhs

Literate Haskell source file

.lhz

LHA compression file

.LIB

Library

.LIC

License file - shareware (filename extension).

.LOG

Log

.LST

List (filename extension).

.LWP

Lotus Word Pro document (filename extension).

.LZH

LHARC compression

.lzs

PC/Amiga compression format

.M3D

Motion 3D - Corel (filename extension).

.MAC

MacPaint

.MAF

Microsoft Access Form (filename extension).

.MAK

Makefile

.MAM

Microsoft Access Macro (filename extension).

.MAP

Map - linkage editor

.MAQ

Microsoft Access Query (filename extension).

.MAR

Microsoft Access Report (filename extension).

.MAT

Microsoft Access Table (filename extension).

.MCS

MathCAD format

.MCW

Microsoft Word for Macintosh (filename extension).

.MDB

Access database

.MDX

Multi-index

.MET

Metafile - OS/2

.MEU

Menu

.MFF

MIDI File Format (filename extension).

.MGF

Micrografx Draw Font (filename extension).

.MI

Miscellaneous (filename extension).

.MIC

Microsoft Image Composer (filename extension).

.MID

MIDI

.MIFF

An ImageMagick file format

.MIL

Group 4

.mime

MIME (filename extension); the encoding format used by the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension.

.MME

Mime encoded file (filename extension); the encoding format used by the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension.

.MMF

Microsoft Mail File (filename extension).

.MMM

Macromind animation

.MOD

(For module). A music file format that contains digitized sound samples A .MOD file takes more memory than a MIDI file because a MIDI file contains instructions for making sounds but not the actual sound samples. There are .MOD players for Amiga, PC, and Macintosh computers.

.moov

QuickTime movie. This file can be viewed with QuickTime Player.

.MOV

Movie - QuickTime

.movie

QuickTime movie. This file can be viewed with QuickTime Player.

.MOZ

Mozilla - Netscape cache file (filename extension).

.mp2

MPEG Layer II compressed audio. This file can be played using QuickTime Player and some other sound players.

.mp3

MPEG Layer III compressed audio. This file can be played with QuickTime Player, Real Player, and some other sound players.

.MPE

MPEG (filename extension).

.MPEG

MPEG movie or animation file. This file can be played with QuickTime Player.

.MPG

MPEG encoded file. This file is an MPEG movie, and can be played with QuickTime Player.

.MPNT

Macintosh MacPaint

.MPP

Microsoft Project project file (filename extension).

.MPT

Microsoft Project template file (filename extension).

.MPX

Microsoft Project export file (filename extension).

.MRK

Markup - Informative Graphics

.MSG

Message file

.MSN

Microsoft Network document (filename extension).

.MSP

Microsoft Paint

.MUS

Music (filename extension).

.MVB

Microsoft Multimedia Viewer (filename extension).

.MYS

Myst saved game file (filename extension).

.NDX

Index - dBASE

.NET

Network file (filename extension).

.NG

Norton Guides

.NLM

NLM program - NetWare

.NTF

Notes Template File - Lotus Notes database (filename extension).

.OAB

Outlook Address Book - Microsoft (filename extension).

.OAZ

OAZ Fax

.OBD

Microsoft Office Binder (filename extension).

.OBJ

Object module

.OCX

Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) Custom Control (filename extension).

.OLB

OLE Object Library (filename extension).

.OLE

OLE object (filename extension).

.ONX

Onyx Graphics Postershop (filename extension).

.ORI

Original

.OVL

Overlay module

.OVR

Overlay module

.OZM

Sharp Organizer memo bank

.OZP

Sharp Organizer telephone bank

.P10

Tektronix Plot10

.PAB

Personal Address Book - Microsoft (filename extension).

.PAK

Quake game data (filename extension).

.PAL

Paintbrush palette (filename extension).

.PAS

Pascal program file

.PAT

Pattern - Corel Draw (filename extension).

.PBK

Microsoft Phonebook (filename extension).

.PBM

Portable Bit Map