file type
<file format> The kind of data stored in a file. Most modern operating
systems use the filename extension to determine the file type though some store
this information elsewhere in the file system. The file type is used to choose
an appropriate icon to represent the file in a GUI and the correct application
with which to view, edit, run, or print the file.
Different operating systems support different sets of file types though most
agree on a large common set and allow arbitrary new types to be defined.
See also MIME.
FileInfo.net - The File Extensions Resource
(2006-07-11)
Nearby terms:
Filesystem Hierarchy Standard « file transfer « File
Transfer Protocol « file type » filing system » filk
» fill-out form
