A file extension, also known as file name extension, is the ending of the name of a file which helps the operating system to figure out the file type.
File extension is usually of 3 characters in Windows, though it can be one, two or four characters long, too. In “business.docx”, the file extension is .docx, which is the extension for a Word Document. This extension helps the operating system to identify the program with which the file will be opened.
What Is A Valid File Extension?
Generally, a file extension consists of one, two or three characters and is located at the end of the file name, after the period. There are various programs which support files with extension of more than 3 characters. For example, MS Word’s latest versions let you open .docx and many other 4-character file extensions. In case you’re unable to open a file, visit https://wikiext.com/. It will tell you how to open the item. The process is easy: put the type of the file (.html, .pdf etc.) in the bar and it will list the programs that can be used to open the file.
Limit To The Length Of A File Extension
As such there isn’t any limit to the length of a file extension. The catch is that the extension, name and path combined shouldn’t be more than the maximum file name character limit of the OS. Example – 260 is the character limit for Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista; whereas Windows XP has 255 characters limit and Windows 2000 has 254 character limits.
Various Types Of File Extensions
You wouldn’t know, but there are thousands of file extensions that are used. Following is a list of common types used in our daily lives:
- Pictures
● .bmp
● .gif
● .jpg
● .png, etc.
- Text and Word Documents
● .doc
● .txt
● .docx
● .rtf, etc.
- Operating Systems Files
● .dll
● .exe
- Web Pages
● .html
● .htm
- Audio Files
● .wav
● .wma
● .wpl
● .mp3, etc.
…and many more.
File Format
Format represents how the data is organized within the file. The program should be able to access the data of the file. For example, MS Word is capable of opening files with .docx extension and displaying it as a word document. Some of the most common formats are as follows:
- Web Text Pages (.htm or .html)
- Multimedia Files (.mp3, etc.)
- Word Document (.doc)
- Web Page Images (.gif, .jpg) etc.
Extensions vs. Formats
Often used interchangeably, literally, file extension is the part of the file name which comes after the period, whereas, the file format is the way in which the data is organized in the file. For example, in the file “business.docx”, .docx is the extension, indicating that it is a word document. Renaming it to “business.jpg” wouldn’t change its format. Sometimes, however, the file format can be changed simply by retyping the letters indicating the format. It works with the archives, or when a file from one OS is opened in another OS.
