Download Files: File Formats and Extensions: Page 2

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Plain Text (ASCII) Files .html/.htm The language in which Web documents are authored. File Type: ASCII This file type requires a web browser, such as Firefox, Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer, for viewing. .txt A plain (ASCII) text file. File Type: ASCII These files can be viewed with a word processor like Microsoft Word or a simple text editor like Simple Text or BBEdit for the Mac. For the PC you can use Notepad, a program that comes with the Windows operating system. Formatted Documents .doc A common PC format for formatted text files. File Type: ASCII Although you may occasionally come across files with this extension that are not text documents, usually they are documents that were created using Microsoft Word or WordPerfect for Windows. .pdf Portable Document Format, a proprietary format developed by Adobe Systems, Inc. that allows formatted documents (including brochures or other documents containing artwork) to be transferred over the Internet so they look the same on any computer. File Type: Binary This file type requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view files and can be downloaded from Adobe. .ps A PostScript file. File Type: ASCII Though it is technically a plain text file, it is essentially unreadable except by a Postscript printer or with the help of an on screen viewer like Ghostscript, which is available for Mac, Windows, and UNIX. Compressed and Encoded Files .arc An old and inefficient format for archiving and compression. File Type: Binary If you need to exchange files with an older operating system or have old files to read on a new machine, you may need an ARC program. Stuffit Expander for Windows will work for the PC (sitexxx.exe). For the Mac try something called ARCMac. .arj A somewhat common format for MS-DOS machines, especially in Europe. File Type: Binary It is fairly slow and in some cases may do a better job than the more common gzip, zip and Stuffit formats. You can use Stuffit Expander for Windows or WinZIP. On the Mac, try UnArjMac. .bin A Mac binary II Encoded File. File Type: Binary This file type requires Stuffit Expander for the Mac. You download this type of file as MacBinary or Binary. .exe A DOS or Windows program or a self-extracting file. File Type: Binary If this is an executable (self-extracting) file, then it can usually be launched by double-clicking on the icon on your desktop. This is the only way to tell if it is an executable file. .gz/gzip The GNU Project's compression program, most commonly used for UNIX and PC files. File Type: Binary For the Mac, use MacGZIP. There are several Windows-based GZIP uncompressors available. .hqx A common Macintosh encoding format. File Type: Binary A file with the .hqx extension is a Macintosh binary file that has been converted into ASCII text so it can be safely sent over the Internet. You can use Stuffit Expander to decode on the Mac or BinHex4 (binhex4.bin) to create and extract Binhex 4 files. Use BinHex13 (binhex13.zip) on a Windows machine to un-binhex it. .sit A Macintosh file that has been compressed using a program called Stuffit. File Type: Binary To unstuff a file with a .SIT extension, you need a program called Stuffit Deluxe or you can use Stuffit Expander for the Mac or for Windows. All three versions can decompress other file formats as well. .sea A Macintosh self-extracting archive file. File Type: Binary An archive file is usually a collection of files that have been combined into one to make it easy to download. Because the archive is self-extracting, you don't need any special application or utility to launch it. You simply click on the icon from the Macintosh desktop and it decompresses and unbundles the files. .tar/.tar.gz/.tar.Z/.tgz A UNIX archiving scheme that is also available for PCs. File Type: Binary Tar, which is short for Tape ARchive, can archive files but not compress them, so .tar files are often gzipped, which is why you might occasionally encounter the file extension .tar.gz. To download and use .tar files on a Mac, you use a program called Tar. For Windows you can use WinZIP to view and extract archive files. .uu A UUencoded file. File Type: Binary UUencoding allows the user to convert binary data into text so it can be sent via e-mail. You don't often see the .uu extension because many e-mail programs automatically decode it in a way that is invisible to you. If your mail program doesn't UUdecode files, then you can use UU Undo for the Mac and WinCode to UUdecode in Windows. .Z A UNIX compression format. File Type: Binary You can use WinZIP to decompress and view files with this extension, or try Stuffit Expander for the Mac. You can also use gzip to decompress, but not create, these file types. .zip A common compression standard for DOS and Windows that uses a DOS utility called PKZIP. File Type: Binary These files can be decompressed on the PC with WinZIP. You can get copies for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95/98/2000 (winzipXX.exe). You can also use Stuffit Expander for Mac or Windows. Back      Next Page  Learn the Net (www.learnthenet.com) is Copyright 1996-2008. Michael Lerner Productions. All Rights Reserved.