File Name Extensions

  • File name extensions are suffixes added to the end of a filename to indicate the type of file and the format it’s in. 
  • They are typically composed of three or four characters and are separated from the main filename by a period (dot). 
  • Here are some common file extensions and their meanings:
    • .txt: Text file
    • .tar: archive files created using the Tar (Tape Archive) utility in Unix and Linux operating systems.
    • .tmp: temporary files. 
    • .csv: Comma-separated values file
  • .css : Cascading Style Sheet. (Hypertext Related File)
    • It is a common file type used in web development.
  • doc:  Microsoft Word documents created in the older binary file format. These files are often referred to as “Word 97-2003 documents” 
  • .docx: Microsoft Word document
    • .docx introduced in MS Word 2007.
  • .docm: Microsoft Word documents that contain macros. 
    • Macros are small programs or scripts that can automate tasks in a Word document. 
    • The “.docm” format is part of the Office Open XML (OOXML) file format. 
    • These files are sometimes referred to as “Word Macro-Enabled.
  • .exe: Executable program / run by a computer’s operating system to perform tasks or run programs.
  • .gif: Graphics Interchange Format image
  • .xlsx: Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
    • The “.xlsx” file format was introduced in 2007. 
  • .pdf: Adobe Portable Document Format (Portable Document Format files)
  • .jpg or .jpeg: JPEG image
    • Ms Paint uses it to open and save File.
    • Joint photographic expert group. 
  • .png: Portable Network Graphics image
  • .mp3: MP3 audio file
  • .mp4: MP4 video file
  • .html or .htm: Hypertext Markup Language document (webpage)
  • .zip: Compressed archive file
  • .dll: Dynamic Link Library files contain code and data that multiple programs can use simultaneously. 
  • .bin: Binary files can have a “.bin” extension, and they can store various types of data, including firmware, disk images, and other raw binary data.
  • .dat: Data files with the “.dat” extension are used for storing structured or unstructured data in a binary format. They can have various applications.
  • .zip, .rar, .7z: These are binary archive file formats used for compressing and storing multiple files and folders into a single binary file.
  • .db: Database files are binary files used for storing structured data in a database system. 
  • .jar: Java Archive files are used to package Java classes and resources into a single binary file for Java applications.
  • .xls, .xlsx, .mdb: These are binary file formats used for Microsoft Excel and Access files, respectively, to store spreadsheet and database data.
  • .class: Compiled Java class files are binary files that contain bytecode instructions for Java applications.
  • .app: These are binary application files often associated with macOS applications.
  • .iso: ISO image files are binary files that store an exact copy of a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, including file structure and data.
  • .swf: Shockwave Flash files contain multimedia, vector graphics, and interactive content and are used for web animations and games.
  • .dll, .so: These are dynamic link library files used in Windows and Unix-based systems, respectively, to store shared library code.
  • .bin, .rom: These are often used for firmware or BIOS files for hardware devices, such as game consoles or computer components.
  • .key: Binary key files are used for encryption and decryption keys in various security applications.
  • .pptx : Microsoft PowerPoint file extension.
  • .potx: PowerPoint templates extension . 

 Audio file format extensions:

  • .mp3: MPEG Audio Layer III.
  • .wav: Waveform Audio File Format is an uncompressed audio format.
  • .flac: Free Lossless Audio Codec is a compressed audio format.
  • .aac: Advanced Audio Coding is a compressed audio forma. 
    • It is used by Apple’s iTunes and many other media players.
  • .ogg: Ogg Vorbis is an open-source and patent-free audio compression format. 
  • .m4a: MPEG-4 Audio File is a container format for audio files that can use various audio codecs, including AAC and ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec). 
    • It is commonly used for iTunes audio files.
  • .wma: Windows Media Audio is a Microsoft audio compression format.
  • .aiff or .aif: Audio Interchange File Format is an uncompressed audio format developed by Apple.
  • .opus: Opus is a versatile and efficient audio codec designed for a wide range of applications, including real-time streaming and voice over IP (VoIP) communications.
  • .mid or .midi: MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) files contain musical data, such as notes, instrument information, and timing, but do not store actual audio.

  Video file format extensions:

  • .mp4: MPEG-4 Part 14 is a widely used video container format that can contain both video and audio. 
  • .avi: Audio Video Interleave is a multimedia container format developed by Microsoft. 
  • .mkv: Matroska Video is an open-source multimedia container format.
  • .mov: QuickTime Movie is a multimedia container format developed by Apple.
  • .wmv: Windows Media Video is a video compression format developed by Microsoft.
  • .flv: Flash Video is a video container format developed by Adobe. 
    • It was widely used for online video streaming.
  • .webm: WebM is an open-source multimedia container format designed for web use. 
  • .ogv: Ogg Video is a video container format part of the Ogg multimedia framework. It is often used for open-source and free video content.
  • .3gp and .3g2: 3GPP and 3GPP2 are multimedia container formats commonly used for video content on mobile devices and cell phones.
  • .ts: MPEG-2 Transport Stream is a container format used for broadcasting video and audio over various transmission methods, including cable and satellite.
  • .mpg and .mpeg: MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Video are video compression formats developed by the Moving Pictures Experts Group. 
    • They are commonly used for DVDs and some video broadcasting.
  • .vob: Video Object is a container format used for DVDs. 
  • .rm and .rmvb: RealMedia and RealVideo are formats developed by RealNetworks. 
  • .divx: DivX is a video codec and container format known for its high compression and good video quality. It is often used for digital video distribution.
  • .h264 and .h265: H.264 (also known as AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) are video compression standards known for their efficiency in delivering high-quality video at lower bitrates. 

Image file format extensions:

  • .jpg or .jpeg: Joint Photographic Experts Group format 
  • .png: Portable Network Graphics (supports transparency)
  • .gif: Graphics Interchange Format (simple animations)
  • .bmp: Bitmap format is an uncompressed image format commonly used in Windows..
  • .tiff or .tif: Tagged Image File Format.
  • .raw: Raw image formats.
  • .eps: Encapsulated PostScript is a vector graphics format commonly used in print media and for logos and illustrations. 
    • It supports high-resolution printing.
  • .svg: Scalable Vector Graphics is a vector image format that uses XML-based code to describe images.
  • .pdf: Portable Document Format is primarily a document format, but contains images too.
  • .webp: WebP is a modern image format developed by Google. It offers both lossless and lossy compression and is designed for fast web page loading.
  • .ico: Icon format.
  • .exif: Exchangeable image file format is used to store metadata (information about the image) within the image file, such as camera settings and location data.
  • .psd: Photoshop Document is Adobe Photoshop’s native file format.
  • .jp2: JPEG 2000 is an improved version of the JPEG format.
  • .hdr: High Dynamic Range format.
File Name Extensions