filename extension

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Noun

filename extension - a string of characters beginning with a period and followed by one or more letters; the optional second part of a PC computer filename; "most applications provide extensions for the files they create"; "most BASIC files use the filename extension .BAS"file name extension, extensioncomputer file name, computer filename, file name, filename - (computer science) the name given to a computer file in order to distinguish it from other files; may contain an extension that indicates the type of filestring - a linear sequence of symbols (characters or words or phrases)

filename extension

(filename extension)The portion of a filename, following thefinal point, which indicates the kind of data stored in thefile.

Many operating systems use filename extensions, e.g. Unix,VMS, MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows. They are usually fromone to three letters (some sad old OSes support no more thanthree). Examples include "c" for C source code, "ps" forPostScript, "txt" for arbitrary text.

NEXTSTEP and its descendants also use extensions ondirectories for a similar purpose.

Apart from informing the user what type of content the fileholds, filename extensions are typically used to decide whichprogram to launch when a file is "run", e.g. bydouble-clicking it in a GUI file browser. They are alsoused by Unix's make to determine how to build one kind offile from another.

Compare: MIME type.

Tony Warr's comprehensive list.

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filename extension

filename extension

filename extension

filename extension

Synonyms for filename extension

noun a string of characters beginning with a period and followed by one or more letters

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