We've briefly discussed files before, but let's go more into depth!
If you look in the Dictionary of Basic Terms above, a file is defined as a single item on your computer. That item can be nearly anything. Pictures, video, audio, text, and documents are a few examples of different types of files.
If you look in the Dictionary of Basic Terms above, a file is defined as a single item on your computer. That item can be nearly anything. Pictures, video, audio, text, and documents are a few examples of different types of files.
File Formats
As stated earlier, files can be a myriad of things. How does your computer differentiate them?
Your computer identifies the type of file by using something called a file format. Different types of files are stored in different ways, and have different amounts of information that the computer needs to process. Each file has a format, which the computer reads, and uses a set of instructions associated with the format to open it. Common file formats for each type include:
Audio - MP3 (Most Common), AAC, FLAC, WAV
Video - MP4 (Most Common ), AVI, FLV, WMV, MOV
Photos - JPEG (Most Common), PNG, GIF, RAW, SVG
Documents - DOCX (Microsoft Word), PAGES (Pages), TXT (simple, text-only documents), RTF (more advanced version of TXT )
You can identify the format by looking at the extension. An extension is a dot at the end of a file's name, followed by a code representing the format. For example, a photo stored in the JPEG format could be titled "Photo.jpg". A video stored as an MP4 could be titled "Video.mp4".
Your computer identifies the type of file by using something called a file format. Different types of files are stored in different ways, and have different amounts of information that the computer needs to process. Each file has a format, which the computer reads, and uses a set of instructions associated with the format to open it. Common file formats for each type include:
Audio - MP3 (Most Common), AAC, FLAC, WAV
Video - MP4 (Most Common ), AVI, FLV, WMV, MOV
Photos - JPEG (Most Common), PNG, GIF, RAW, SVG
Documents - DOCX (Microsoft Word), PAGES (Pages), TXT (simple, text-only documents), RTF (more advanced version of TXT )
You can identify the format by looking at the extension. An extension is a dot at the end of a file's name, followed by a code representing the format. For example, a photo stored in the JPEG format could be titled "Photo.jpg". A video stored as an MP4 could be titled "Video.mp4".
File Explorers
![Picture](/uploads/8/1/8/5/81850832/2278135_orig.png)
We've discussed file explorers before, so the simple definition is this: file explorers are apps that allow you to view your files. They consist of a sidebar, which contains a customizable list of your most accessed folders; a top bar, which contains the name of the folder you are in, a search bar to find files by name, and forward and back buttons; and a file window that displays the contents of the folder.
Deleting Files
Deleting files is as easy as dragging and dropping files into the trash on the dock (OS X) or on the Recycle Bin on the desktop (Windows)