Editing List of file formats (section)

== Generalized files ==

=== General data formats ===
These file formats are fairly well defined by long-term use or a general standard, but the content of each file is often highly specific to particular software or has been extended by further standards for specific uses.

==== Text-based ====
* CSV – [[comma-separated values]]
* HTML – [[hyper text markup language]]
* CSS – [[cascading style sheets]]
* [[INI file|INI]] – a configuration text file whose format is substantially similar between applications
* [[JSON]] – JavaScript Object Notation is an openly used data format now used by many languages, not just JavaScript
* TSV – [[tab-separated values]]
* [[XML]] – an open data format
* [[YAML]] – an open data format
* [[ReStructuredText]] – an open text format for technical documents used mainly in the [[Python (programming language)|Python]] programming language
* MD – [[Markdown]] an open lightweight markup language to create simple but rich text, often used to format [[README]] files
* [[AsciiDoc]] – an open human-readable markup document format semantically equivalent to [[DocBook]]
* YNI – a configuration file similar to [[YAML]]

=== Generic file extensions ===
These are filename extensions and broad types reused frequently with differing formats or no specific format by different programs.

==== Binary files ====
* BAK, BK – [[Bak file]] various backup formats: some just copies of data files, some in application-specific data backup formats, some formats for general file backup programs
* BIN – binary data, often [[memory dump]]s of executable code or data to be re-used by the same software that originated it
* DAT – data file, usually binary data proprietary to the program that created it, or an MPEG-1 stream of [[Video CD]]
* DSK – file representations of various [[disk storage]] images
* RAW – raw (unprocessed) data
* SZH – files that are associated with zero unique file types (the most prevalent being the Binary Data format)

==== Text files ====
* CNF, CONF, CFG – [[configuration file]] substantially software-specific
* LOG – [[logfile]]s usually text, but sometimes binary
* TEXT, TXT, ASC – human-readable [[plain text]], usually no more specific

=== Partial files ===

==== Differences and patches ====
* [[diff|DIFF]] – text file differences created by the program [[diff]] and applied as updates by [[patch (Unix)|patch]]

==== Incomplete transfers ====
* !UT – Partially complete [[uTorrent]] download
* CRDOWNLOAD – Partially complete or incomplete [[Google Chrome]] or [[Microsoft Edge]] download
* OPDOWNLOAD – Partially complete or incomplete [[Opera (web browser)|Opera]] download
* PART – PART partly complete [[Mozilla Firefox]] or [[Transmission (BitTorrent client)|Transmission]] download
* PARTIAL – PARTIAL partly complete [[Internet Explorer]] or [[Edge Legacy]] download

=== Temporary files ===
* TEMP, TMP – [[Temporary file]] sometimes in a specific format, but often just raw data in the middle of processing
* Pseudo-pipelines, Pseudo-pipeline – [[Pipeline (software)#Pseudo-pipelines|Pseudo-pipeline]] file used to simulate a software pipe