List of file formats

List of file formats
This is a list of file formats used by computers, organized by type. Filename extension it is usually noted in parentheses if they differ from the file format name or abbreviation. Many operating systems do not limit filenames to one extension shorter than 4 characters, as was common with some operating systems that supported the File Allocation Table (FAT) file system. Examples of operating systems that do not impose this limit include Unix-like systems, and Microsoft Windows NT, 95-98, and ME which have no three character limit on extensions for 32-bit or 64-bit applications on file systems other than pre-Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.5 versions of the FAT file system. Some filenames are given extensions longer than three characters. While MS-DOS and NT always treat the suffix after the last period in a file's name as its extension, in UNIX-like systems, the final period does not necessarily mean that the text after the last period is the file's extension.
Some file formats, such as .txt or .text, may be listed multiple times.
Archive and compressed
.?Q? – files that are compressed, often by the SQ program.
7z – 7z: 7-Zip compressed file
A – An external file extension for C/C++
AAC – Advanced Audio Coding
ace – ace: ACE compressed file
ALZ – ALZip compressed file
APK – Android package: Applications installable on Android; package format of the Alpine Linux distribution
APPX – Microsoft Application Package (.appx)
APP - HarmonyOS APP Packs file format for HarmonyOS apps installable from AppGallery and third party OpenHarmony based app distribution stores.
AT3 – Sony's UMD data compression
ARC – ARC: pre-Zip data compression
ARC – Nintendo U8 Archive (mostly Yaz0 compressed)
ARJ – ARJ compressed file
ASS, SSA – ASS (also SSA): a subtitles file created by Aegisub, a video typesetting application (also a Halo game engine file)
B – (B file) Similar to .a, but less compressed.
BA – BA: Scifer Archive (.ba), Scifer External Archive Type
BIN – compressed archive, can be read and used by CD-ROMs and Java, extractable by 7-zip and WINRAR
.bkf – Microsoft backup created by NTBackup.c
Blend – An external 3D file format used by the animation software, Blender.
.bz2 – bzip2
BMP – Bitmap Image – You can create one by right-clicking the home screen, next, click new, then, click Bitmap Image
cab – A cabinet (.cab) file is a library of compressed files stored as one file. Cabinet files are used to organize installation files that are copied to the user's system.
c4 – JEDMICS image files, a DOD system
cals – JEDMICS image files, a DOD system
xaml – Used in programs like Visual Studio to create exe files.
CPT, SEA – Compact Pro (Macintosh)
DAA – DAA: Closed-format, Windows-only compressed disk image
deb – deb: Debian install package
DMG – an Apple compressed/encrypted format
DDZ – a file which can only be used by the "daydreamer engine" created by "fever-dreamer", a program similar to RAGS, it's mainly used to make somewhat short games.
DN – Adobe Dimension CC file format
DNG – "Digital Negative" a type of raw image file format used in digital photography.
DPE – Package of AVE documents made with Aquafadas digital publishing tools.
.egg – Alzip Egg Edition compressed file
.egt – EGT Universal Document also used to create compressed cabinet files replaces .ecab
.ECAB, .ezip – EGT Compressed Folder used in advanced systems to compress entire system folders, replaced by EGT Universal Document
ESD – ESD: Electronic Software Distribution, a compressed and encrypted WIM File
.ess – EGT SmartSense File, detects files compressed using the EGT compression system.
.exe – Windows application
.flipchart – Used in Promethean ActivInspire Flipchart Software.
.fun – A FUN file is a file that has been encrypted by Jigsaw ransomware, which is malware distributed by cybercriminals. It contains a file, such as a .JPG, .DOCX, .XLSX, .MP4, or .CSV file, that has been renamed and encrypted by the virus.
flm - FL Studio Mobile, can also be used as a project file.
flp - FL Studio Project File
.gbs, .ggp, .gsc – GBS OtterUI binary scene file
.gho, .ghs – GHO Norton Ghost
.gif – GIF Graphics Interchange Format
.gz – gzip Compressed file
.html – HTML code file
.ipg – Format in which Apple Inc. packages their iPod games. can be extracted through Winrar
jar – jar ZIP file with manifest for use with Java applications.
JPG – Joint Photographic Experts Group – Image File
JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Group – Image File
.Lawrence – LBR Lawrence Compiler Type file
LBR – LBR Library file
LQR – LQR LBR Library file compressed by the SQ program.
.lzh – LHA Lempel, Ziv, Huffman
.lz – lzip Compressed file
.lzo – lzo
lzma – lzma Lempel–Ziv–Markov chain algorithm compressed file
LZX – LZX
.lua – Lua
.mbw – MBRWizard archive
MHTML – Mime HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) code file
.midi – Musical Instrument Digital Interface
.mpq – MPQ Archives Used by Blizzard Entertainment
.bin – BIN MacBinary
.nl2pkg – NoLimits 2 Package
.nth – NTH: Nokia Theme Used by Nokia Series 40 Cellphones
.oar – OAR: OAR archive
OGG - Ogg Vorbis Compressed Audio File
OSG – Compressed osu! live gameplay archive (optimized for spectating)
OSK – Compressed osu! skin archive
OSR – Compressed osu! replay archive
OSZ – Compressed osu! beatmap archive
PAK – Enhanced type of .ARC archive
.par, .par2 – PAR Parchive
.paf – PAF Portable Application File
.pea – PEA PeaZip archive file
PNG – Portable Network Graphic Image File
Webp – Raster image format developed by Google for web graphics
.php – PHP code file
.pyk – PYK Compressed file
.pk3 – PK3 Quake 3 archive (See note on Doom³)
.pk4 – PK4 Doom³ archive (Opens similarly to a zip archive.)
.pnj - sub-format of the MNG file format, used for encapsulating JPEG files
.pxz – PXZ A compressed layered image file used for the image editing website, pixlr.com .
py, pyw – Python code file
.pmp - Penguinmod Project
.rar – RAR Rar Archive, for multiple file archive (rar to .r01-.r99 to s01 and so on)
RAG, RAGS – Game file, a game playable in the RAGS game-engine, a free program which both allows people to create games, and play games, games created have the format "RAG game file"
RaX – Archive file created by RaX
RBXL – Roblox Studio place file (XML, binary)
RBXLX – Roblox Studio place file (exclusively XML)
RBXM – Roblox Studio model file (XML, binary)
RBXMX – Roblox Studio model file (exclusively XML)
RPM – Red Hat package/installer for Fedora, RHEL, and similar systems.
sb – Scratch 1.X file
sb2 – Scratch 2.0 file
sb3 – Scratch 3.0 file
SEN – Scifer Archive (.sen) – Scifer Internal Archive Type
.sf2 - Polyphone Soundfont 2
.sf3 - Polyphone Soundfont 3
.sf4 - Polyphone Soundfont 4
.sitx – SIT StuffIt (Macintosh)
SIS, SISX – SIS/SISX: Symbian Application Package
SKB – Google SketchUp backup File
.sq – SQ: Squish Compressed Archive
.srt – SubRip Subtitle – file format for closed captioning or subtitles.
SWM – Splitted WIM File, usually found on OEM Recovery Partition to store preinstalled Windows image, and to make Recovery backup (to USB Drive) easier (due to FAT32 limitations)
SZS – Nintendo Yaz0 Compressed Archive
TAR – TAR: group of files, packaged as one file
Gzip, .tar.gz – (Gzip, .tar.gz): TGZ gzipped tar file
.tb – TB Tabbery Virtual Desktop Tab file
.tib – TIB Acronis True Image backup
UHA – Ultra High Archive Compression
.uue – UUE unified utility engine – the generic and default format for all things UUe-related.
uf2 Microsoft makecode arcade game.
VIV – Archive format used to compress data for several video games, including Need For Speed: High Stakes.
VOL – video game data package.
VSA – Altiris Virtual Software Archive
WAX – Wavexpress – A ZIP alternative optimized for packages containing video, allowing multiple packaged files to be all-or-none delivered with near-instantaneous unpacking via NTFS file system manipulation.
.wav - a format for storing uncompressed audio files.
.wfp a Wondershare Flimora project file
WIM – WIM A compressed disk image for installing Windows Vista or higher, Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PC, or restoring a system image made from Backup and Restore (Windows Vista/7)
XAP – Windows Phone Application Package
xz – xz compressed files, based on LZMA/LZMA2 algorithm
Z – Unix compress file
zoo – zoo: based on LZW
zip – zip: popular compression format
ZIM – ZIM: an open file format that stores wiki content for offline usage
Physical recordable media archiving
ISO – Generic format for most optical media, including CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray, HD DVD and UMD.
NRG – Proprietary optical media archive format used by Nero applications.
IMG – Raw disk image, for archiving DOS formatted floppy disks, hard drives, and larger optical media.
ADF – for archiving Amiga floppy disks
ADZ – The GZip-compressed version of ADF.
DMS – a disk-archiving system native to the Amiga.
DSK – For archiving floppy disks from a number of other platforms, including the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC.
D64 – An archive of a Commodore 64 floppy disk.
SDI – used for archiving and providing "virtual disk" functionality.
MDS – Daemon Tools native disc image format used for making images from optical CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, HD DVD or Blu-ray. It comes together with MDF file and can be mounted with DAEMON Tools.
MDX – Daemon Tools format that allows getting one MDX disc image file instead of two (MDF and MDS).
DMG – Macintosh disk image files
CDI – DiscJuggler image file
CUE – CDRWrite CUE image file
CIF – Easy CD Creator .cif format
C2D – Roxio-WinOnCD .c2d format
DAA – PowerISO .daa format
B6T – BlindWrite 6 image file
B5T – BlindWrite 5 image file
BWT – BlindWrite 4 image file
FFPPKG – FreeFire Profile Export Package
LemonOS/LemonTabOS/LemonRoid
LEMONAPP – LemonOS/LemonTabOS/LemonRoid App (.lem_app)
Other extensions
HTML – Hypertext Markup Language
Msi – Windows installation file
Vdhx – Virtual disk created by Hyper-V (Hyper-V runs on windows operating system)
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided is a prefix for several categories of tools (e.g., design, manufacture, engineering) which assist professionals in their respective fields (e.g., machining, architecture, schematics).
Computer-aided design (CAD)
Computer-aided design (CAD) software assists engineers, architects and other design professionals in project design.
3DXML – Dassault Systemes graphic representation
3MF – Microsoft 3D Manufacturing Format
ACP – VA Software VA – Virtual Architecture CAD file
AMF – Additive Manufacturing File Format
AEC – DataCAD drawing format
AR – Ashlar-Vellum Argon – 3D Modeling
ART – ArtCAM model
ASC – BRL-CAD Geometry File (old ASCII format)
ASM – Solidedge Assembly, Pro/ENGINEER Assembly
BIN, BIM – Data Design System DDS-CAD
BREP – Open CASCADE 3D model (shape)
C3D – C3D Toolkit File Format
C3P – Construct3 Files
CCC – CopyCAD Curves
CCM – CopyCAD Model
CCS – CopyCAD Session
CAD – CadStd
CATDrawing – CATIA V5 Drawing document
CATPart – CATIA V5 Part document
CATProduct – CATIA V5 Assembly document
CATProcess – CATIA V5 Manufacturing document
cgr – CATIA V5 graphic representation file
CKD – KeyCreator CAD parts, assemblies, and drawings
CKT – KeyCreator template file
CO – Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt – parametric drafting and 3D modeling
DRW – Caddie Early version of Caddie drawing – Prior to Caddie changing to DWG
DFT – Solidedge Draft
DGN – MicroStation design file
DGK – Delcam Geometry
DMT – Delcam Machining Triangles
DXF – ASCII Drawing Interchange file format, AutoCAD
DWB – VariCAD drawing file
DWF – Autodesk's Web Design Format; AutoCAD & Revit can publish to this format; similar in concept to PDF files; Autodesk Design Review is the reader
DWG – Popular file format for Computer Aided Drafting applications, notably AutoCAD, Open Design Alliance applications, and Autodesk Inventor Drawing files
EASM – SolidWorks eDrawings assembly file
EDRW – eDrawings drawing file
EMB – Wilcom ES Designer Embroidery CAD file
EPRT – eDrawings part file
EscPcb – "esCAD pcb" data file by Electro-System (Japan)
EscSch – "esCAD sch" data file by Electro-System (Japan)
ESW – AGTEK format
EXCELLON – Excellon file
EXP – Drawing Express format
F3D – Autodesk Fusion 360 archive file
FCStd – Native file format of FreeCAD CAD/CAM package
FM – FeatureCAM Part File
FMZ – FormZ Project file
G – BRL-CAD Geometry File
GBR – Gerber file
GLM – KernelCAD model
GRB – T-FLEX CAD File
GRI – AppliCad GRIM-In file in readable text form for importing roof and wall cladding job data generated by business management and accounting systems into the modelling/estimating program
GRO – AppliCad GRIM-Out file in readable text form for exporting roof and wall cladding data job material and labour costing data, material lists generated by the modelling/estimating program to business management and accounting systems
IAM – Autodesk Inventor Assembly file
ICD – IronCAD 2D CAD file
IDW – Autodesk Inventor Drawing file
IFC – buildingSMART for sharing AEC and FM data
IGES – Initial Graphics Exchange Specification
.dgn, .cel – Intergraph Standard File Formats Intergraph
IO – Stud.io 3d model
IPN – Autodesk Inventor Presentation file
IPT – Autodesk Inventor Part file
JT – Jupiter Tesselation
MCD – Monu-CAD (Monument/Headstone Drawing file)
MDG – Model of Digital Geometric Kernel
model – CATIA V4 part document
OCD – Orienteering Computer Aided Design (OCAD) file
PAR – Solidedge Part
PIPE – PIPE-FLO Professional Piping system design file
PLN – ArchiCad project
PRT – NX (recently known as Unigraphics), Pro/ENGINEER Part, CADKEY Part
PSM – Solidedge Sheet
PSMODEL – PowerSHAPE Model
PWI – PowerINSPECT File
PYT – Pythagoras File
SKP – SketchUp Model
RLF – ArtCAM Relief
RVM – AVEVA PDMS 3D Review model
RVT – Autodesk Revit project files
RFA – Autodesk Revit family files
RXF – AppliCad annotated 3D roof and wall geometry data in readable text form used to exchange 3D model geometry with other systems such as truss design software
S12 – Spirit file, by Softtech
SCAD – OpenSCAD 3D part model
SCDOC – SpaceClaim 3D Part/Assembly
SLDASM – SolidWorks Assembly drawing
SLDDRW – SolidWorks 2D drawing
SLDPRT – SolidWorks 3D part model
dotXSI – For Softimage
STEP – Standard for the Exchange of Product model data
STL – Stereo Lithographic data format used by various CAD systems and stereo lithographic printing machines.
STD – Power Vision Plus – Electricity Meter Data (Circuitor)
TCT – TurboCAD drawing template
TCW – TurboCAD for Windows 2D and 3D drawing
UNV – I-DEAS I-DEAS (Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis Software)
VC6 – Ashlar-Vellum Graphite – 2D and 3D drafting
VLM – Ashlar-Vellum Vellum, Vellum 2D, Vellum Draft, Vellum 3D, DrawingBoard
VS – Ashlar-Vellum Vellum Solids
WRL – Similar to STL, but includes color. Used by various CAD systems and 3D printing rapid prototyping machines. Also used for VRML models on the web.
X_B – Parasolids binary format
X_T – Parasolids
XE – Ashlar-Vellum Xenon – for associative 3D modeling
ZOFZPROJ – ZofzPCB 3D PCB model, containing mesh, netlist and BOM
Electronic design automation (EDA)
Electronic design automation (EDA), or electronic computer-aided design (ECAD), is specific to the field of electrical engineering.
BRD – Board file for EAGLE Layout Editor, a commercial PCB design tool
BSDL – Description language for testing through JTAG
CDL – Transistor-level netlist format for IC design
CPF – Power-domain specification in system-on-a-chip (SoC) implementation (see also UPF)
DEF – Gate-level layout
Detailed Standard Parasitic Format – Detailed Standard Parasitic Format, Analog-level Parastic component of interconnections in IC design
EDIF – Vendor neutral gate-level netlist format
FSDB – Analog waveform format (see also Waveform viewer)
GDSII – Format for PCB and layout of integrated circuits
HEX – ASCII-coded binary format for memory dumps
LEF – Library Exchange Format, physical abstract of cells for IC design
Liberty (EDA) – Library modeling (function, timing) format
MS12 – NI Multisim file
OASIS – Open Artwork System Interchange Standard
OpenAccess – Design database format with APIs
PSF – Cadence proprietary format to store simulation results/waveforms (2GB limit)
PSFXL – Cadence proprietary format to store simulation results/waveforms
SDC – Synopsys Design Constraints, format for synthesis constraints
SDF – Standard for gate-level timings
SPEF – Standard format for Parasitic component of interconnections in IC design
SPI, CIR – SPICE Netlist, device-level netlist and commands for simulation
SREC, S19 – S-record, ASCII-coded format for memory dumps
SST2 – Cadence proprietary format to store mixed-signal simulation results/waveforms
STIL – Standard Test Interface Language, IEEE1450-1999 standard for Test Patterns for IC
SV – SystemVerilog source file
S*P – Touchstone/EEsof Scattering parameter data file – multi-port blackbox performance, measurement or simulated
TLF – Contains timing and logical information about a collection of cells (circuit elements)
UPF – Standard for Power-domain specification in SoC implementation
V – Verilog source file
VCD – Standard format for digital simulation waveform
VHD, VHDL – VHDL source file
WGL – Waveform Generation Language, format for Test Patterns for IC
Test technology
Files output from Automatic Test Equipment or post-processed from such.
Standard Test Data Format
Database
4DB – 4D database Structure file
4DD – 4D database Data file
4DIndy – 4D database Structure Index file
4DIndx – 4D database Data Index file
4DR – 4D database Data resource file (in old 4D versions)
ACCDB – Microsoft Database (Microsoft Office Access 2007 and later)
ACCDE – Compiled Microsoft Database (Microsoft Office Access 2007 and later)
ADT – Sybase Advantage Database Server (ADS)
APR – Lotus Approach data entry & reports
BOX – Lotus Notes Post Office mail routing database
CHML – Krasbit Technologies Encrypted database file for 1 click integration between contact management software and the Chameleon Software
DAF – Digital Anchor data file
DAT – DOS Basic
DAT – Intersystems Caché database file
DB – Paradox
DB – SQLite
DBF – db/dbase II,III,IV and V, Clipper, Harbour/xHarbour, Fox/FoxPro, Oracle
DTA – Sage Sterling database file
EGT – EGT Universal Document, used to compress sql databases to smaller files, may contain original EGT database style.
ESS – EGT SmartSense is a database of files and its compression style. Specific to EGT SmartSense
EAP – Enterprise Architect Project
FDB – Firebird Databases
FDB – Navision database file
FP, FP3, FP5, FP7 – FileMaker Pro
FRM – MySQL table definition
GDB – Borland InterBase Databases
GTABLE – Google Drive Fusion Table
KEXI – Kexi database file (SQLite-based)
KEXIC – shortcut to a database connection for a Kexi databases on a server
KEXIS – shortcut to a Kexi database
LDB – Temporary database file, only existing when database is open
LIRS – Layered Intager Storage. Stores intageres with characters such as semicolons to create lists of data.
MDA – Add-in file for Microsoft Access
MDB – Microsoft Access database
ADP – Microsoft Access project (used for accessing databases on a server)
MDE – Compiled Microsoft Database (Access)
MDF – Microsoft SQL Server Database
MYD – MySQL MyISAM table data
MYI – MySQL MyISAM table index
NCF – Lotus Notes configuration file
NSF – Lotus Notes database
NTF – Lotus Notes database design template
NV2 – QW Page NewViews object oriented accounting database
ODB – LibreOffice Base or OpenOffice Base database
ORA – Oracle tablespace files sometimes get this extension (also used for configuration files)
PCONTACT – WinIM Contact file
PDB – Palm OS Database
PDI – Portable Database Image
PDX – Corel Paradox database management
PRC – Palm OS resource database
SQL – bundled SQL queries
REC – GNU recutils database
REL – Sage Retrieve 4GL data file
RIN – Sage Retrieve 4GL index file
SDB – StarOffice's StarBase
SDF – SQL Compact Database file
sqlite – SQLite
UDL – Universal Data Link
waData – Wakanda (software) database Data file
waIndx – Wakanda (software) database Index file
waModel – Wakanda (software) database Model file
waJournal – Wakanda (software) database Journal file
WDB – Microsoft Works Database
WMDB – Windows Media Database file – The CurrentDatabase_360.wmdb file can contain file name, file properties, music, video, photo and playlist information.
Big Data (Distributed)
Avro – Data format appropriate for ingestion of record based attributes. Distinguishing characteristic is schema is stored on each row enabling schema evolution.
Parquet – Columnar data storage. It is typically used within the Hadoop ecosystem.
ORC – Similar to Parquet, but has better data compression and schema evolution handling.
Desktop publishing
AI – Adobe Illustrator
AVE, ZAVE – Aquafadas
CDR – CorelDRAW
CHP, pub, STY, CAP, CIF, VGR, FRM – Ventura Publisher – Xerox (DOS / GEM)
CPT – Corel Photo-Paint
DTP – Greenstreet Publisher, GST PressWorks
FM – Adobe FrameMaker
GDRAW – Google Drive Drawing
ILDOC – Broadvision Quicksilver document
INDD – Adobe InDesign
MCF – FotoInsight Designer
PDF – Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader
PMD – Adobe PageMaker
PPP – Serif PagePlus
PSD – Adobe Photoshop
PUB – Microsoft Publisher
QXD – QuarkXPress
SLA, SCD – Scribus
XCF – XCF: File format used by the GIMP, as well as other programs
Document
These files store formatted text and plain text.
0 – Plain Text Document, normally used for licensing
1ST – Plain Text Document, normally preceded by the words "README" (README.1ST)
600 – Plain Text Document, used in UNZIP history log
602 – Text602 (T602) document
ABW – AbiWord document
ACL – MS Word AutoCorrect List
AFP – Advanced Function Presentation
AMI – Lotus Ami Pro Amigaguide
ANS – American National Standards Institute (ANSI) text
ASC – ASCII text
AWW – Ability Write
CCF – Color Chat 1.0
CSV – ASCII text as comma-separated values, used in spreadsheets and database management systems
CWK – ClarisWorks-AppleWorks document
DBK – DocBook XML sub-format
DITA – Darwin Information Typing Architecture document
DOC – Microsoft Word document
DOCM – Microsoft Word macro-enabled document
DOCX – Office Open XML document
DOT – Microsoft Word document template
DOTX – Office Open XML text document template
DWD – DavkaWriter Heb/Eng word processor file
EGT – EGT Universal Document
EPUB – EPUB open standard for e-books
EZW – Reagency Systems easyOFFER document
FDX – Final Draft
FTM – Fielded Text Meta
FTX – Fielded Text (Declared)
GDOC – Google Drive Document
HTML – HyperText Markup Language (.html, .htm)
HWP – Haansoft (Hancom) Hangul Word Processor document
HWPML – Haansoft (Hancom) Hangul Word Processor Markup Language document
LOG – Text log file
LWP – Lotus Word Pro
MBP – metadata for Mobipocket documents
MD – Markdown text document
ME – Plain text document normally preceded by the word "READ" (READ.ME)
MCW – Microsoft Word for Macintosh (versions 4.0–5.1)
Mobi – Mobipocket documents
NB – Mathematica Notebook
nb – Nota Bene Document (Academic Writing Software)
NBP – Mathematica Player Notebook
NEIS – 학교생활기록부 작성 프로그램 (Student Record Writing Program) Document
NT – N-Triples RDF container (.nt)
NQ – N-Quads RDF container (.nq)
ODM – OpenDocument master document
ODOC – Synology Drive Office Document
ODT – OpenDocument text document
OSHEET – Synology Drive Office Spreadsheet
OTT – OpenDocument text document template
OMM – OmmWriter text document
PAGES – Apple Pages document
PAP – Papyrus word processor document
PER – Canadian Forces Personnel Appraisal System (CFPAS) Personnel Evaluation Report (PER)
PDR – Canadian Forces Personnel Appraisal System (CFPAS) Personnel Development Report (PDR)
PDAX – Portable Document Archive (PDA) document index file
PDF – Portable Document Format
QUOX – Question Object File Format for Quobject Designer or Quobject Explorer
Radix-64 – Need helps!!!
RTF – Rich Text document
RPT – Crystal Reports
SDW – StarWriter text document, used in earlier versions of StarOffice
SE – Shuttle Document
STW – OpenOffice.org XML (obsolete) text document template
Sxw – OpenOffice.org XML (obsolete) text document
TeX – TeX
INFO – Texinfo
Troff – Unix OS document processing system
TXT – ASCII or Unicode plain text file
UOF – Uniform Office Format
UOML – Unique Object Markup Language
VIA – Revoware VIA Document Project File
WPD – WordPerfect document
WPS – Microsoft Works document
WPT – Microsoft Works document template
WRD – WordIt! document
WRF – ThinkFree Write
WRI – Microsoft Write document
xhtml, xht – XHTML eXtensible HyperText Markup Language
XML – eXtensible Markup Language
XPS – XPS: Open XML Paper Specification
Financial records
MYO – MYOB Limited (Windows) File
MYOB – MYOB Limited (Mac) File
TAX – TurboTax File
YNAB – You Need a Budget (YNAB) File
Financial data transfer formats
IFX – Interactive Financial Exchange XML-based specification for various forms of financial transactions
.ofx – Open Financial Exchange， open standard supported by CheckFree and Microsoft and partly by Intuit; SGML and later XML based
QFX – proprietary pay-only format used only by Intuit
.qif – Quicken Interchange Format open standard formerly supported by Intuit
Font file
ABF – Adobe Binary Screen Font
AFM – Adobe Font Metrics
BDF – Bitmap Distribution Format
BMF – ByteMap Font Format
BRFNT – Binary Revolution Font Format
FNT – Bitmapped Font – Graphics Environment Manager (GEM)
FON – Bitmapped Font – Microsoft Windows
MGF – MicroGrafx Font
OTF – OpenType Font
PCF – Portable Compiled Format
PFA – Printer Font ASCII
PFB – Printer Font Binary – Adobe
PFM – Printer Font Metrics – Adobe
AFM – Adobe Font Metrics
FOND – Font Description resource – Mac OS
SFD – FontForge spline font database Font
SNF – Server Normal Format
TDF – TheDraw Font
TFM – TeX font metric
.ttf, .ttc – TrueType Font
UFO – Unified Font Object is a cross-platform, cross-application, human readable, future proof format for storing font data.
WOFF – Web Open Font Format
General purpose
These file formats allow for the rapid creation of new binary file formats.
IFDS – Incredibly Flexible Data Storage file format. File extension and the magic number does not have to be IFDS.
Geographic information system
ASC – ASCII point of interest (POI) text file
APR – ESRI ArcView 3.3 and earlier project file
DEM – USGS DEM file format
E00 – ARC/INFO interchange file format
GeoJSON – Geographically located data in object notation
TopoJSON – Extension of GeoJSON with topology encoded in arcs for web development
GeoTIFF – Geographically located raster data
GML – Geography Markup Language file
GPX – XML-based interchange format
ITN – TomTom Itinerary format
MXD – ESRI ArcGIS project file, 8.0 and higher
NTF – National Transfer Format file
OV2 – TomTom POI overlay file
SHP – ESRI shapefile
TAB – MapInfo TAB format
GeoTIFF – Geographically located raster data: text file giving corner coordinate, raster cells per unit, and rotation
DTED – Digital Terrain Elevation Data
KML – Keyhole Markup Language, XML-based
Graphical information organizers
3DT – 3D Topicscape, the database in which the meta-data of a 3D Topicscape is held, it is a form of 3D concept map (like a 3D mind-map) used to organize ideas, information, and computer files
ATY – 3D Topicscape file, produced when an association type is exported; used to permit round-trip (export Topicscape, change files and folders as desired, re-import to 3D Topicscape)
CAG (file format) – Linear Reference System
FES (file format) – 3D Topicscape file, produced when a fileless occurrence in 3D Topicscape is exported to Windows. Used to permit round-trip (export Topicscape, change files and folders as desired, re-import them to 3D Topicscape)
MGMF – MindGenius Mind Mapping Software file format
MM – FreeMind mind map file (XML)
MMP (file format) – Mind Manager mind map file
TPC (file format) – 3D Topicscape file, produced when an inter-Topicscape topic link file is exported to Windows; used to permit round-trip (export Topicscape, change files and folders as desired, re-import to 3D Topicscape)
Graphics
Color palettes
ACT – Adobe Color Table. Contains a raw color palette and consists of 256 24-bit RGB colour values.
ASE – Adobe Swatch Exchange. Used by Adobe Substance, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
GPL – GIMP palette file. Uses a text representation of color names and RGB values. Various open source graphical editors can read this format, including GIMP, Inkscape, Krita, KolourPaint, Scribus, CinePaint, and MyPaint.
PAL – Microsoft RIFF palette file
Color management
ICC, ICM – Color profile conforming the specification of the ICC.
Raster graphics
Raster or bitmap files store images as a group of pixels.
ART – America Online proprietary format
BLP – Blizzard Entertainment proprietary texture format
BMP – Microsoft Windows Bitmap formatted image
BTI – Nintendo proprietary texture format
CD5 – Chasys Draw IES image
CIT – Intergraph is a monochrome bitmap format
CPT – Corel PHOTO-PAINT image
CR2 – Canon camera raw format; photos have this on some Canon cameras if the quality RAW is selected in camera settings
CLIP – CLIP STUDIO PAINT format
CPL – Windows control panel file
DDS – DirectX texture file
DIB – Device-Independent Bitmap graphic
DjVu – DjVu for scanned documents
EGT – EGT Universal Document, used in EGT SmartSense to compress PNG files to yet a smaller file
Exif – Exchangeable image file format (Exif) is a specification for the image format used by digital cameras
GIF – CompuServe's Graphics Interchange Format
GRF – Zebra Technologies proprietary format
ICNS – format for icons in macOS. Contains bitmap images at multiple resolutions and bitdepths with alpha channel.
ICO – a format used for icons in Microsoft Windows. Contains small bitmap images at multiple resolutions and bitdepths with 1-bit transparency or alpha channel.
.iff, .ilbm, .lbm – IFF ILBM
JNG – a single-frame MNG using JPEG compression and possibly an alpha channel
JPEG, JFIF, .jpg, .jpeg – Joint Photographic Experts Group; a lossy image format widely used to display photographic images
JP2 – JPEG2000
JPS – JPEG Stereo
KRA – Krita image file
LBM – Deluxe Paint image file
MAX – ScanSoft PaperPort document
MIFF – ImageMagick's native file format
MNG – Multiple-image Network Graphics, the animated version of PNG
MSP – a format used by old versions of Microsoft Paint; replaced by BMP in Microsoft Windows 3.0
NITF – A U.S. Government standard commonly used in Intelligence systems
OTB – Over The Air bitmap, a specification designed by Nokia for black and white images for mobile phones
PBM – Portable bitmap
PC1 – Low resolution, compressed Degas picture file
PC2 – Medium resolution, compressed Degas picture file
PC3 – High resolution, compressed Degas picture file
PCF – Pixel Coordination Format
PCX – a lossless format used by ZSoft's PC Paint, popular for a time on DOS systems.
PDN – Paint.NET image file
PGF – Progressive Graphics File
PGM – Portable graymap
PI1 – Low resolution, uncompressed Degas picture file
PI2 – Medium resolution, uncompressed Degas picture file; also Portrait Innovations encrypted image format
PI3 – High resolution, uncompressed Degas picture file
PICT, PCT – Apple Macintosh PICT image
PNG – Portable Network Graphic (lossless, recommended for display and edition of graphic images)
PNM – Portable anymap graphic bitmap image
PNS – PNG Stereo
PPM – Portable Pixmap (Pixel Map) image
.procreate – Procreate (software)’s drawing file
PSB – Adobe Photoshop Big image file (for large files)
PSD, PDD – Adobe Photoshop Drawing
PSP – Paint Shop Pro image
PX – Pixel image editor image file
PXM – Pixelmator image file
PXR – Pixar Image Computer image file
QFX – QuickLink Fax image
RAW – General term for minimally processed image data (acquired by a digital camera)
RLE – a run-length encoding image
SCT – Scitex Continuous Tone image file
SGI, RGB, INT, BW – Silicon Graphics Image
TGA, .tga, .targa, .icb, .vda, .vst, .pix – Truevision TGA (Targa) image
TIFF, .tif, .tiff – Tagged Image File Format (usually lossless, but many variants exist, including lossy ones)
TIFF, EP, .tif, .tiff – Tag Image File Format / Electronic Photography, ISO 12234-2; tends to be used as a basis for other formats rather than in its own right.
VTF – Valve Texture Format
XBM – X Window System Bitmap
XCF – GIMP image (from Gimp's origin at the eXperimental Computing Facility of the University of California)
XPM – X Window System Pixmap
ZIF – Zoomable/Zoomify Image Format (a web-friendly, TIFF-based, zoomable image format)
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Vector graphics
Vector graphics use geometric primitives such as points, lines, curves, and polygons to represent images.
3DV file – 3-D wireframe graphics by Oscar Garcia
AMF – Additive Manufacturing File Format
AWG – Ability Draw
AI – Adobe Illustrator Document
CGM – Computer Graphics Metafile, an ISO Standard
CDR – CorelDRAW Document
CMX – CorelDRAW vector image
DP – Drawing Program file for PERQ
DRAWIO – Diagrams.net offline diagram
DXF – ASCII Drawing Interchange file Format, used in AutoCAD and other CAD-programs
E2D – 2-dimensional vector graphics used by the editor which is included in JFire
EGT – EGT Universal Document, EGT Vector Draw images are used to draw vector to a website
EPS – Encapsulated Postscript
FS – FlexiPro file
GBR – Gerber file
ODG – OpenDocument Drawing
MOVIE.BYU – 3D Vector file for polygons, coordinates and more complex shapes
RenderMan – Displays Shading in both 2D and 3D scapes
SVG – Scalable Vector Graphics, employs XML
3DMLW – Scene description languages (3D vector image formats)
STL – STL: Stereo Lithographic data format (see STL (file format)) used by various CAD systems and stereo lithographic printing machines. See above.
.wrl – Virtual Reality Modeling Language, VRML Uses this extension for the creation of 3D viewable web images.
X3D – XML based file for communicating 3D graphics
SXD – OpenOffice.org XML (obsolete) Drawing
TGAX – Texture format used by Zwift
V2D – voucher design used by the voucher management included in JFire
VDOC – Vector format used in AnyCut, CutStorm, DrawCut, DragonCut, FutureDRAW, MasterCut, SignMaster, VinylMaster software by Future Corporation
VSD – Vector format used by Microsoft Visio
VSDX – Vector format used by MS Visio and opened by VSDX Annotator
VND – Vision numeric Drawing file used in TypeEdit, Gravostyle.
WMF – WMF: Windows Meta File
EMF – EMF: Enhanced (Windows) MetaFile, an extension to WMF
ART – Xara–Drawing (superseded by XAR)
XAR – Xara–Drawing
3D graphics
3D graphics are 3D models that allow building models in real-time or non-real-time 3D rendering.
3DMF – QuickDraw 3D Metafile (.3dmf)
3DM – OpenNURBS Initiative 3D Model (used by Rhinoceros 3D) (.3dm)
3MF – Microsoft 3D Manufacturing Format (.3mf)
3DS – legacy 3D Studio Model (.3ds)
ABC – Alembic (computer graphics)
AC – AC3D Model (.ac)
AMF – Additive Manufacturing File Format
AN8 – Anim8or Model (.an8)
AOI – Art of Illusion Model (.aoi)
ASM – PTC Creo assembly (.asm)
B3D – Blitz3D Model (.b3d)
BLEND – Blender (.blend)
BLOCK – Blender encrypted blend files (.block)
BMD3 – Nintendo GameCube first-party J3D proprietary model format (.bmd)
BDL4 – Nintendo GameCube and Wii first-party J3D proprietary model format (2002, 2006–2010) (.bdl)
BRRES – Nintendo Wii first-party proprietary model format 2010+ (.brres)
BFRES – Nintendo Wii U and later Switch first-party proprietary model format
C4D – Cinema 4D (.c4d)
Cal3D – Cal3D (.cal3d)
CCP4 – X-ray crystallography voxels (electron density)
CFL – Compressed File Library (.cfl)
COB – Caligari Object (.cob)
CORE3D – Coreona 3D Coreona 3D Virtual File(.core3d)
CTM – OpenCTM (.ctm)
DAE – COLLADA (.dae)
DFF – RenderWare binary stream, commonly used by Grand Theft Auto III-era games as well as other RenderWare titles
DPM – DeepMesh (.dpm)
DTS – Torque Game Engine (DTS (file format))
EGG – Panda3D Engine
FACT – Electric Image (.fac)
FBX – Autodesk FBX (.fbx)
G – BRL-CAD geometry (.g)
GLB – a binary form of glTF required to be loaded in Facebook 3D Posts. (.glb)
GLM – Ghoul Mesh (.glm)
glTF – the JSON-based standard developed by Khronos Group (.gltf)
.hec – Hector Game Engine – Flatspace model format
IO – Bricklink Stud.io 2.0 Model File (.io)
IOB – Imagine (3D modeling software) (.iob)
JAS – Cheetah 3D file (.jas)
JMESH – Universal mesh data exchange file based on JMesh specification (.jmsh for text/JSON based, .bmsh for binary/UBJSON based)
LDR – LDraw Model File (.ldr)
LWO – Lightwave Object (.lwo)
LWS – Lightwave Scene (.lws)
LXF – LEGO Digital Designer Model file (.lxf)
LXO – Luxology Modo (software) file (.lxo)
M3D – Model3D, universal, engine-neutral format (.m3d)
MA – Autodesk Maya ASCII File (.ma)
MAX – Autodesk 3D Studio Max file (.max)
MB – Autodesk Maya Binary File (.mb)
MPD – LDraw Multi-Part Document Model File (.mpd)
MD2 – MD2: Quake 2 model format (.md2)
MD3 – MD3: Quake 3 model format (.md3)
MD5 – MD5: Doom 3 model format (.md5)
MDX – Blizzard Entertainment's own model format (.mdx)
MESH – New York University(.m)
MESH – Meshwork Model (.mesh)
MIOBJECT – Mine-Imator object file (.miobject)
MIPARTICLE – Mine-Imator particle file (.miparticle)
MIMODEL – Mine-Imator model file (.mimodel)
MM3D – Misfit Model 3d (.mm3d)
MPO – Multi-Picture Object – This JPEG standard is used for 3d images, as with the Nintendo 3DS
MRC – MRC: voxels in cryo-electron microscopy
NIF – Gamebryo NetImmerse File (.nif)
OBJ – Wavefront .obj file (.obj)
OFF – OFF Object file format (.off)
OGEX – Open Game Engine Exchange (OpenGEX) format (.ogex)
PLY – PLY: Polygon File Format / Stanford Triangle Format (.ply)
PRC – Adobe PRC (embedded in PDF files)
PRT – PTC Creo part (.prt)
POV – POV-Ray document (.pov)
R3D – Realsoft 3D (Real-3D) (.r3d)
RWX – RenderWare Object (.rwx)
SIA – Nevercenter Silo Object (.sia)
SIB – Nevercenter Silo Object (.sib)
SKP – Google Sketchup file (.skp)
SLDASM – SolidWorks Assembly Document (.sldasm)
SLDPRT – SolidWorks Part Document (.sldprt)
SMD – Valve Studiomdl Data format (.smd)
U3D – Universal 3D format (.u3d)
USD – Universal Scene Description (.usd)
USDA – Universal Scene Description, human-readable text format (.usda)
USDC – Universal Scene Description, binary format (.usdc)
USDZ – Universal Scene Description, a zip-compressed container (.usdz)
VIM – Revizto visual information model format (.vimproj)
VRML97 – VRML Virtual reality modeling language (.wrl)
VUE – Vue scene file (.vue)
VWX – Vectorworks (.vwx)
WINGS – Wings3D (.wings)
W3D – Westwood 3D Model (.w3d)
X – DirectX 3D Model (.x)
X3D – Extensible 3D (.x3d)
Z3D – Zmodeler (.z3d)
ZBMX – Mecabricks Blender Add-On (.zbmx)
Links and shortcuts
Alias – Alias (Mac OS)
JNLP – Java Network Launching Protocol, an XML file used by Java Web Start for starting Java applets over the Internet
LNK – binary-format file shortcut in Microsoft Windows 95 and later
APPREF-MS – File shortcut format used by ClickOnce
NAL – ZENworks Instant shortcut (opens a .EXE not on the C:/ )
URL – INI file pointing to a URL bookmarks/Internet shortcut in Microsoft Windows
WEBLOC – Property list file pointing to a URL bookmarks/Internet shortcut in macOS
SYM – Symbolic link
.desktop – Desktop entry on Linux Desktop environments
Mathematical
Harwell-Boeing – a file format designed to store sparse matrices
MML – MathML – Mathematical Markup Language
ODF – OpenDocument Math Formula
SXM – OpenOffice.org XML (obsolete) Math Formula
Object code, executable files, shared and dynamically linked libraries
8BF – files plugins for some photo editing programs including Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, GIMP and Helicon Filter.
.a – a static library on Unix-like systems
.a – Objective C native static library
a.out – (no suffix for executable image, .o for object files, .so for shared object files) classic UNIX object format, now often superseded by ELF
APK – Android Application Package
APP – A folder found on macOS systems containing program code and resources, appearing as one file.
.app, APP - file extension are executable application packages for running apps on HarmonyOS, OpenHarmony and HarmonyOS NEXT devices.
BAC – an executable image for the RSTS/E system, created using the BASIC-PLUS COMPILE command
BPL – a Win32 PE file created with Borland Delphi or C++Builder containing a package.
Bundle – a Macintosh plugin created with Xcode or make which holds executable code, data files, and folders for that code.
.class – Compiled Java bytecode
COFF – (no suffix for executable image, .o for object files) UNIX Common Object File Format, now often superseded by ELF
COM – Simple executable format used by CP/M and DOS.
DCU – Delphi compiled unit
DLL – Dynamic library used in Windows and OS/2 to store data, resources and code.
DOL – the format used by the GameCube and Wii, short for Dolphin, which was the codename of the GameCube.
.EAR – archives of Java enterprise applications
ELF – (no suffix for executable image, .o for object files, .so for shared object files) used in many modern Unix and Unix-like systems, including Solaris, other System V Release 4 derivatives, Linux, and BSD)
.exe – DOS executable (.exe: used in DOS)
.EXE – New Executable (used in multitasking ("European") MS-DOS 4.0, 16-bit Microsoft Windows, and OS/2)
.EXE – Portable Executable used in Microsoft Windows and some other systems
.ipa, .IPA – file extension for apple IOS application executable file. Another form of zip file.
.JAR – archives of Java class files
JEFF – a file format allowing execution directly from static memory
.ko – Loadable kernel module
LIB – a static library on Microsoft platforms
LIST – variable list
Mach-O – (no suffix for executable image, .o for object files, .dylib and .bundle for shared object files) Mach-based systems, notably native format of macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS
.NLM – NetWare Loadable Module the native 32-bit binaries compiled for Novell's NetWare Operating System (versions 3 and newer)
.o – un-linked object files directly from the compiler
OBJ – object file on Windows
RLL – used in Microsoft operating systems together with a DLL file to store program resources
.s1es – Executable used for S1ES learning system.
.so – shared library, typically ELF
.VAP – Value Added Process the native 16-bit binaries compiled for Novell's NetWare Operating System (version 2, NetWare 286, Advanced NetWare, etc.)
WAR, .WAR – .WAR are archives of Java Web applications
.XAP – Windows Phone package
XBE – XBE is Xbox executable
XCOFF – (no suffix for executable image, .o for object files, .a for shared object files) extended COFF, used in AIX
XEX – XEX is Xbox 360 executable
.XPI – PKZIP archive that can be run by Mozilla web browsers to install software.
Object extensions:
.OCX – .OCX are Object Control extensions
.TLB – .TLB are Windows Type Library
.VBX – .VBX are Visual Basic extensions
Page description language
DVI – DVI are Device independent format
.egt – Universal Document can be used to store CSS type styles
PLD – PLD (Need to be added!!!)
PCL – PCL (Need to be added!!!)
PDF – PDF are Portable Document Format
.ps, .ps, .gz – PostScript (Need to be added!!!)
SNP – SNP are Microsoft Access Report Snapshot
XPS – XPS
XSL-FO – XSL-FO (Formatting Objects)
Configurations, Metadata
CSS – CSS are Cascading Style Sheets
.xslt, .xsl – XML Style Sheet
.tpl – Web template
Personal information manager
MNB – MyInfo notebook
MSG – Microsoft Outlook task manager
ORG – Lotus Organizer PIM package
ORG – Emacs Org-Mode Mindmanager, contacts, calendar, email-integration
PST, OST – Microsoft Outlook email communication
SC2 – Microsoft Schedule+ calendar
Presentation
GSLIDES – Google Drive Presentation
KEY, KEYNOTE – Apple Keynote Presentation
NB – Mathematica Slideshow
NBP – Mathematica Player slideshow
ODP – OpenDocument Presentation
OTP – OpenDocument Presentation template
PEZ – Prezi Desktop Presentation
POT – Microsoft PowerPoint template
PPS – Microsoft PowerPoint Show
PPT – Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
PPTX – Office Open XML Presentation
PRZ – Lotus Freelance Graphics
SDD – StarOffice's StarImpress
SHF – ThinkFree Show
SHOW – Haansoft(Hancom) Presentation software document
SHW – Corel Presentations slide show creation
SLP – Logix-4D Manager Show Control Project
SSPSS – SongShow Plus Slide Show
STI – OpenOffice.org XML (obsolete) Presentation template
SXI – OpenOffice.org XML (obsolete) Presentation
THMX – Microsoft PowerPoint theme template
WATCH – Dataton Watchout Presentation
Project management software
MPP – Microsoft Project
Reference management software
Formats of files used for bibliographic information (citation) management.
bib – BibTeX
enl – EndNote
ris – Research Information Systems RIS (file format)
Scientific data (data exchange)
.fits – FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) standard data format for astronomy
Silo – Silo, a storage format for visualization developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
SPC – SPC, spectroscopic data
EAS3 – binary format for structured data
EOSSA – Electro-Optic Space Situational Awareness format
OST – (Open Spatio-Temporal) extensible, mainly images with related data, or just pure data; meant as an open alternative for microscope images
CCP4 – CCP4, X-ray crystallography voxels (electron density)
MRC – MRC, voxels in cryo-electron microscopy
HITRAN – spectroscopic data with one optical/infrared transition per line in the ASCII file (.hit)
.root – hierarchical platform-independent compressed binary format used by ROOT
SDF – Simple Data Format (SDF), a platform-independent, precision-preserving binary data I/O format capable of handling large, multi-dimensional arrays.
MYD – Everfine LEDSpec software file for LED measurements
CSDM – (Core Scientific Dataset Model) model for multi-dimensional and correlated datasets from various spectroscopies, diffraction, microscopy, and imaging techniques (.csdf, .csdfe).
Multi-domain
NetCDF – Network common data format
HDR, HDF, h4, h5 – Hierarchical Data Format
SDXF – SDXF, (Structured Data Exchange Format)
CDF – Common Data Format
CGNS – CGNS, CFD General Notation System
FMF – Full-Metadata Format
Meteorology
GRIB – Grid in Binary, WMO format for weather model data
BUFR – WMO format for weather observation data
PP – UK Met Office format for weather model data
NASA-Ames – Simple text format for observation data. First used in aircraft studies of the atmosphere.
Chemistry
CML – Chemical Markup Language (CML) (.cml)
.mol, .sd, .sdf – Chemical table file (CTab)
.dx, .jdx – Joint Committee on Atomic and Molecular Physical Data (JCAMP)
.smi – Simplified molecular input line entry specification (SMILES)
Mathematics
.g6, .s6 – graph6, sparse6, ASCII encoding of Adjacency matrices
Biology
Molecular biology and bioinformatics:
AB1 – In DNA sequencing, chromatogram files used by instruments from Applied Biosystems
ACE – A sequence assembly format
ASN.1 – Abstract Syntax Notation One, is an International Standards Organization (ISO) data representation format used to achieve interoperability between platforms. NCBI uses ASN.1 for the storage and retrieval of data such as nucleotide and protein sequences, structures, genomes, and PubMed records.
BAM – Binary Alignment/Map format (compressed SAM format)
BCF – Binary compressed VCF format
BED – The browser extensible display format is used for describing genes and other features of DNA sequences
CAF – Common Assembly Format for sequence assembly
CRAM – compressed file format for storing biological sequences aligned to a reference sequence
DDBJ – The flatfile format used by the DDBJ to represent database records for nucleotide and peptide sequences from DDBJ databases.
EMBL – The flatfile format used by the EMBL to represent database records for nucleotide and peptide sequences from EMBL databases.
FASTA – The FASTA format, for sequence data. Sometimes also given as FNA or FAA (Fasta Nucleic Acid or Fasta Amino Acid).
FASTQ – The FASTQ format, for sequence data with quality. Sometimes also given as QUAL.
GCPROJ – The Genome Compiler project. Advanced format for genetic data to be designed, shared and visualized.
GenBank – The flatfile format used by the NCBI to represent database records for nucleotide and peptide sequences from the GenBank and RefSeq databases
GFF – The General feature format is used to describe genes and other features of DNA, RNA, and protein sequences
GTF – The Gene transfer format is used to hold information about gene structure
MAF – The Multiple Alignment Format stores multiple alignments for whole-genome to whole-genome comparisons
NCBI – Structured ASN.1 format used at National Center for Biotechnology Information for DNA and protein data
NEXUS – The Nexus file encodes mixed information about genetic sequence data in a block structured format
NeXML – XML format for phylogenetic trees
NWK – The Newick tree format is a way of representing graph-theoretical trees with edge lengths using parentheses and commas and useful to hold phylogenetic trees.
PDB – structures of biomolecules deposited in Protein Data Bank, also used to exchange protein and nucleic acid structures
PHD – Phred output, from the base-calling software Phred
PLN – Protein Line Notation used in proteax software specification
SAM – SAM, Sequence Alignment Map format, in which the results of the 1000 Genomes Project will be released
SBML – The Systems Biology Markup Language is used to store biochemical network computational models
SCF – Staden chromatogram files used to store data from DNA sequencing
SFF – Standard Flowgram Format
SRA – format used by the National Center for Biotechnology Information Short Read Archive to store high-throughput DNA sequence data
Stockholm – The Stockholm format for representing multiple sequence alignments
Swiss-Prot – The flatfile format used to represent database records for protein sequences from the Swiss-Prot database
VCF – Variant Call Format, a standard created by the 1000 Genomes Project that lists and annotates the entire collection of human variants (with the exception of approximately 1.6 million variants).
Biomedical imaging
.dcm – Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM)
NIfTI – Neuroimaging Informatics Technology Initiative
.nii – single-file (combined data and meta-data) style
.nii.gz – gzip-compressed, used transparently by some software, notably the FMRIB Software Library (FSL)
.gii – single-file (combined data and meta-data) style; NIfTI offspring for brain surface data
.img, .hdr – dual-file (separate data and meta-data, respectively) style
.BRIK, .HEAD – AFNI data, meta-data
.MGH – uncompressed, Massachusetts General Hospital imaging format, used by the FreeSurfer brain analysis package
.MGZ – zip-compressed, Massachusetts General Hospital imaging format, used by the FreeSurfer brain analysis package
.img, .hdr – Analyze data, meta-data
MINC – Medical Imaging NetCDF format
.mnc – previously based on NetCDF; since version 2.0, based on HDF5
Biomedical signals (time series)
ACQ – AcqKnowledge format for Windows/PC from Biopac Systems Inc., Goleta, CA, USA
ADICHT – LabChart format from ADInstruments Pty Ltd, Bella Vista NSW, Australia
BCI2000 – The BCI2000 project, Albany, NY, USA
BDF – BioSemi data format from BioSemi B.V. Amsterdam, Netherlands
BKR – The EEG data format developed at the University of Technology Graz, Austria
CFWB – Chart Data Format from ADInstruments Pty Ltd, Bella Vista NSW, Australia
DICOM – Waveform An extension of Dicom for storing waveform data
ecgML – A markup language for electrocardiogram data acquisition and analysis
EDF, EDF+ – European Data Format
FEF – File Exchange Format for Vital signs, CEN TS 14271
GDF – The General Data Format for biomedical signals
HL7aECG – Health Level 7 v3 annotated ECG
MFER – Medical waveform Format Encoding Rules
OpenXDF – Open Exchange Data Format from Neurotronics, Inc., Gainesville, FL, USA
SCP-ECG – Standard Communication Protocol for Computer assisted electrocardiography EN1064:2007
SIGIF – A digital SIGnal Interchange Format with application in neurophysiology
WFDB – Format of Physiobank
XDF – eXtensible Data Format
Other biomedical formats
HL7 – Health Level 7, a framework for exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of health information electronically
xDT – a family of data exchange formats for medical records
Biometric formats
CBF – Common Biometric Format, based on CBEFF 2.0 (Common Biometric ExFramework).
EBF – Extended Biometric Format, based on CBF but with S/MIME encryption support and semantic extensions
CBFX – XML Common Biometric Format, based upon XCBF 1.1 (OASIS XML Common Biometric Format)
EBFX – XML Extended Biometric Format, based on CBFX but with W3C XML Encryption support and semantic extensions
ADB – Ada body
ADS – Ada specification
AHK – AutoHotkey script file
APPLESCRIPT – applescript: see SCPT
AS – Adobe Flash ActionScript File
AU3 – AutoIt version 3
AWK – AWK
BAT – Batch file
BAS – QBasic & QuickBASIC
BTM – Batch file
CLASS – Compiled Java binary
CLJS – ClojureScript
CMD – Batch file
Coffee – CoffeeScript
C – C
CIA – Nintendo 3DS Software Installation File, short for "CTR Importable Archive"
CPP – C++
CS – C#
INO – Arduino sketch (program)
EGG – Chicken
EGT – EGT Asterisk Application Source File, EGT Universal Document
ERB – Embedded Ruby, Ruby on Rails Script File
GO – Go
HTA – HTML Application
IBI – Icarus script
ICI – ICI
IJS – J script
.ipynb – IPython Notebook
ITCL – Itcl
JS – JavaScript and JScript
JSFL – Adobe JavaScript language
.kt – Kotlin
LUA – Lua
M – Mathematica package file
MRC – mIRC Script
NCF – NetWare Command File (scripting for Novell's NetWare OS)
NUC – compiled script
NUD – C++ External module written in C++
NUT – Squirrel
nqp – Raku language Not Quite Perl, or Raku bootstrapping language
O – Compiled and optimized C/C++ binary
pde – Processing (programming language), Processing script
PHP – PHP
PHP? – PHP (? = version number)
PL – Perl
PM – Perl module
PS1 – Windows PowerShell shell script
PS1XML – Windows PowerShell format and type definitions
PSC1 – Windows PowerShell console file
PSD1 – Windows PowerShell data file
PSM1 – Windows PowerShell module file
PY – Python
PYC – Python byte code files
PYO – Python
R – R scripts
r – REBOL scripts
raku – Raku language Raku script (compiled into memory)
rakumod – Raku language Raku module (precompiled)
rakudoc – Raku language Raku documentation file (a slang or sublanguage of Raku)
rakutest – Raku language Unit test files in Raku
RB – Ruby
RDP – RDP connection
red – Red scripts
RS – Rust (programming language)
SB2, SB3 – Scratch
SCPT – Applescript
SCPTD – See SCPT.
SDL – State Description Language
SH – Shell script
SPRITE3 – Scratch 3.0 exported sprite file
SPWN – SPWN source file
SYJS – SyMAT JavaScript
SYPY – SyMAT Python
TCL – Tcl
TNS – Ti-Nspire Code/File
TS – TypeScript
VBS – Visual Basic Script
XPL – XProc script/pipeline
ebuild – Gentoo Linux's portage package.
Security
Authentication and general encryption formats are listed here.
OMF – OpenPGP Message Format used by Pretty Good Privacy, GNU Privacy Guard, and other OpenPGP software; can contain keys, signed data, or encrypted data; can be binary or text ("ASCII armored")
Certificates and keys
GXK – Galaxkey, an encryption platform for authorized, private and confidential email communication
.ssh – OpenSSH private key, Secure Shell private key; format generated by ssh-keygen or converted from PPK with PuTTYgen
.pub – OpenSSH public key, Secure Shell public key; format generated by ssh-keygen or PuTTYgen
.ppk – PuTTY private key, Secure Shell private key, in the format generated by PuTTYgen instead of the format used by OpenSSH
.nSign – nSign public key nSign public key in a custom format
X.509
.cer, .crt, .der – Distinguished Encoding Rules stores certificates
.p7b, .p7c – PKCS#7 SignedData commonly appears without main data, just certificates or certificate revocation lists (CRLs)
.p12, .pfx – PKCS#12 can store public certificates and private keys
PEM – Privacy-enhanced Electronic Mail: full format not widely used, but often used to store Distinguished Encoding Rules in Base64 format
PFX – Microsoft predecessor of PKCS#12
Encrypted files
This section shows file formats for encrypted general data, rather than a specific program's data.
AXX – Encrypted file, created with AxCrypt
EEA – An encrypted CAB, ostensibly for protecting email attachments
TC – Virtual encrypted disk container, created by TrueCrypt
KODE – Encrypted file, created with KodeFile
nSignE – An encrypted private key, created by nSign
Password files
Password files (sometimes called keychain files) contain lists of other passwords, usually encrypted.
BPW – Encrypted password file created by Bitser password manager
KDB – KeePass 1 database
KDBX – KeePass 2 database
Signal data (non-audio)
ACQ – AcqKnowledge format for Windows/PC from Biopac
ADICHT – LabChart format from ADInstruments
BKR – The EEG data format developed at the University of Technology Graz
BDF, CFG – Configuration file for Comtrade data
CFWB – Chart Data format from ADInstruments
DAT – Raw data file for Comtrade data
EDF – European data format
FEF – File Exchange Format for Vital signs
GDF – General data formats for biomedical signals
GMS – Gesture And Motion Signal format
IROCK – intelliRock Sensor Data File Format
MFER – Medical waveform Format Encoding Rules
SAC – Seismic Analysis Code, earthquake seismology data format
SCP-ECG – Standard Communication Protocol for Computer assisted electrocardiography
SEED, MSEED – Standard for the Exchange of Earthquake Data, seismological data and sensor metadata
SEGY – Reflection seismology data format
SIGIF – SIGnal Interchange Format
WIN, WIN32 – NIED/ERI seismic data format (.cnt)
Sound and music
Lossless audio
Uncompressed
8SVX – Commodore-Amiga 8-bit sound (usually in an IFF container)
16SVX – Commodore-Amiga 16-bit sound (usually in an IFF container)
AIFF, AIF, AIFC – Audio Interchange File Format
AU – Simple audio file format introduced by Sun Microsystems
AUP3 – Audacity’s file for when you save a song
BWF – Broadcast Wave Format, an extension of WAVE
CDDA – Compact Disc Digital Audio
DSF, DFF – Direct Stream Digital audio file, also used in Super Audio CD
RAW – Raw samples without any header or sync
WAV – Microsoft Wave
CWAV – file read by the Nintendo 3DS for Home-screen sound effects
Compressed
RA, RM – RealAudio format
FLAC – Free lossless codec of the Ogg project
LA – Lossless audio
PAC – LPAC
APE – Monkey's Audio
OFR, OFS, OFF – OptimFROG
RKA – RKAU
SHN – Shorten
TAK – Tom's Lossless Audio Kompressor
THD – Dolby TrueHD
TTA – Free lossless audio codec (True Audio)
WV – WavPack
WMA – Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless
BCWAV – Nintendo 3DS Home-screen BGM file
BRSTM – Binary Revolution Stream
DTS, DTSHD, DTSMA – DTS (sound system)
AST – Nintendo Audio Stream
AW – Nintendo Audio Sample used in first-party games
PSF – Portable Sound Format, PlayStation variant (originally PlayStation Sound Format)
Lossy audio
AC3 – Usually used for Dolby Digital tracks
AMR – For GSM and UMTS based mobile phones
MP1 – MPEG Layer 1
MP2 – MPEG Layer 2
MP3 – MPEG Layer 3
SPX – Speex (Ogg project, specialized for voice, low bitrates)
GSM – GSM Full Rate, originally developed for use in mobile phones
WMA – Windows Media Audio
AAC – Advanced Audio Coding (usually in an MPEG-4 container)
MPC – Musepack
VQF – Yamaha TwinVQ
OTS – Audio File (similar to MP3, with more data stored in the file and slightly better compression; designed for use with OtsLabs' OtsAV)
SWA – Adobe Shockwave Audio (Same compression as MP3 with additional header information specific to Adobe Director)
VOX – Dialogic ADPCM Low Sample Rate Digitized Voice
VOC – Creative Labs Soundblaster Creative Voice 8-bit & 16-bit Also output format of RCA Audio Recorders
DWD – DiamondWare Digitized
SMP – Turtlebeach SampleVision
OGG – Ogg Vorbis
Tracker modules and related
MOD – Soundtracker and Protracker sample and melody modules
MT2 – MadTracker 2 module
S3M – Scream Tracker 3 module
XM – Fast Tracker module
IT – Impulse Tracker module
NSF – NES Sound Format
MID, MIDI – Standard MIDI file; most often just notes and controls but occasionally also sample dumps (.mid, .rmi)
FTM – FamiTracker Project file
BTM – BambooTracker Project file
Sheet music files
ABC – ABC Notation sheet music file
DARMS – DARMS File Format also known as the Ford-Columbia Format
ETF – Enigma Transportation Format abandoned sheet music exchange format
GP – Guitar Pro sheet music and tablature file
KERN – Kern File Format sheet music file
LY – LilyPond sheet music file
MEI – Music Encoding Initiative file format that attempts to encode all musical notations
MIDI – MIDI file format that is a music sheet for instruments
MUS, MUSX – Finale sheet music file
MXL, XML – MusicXML standard sheet music exchange format
MSCX, MSCZ – MuseScore sheet music file
SMDL – Standard Music Description Language sheet music file
SIB – Sibelius sheet music file
Other file formats pertaining to audio
NIFF – Notation Interchange File Format
PTB – Power Tab Editor tab
ASF – Advanced Systems Format
CUST – DeliPlayer custom sound format
GYM – Genesis YM2612 log
JAM – Jam music format
MNG – Background music for the Creatures game series, starting from Creatures 2
RMJ – RealJukebox Media used for RealPlayer
SID – Sound Interface Device – Commodore 64 instructions to play SID music and sound effects
SPC – Super NES sound format
TXM – Track ax media
VGM – Stands for "Video Game Music", log for several different chips
YM – Atari ST/Amstrad CPC YM2149 sound chip format
PVD – Portable Voice Document used for Oaisys & Mitel call recordings
Playlist formats
AIMPPL – AIMP Playlist format
ASX – Advanced Stream Redirector
RAM – Real Audio Metafile For RealAudio files only.
XPL – HDi playlist
XSPF – XML Shareable Playlist Format
ZPL – Xbox Music (Formerly Zune) Playlist format from Microsoft
M3U – Multimedia playlist file
PLS – Multimedia playlist, originally developed for use with the museArc
Audio editing and music production
ALS – Ableton Live set
ALC – Ableton Live clip
ALP – Ableton Live pack
ATMOS, AUDIO, METADATA – Dolby Atmos Rendering and Mastering related file
AUP – Audacity project file
AUP3 – Audacity 3.0 project file
BAND – GarageBand project file
CEL – Adobe Audition loop file (Cool Edit Loop)
CAU – Caustic project file
CPR – Steinberg Cubase project file
CWP – Cakewalk Sonar project file
DRM – Steinberg Cubase drum file
DMKIT – Image-Line's Drumaxx drum kit file
ENS – Native Instruments Reaktor Ensemble
FLM – Image Line FL Studio Mobile project file
FLP – Image Line FL Studio project file
GRIR – Native Instruments Komplete Guitar Rig Impulse Response
LOGIC – Logic Pro X project file
MMP – LMMS project file (alternatively MMPZ for compressed formats)
MMR – MAGIX Music Maker project file
MX6HS – Mixcraft 6 Home Studio project file
NPR – Steinberg Nuendo project file
OMF, OMFI – Open Media Framework Interchange OMFI succeeds OMF (Open Media Framework)
PTX – Pro Tools 10 or later project file
PTF – Pro Tools 7 up to Pro Tools 9 project file
PTS – Legacy Pro Tools project file
RIN – Soundways RIN-M file containing sound recording participant credits and song information
RPP, RPP-BAK – REAPER project file
REAPEAKS – REAPER peak (waveform cache) file
SES – Adobe Audition multitrack session file
SFK – Sound Forge waveform cache file
SFL – Sound Forge sound file
SNG – MIDI sequence file (MidiSoft, Korg, etc.) or n-Track Studio project file
STF – StudioFactory project file. It contains all necessary patches, samples, tracks and settings to play the file
SND – Akai MPC sound file
SYN – SynFactory project file. It contains all necessary patches, samples, tracks and settings to play the file
UST – Utau Editor sequence excluding wave-file
VCLS – VocaListener project file
VPR – Vocaloid 5 Editor sequence excluding wave-file
VSQ – Vocaloid 2 Editor sequence excluding wave-file
VSQX – Vocaloid 3 & 4 Editor sequence excluding wave-file
🗿 – ThirtyDollar Project file
Recorded television formats
DVR-MS – Windows XP Media Center Edition's Windows Media Center recorded television format
WTV – Windows Vista's and up Windows Media Center recorded television format
Source code for computer programs
ADA, ADB, 2.ADA – Ada (body) source
ADS, 1.ADA – Ada (specification) source
ASM, S – Assembly language source
BAS – BASIC, FreeBASIC, Visual Basic, BASIC-PLUS source, PICAXE basic
BB – Blitz Basic Blitz3D
BMX – Blitz Basic BlitzMax
C – C source
CLJ – Clojure source code
CLS – Visual Basic class
COB, CBL – COBOL source
CPP, CC, CXX, C, CBP – C++ source
CS – C# source
CSPROJ – C# project (Visual Studio .NET)
D – D source
DBA – DarkBASIC source
DBPro123 – DarkBASIC Professional project
E – Eiffel source
EFS – EGT Forever Source File
EGT – EGT Asterisk Source File, could be J, C#, VB.net, EF 2.0 (EGT Forever)
EL – Emacs Lisp source
FOR, FTN, F, F77, F90 – Fortran source
FRM – Visual Basic form
FRX – Visual Basic form stash file (binary form file)
FTH – Forth source
GED – Game Maker Extension Editable file as of version 7.0
GM6 – Game Maker Editable file as of version 6.x
GMD – Game Maker Editable file up to version 5.x
GMK – Game Maker Editable file as of version 7.0
GML – Game Maker Language script file
GO – Go source
H – C/C++ header file
HPP, HXX – C++ header file
HS – Haskell source
I – SWIG interface file
INC – Turbo Pascal included source
JAVA – Java source
L – lex source
LGT – Logtalk source
LISP – Common Lisp source
M – Objective-C source
M – MATLAB
M – Mathematica
M4 – m4 source
ML – Standard ML and OCaml source
MSQR – M² source file, created by Mattia Marziali
N – Nemerle source
NB – Nuclear Basic source
P – Parser source
PAS, PP, P – Pascal source (DPR for projects)
PHP, PHP3, PHP4, PHP5, PHPS, Phtml – PHP source
PIV – Pivot stickfigure animator
PL, PM – Perl
PLI, PL1 – PL/I
PRG – Ashton-Tate; dbII, dbIII and dbIV, db, db7, clipper, Microsoft Fox and FoxPro, harbour, xharbour, and Xbase
PRO – IDL
POL – Apcera Policy Language doclet
PY – Python source
R – R source
raku, rakumod, rakudoc, rakutest, nqp – Raku Language
RED – Red source
REDS – Red/System source
RB – Ruby source
RESX – Resource file for .NET applications
RC, RC2 – Resource script files to generate resources for .NET applications
RKT, RKTL – Racket source
SCALA – Scala source
SCI, SCE – Scilab
SCM – Scheme source
SD7 – Seed7 source
SKB, SKC – Sage Retrieve 4GL Common Area (Main and Amended backup)
SKD – Sage Retrieve 4GL Database
SKF, SKG – Sage Retrieve 4GL File Layouts (Main and Amended backup)
SKI – Sage Retrieve 4GL Instructions
SKK – Sage Retrieve 4GL Report Generator
SKM – Sage Retrieve 4GL Menu
SKO – Sage Retrieve 4GL Program
SKP, SKQ – Sage Retrieve 4GL Print Layouts (Main and Amended backup)
SKS, SKT – Sage Retrieve 4GL Screen Layouts (Main and Amended backup)
SKZ – Sage Retrieve 4GL Security File
SLN – Visual Studio solution
SPIN – Spin source (for Parallax Propeller microcontrollers)
STK – Stickfigure file for Pivot stickfigure animator
SWG – SWIG source code
TCL – Tcl source code
VAP – Visual Studio Analyzer project
VB – Visual Basic.NET source
VBG – Visual Studio compatible project group
VBP, VIP – Visual Basic project
VBPROJ – Visual Basic .NET project
VCPROJ – Visual C++ project
VDPROJ – Visual Studio deployment project
XPL – XProc script/pipeline
XQ – XQuery file
XSL – XSLT stylesheet
Y – yacc source
Spreadsheet
123 – Lotus 1-2-3
AB2 – Abykus worksheet
AB3 – Abykus workbook
AWS – Ability Spreadsheet
BCSV – Nintendo proprietary table format
CLF – ThinkFree Calc
CELL – Haansoft(Hancom) SpreadSheet software document
CSV – Comma-Separated Values
GSHEET – Google Drive Spreadsheet
numbers – An Apple Numbers Spreadsheet file
gnumeric – Gnumeric spreadsheet, a gziped XML file
LCW – Lucid 3-D
ODS – OpenDocument spreadsheet
OTS – OpenDocument spreadsheet template
QPW – Quattro Pro spreadsheet
SDC – StarOffice StarCalc Spreadsheet
SLK – SYLK (SYmbolic LinK)
STC – OpenOffice.org XML (obsolete) Spreadsheet template
SXC – OpenOffice.org XML (obsolete) Spreadsheet
TAB – tab delimited columns; also TSV (Tab-Separated Values)
TXT – text file
VC – Visicalc
WK1 – Lotus 1-2-3 up to version 2.01
WK3 – Lotus 1-2-3 version 3.0
WK4 – Lotus 1-2-3 version 4.0
WKS – Lotus 1-2-3
WKS – Microsoft Works
WQ1 – Quattro Pro DOS version
XLK – Microsoft Excel worksheet backup
XLS – Microsoft Excel worksheet sheet (97–2003)
XLSB – Microsoft Excel binary workbook
XLSM – Microsoft Excel Macro-enabled workbook
XLSX – Office Open XML worksheet sheet
XLR – Microsoft Works version 6.0
XLT – Microsoft Excel worksheet template
XLTM – Microsoft Excel Macro-enabled worksheet template
XLW – Microsoft Excel worksheet workspace (version 4.0)
Tabulated data
TSV – Tab-separated values
CSV – Comma-separated values
db – databank format; accessible by many econometric applications
dif – accessible by many spreadsheet applications
Video
AAF – mostly intended to hold edit decisions and rendering information, but can also contain compressed media essence
3GP – the most common video format for cell phones
GIF – Animated GIF (simple animation; until recently often avoided because of patent problems)
ASF – container (enables any form of compression to be used; MPEG-4 is common; video in ASF-containers is also called Windows Media Video (WMV))
AVCHD – Advanced Video Codec High Definition
AVI – container (a shell, which enables any form of compression to be used)
.bik – BIK Bink Video file. A video compression system developed by RAD Game Tools
BRAW – a video format used by Blackmagic's Ursa Mini Pro 12K cameras.
CAM – aMSN webcam log file
COLLAB – Blackboard Collaborate session recording
DAT – video standard data file (automatically created when we attempted to burn as video file on the CD)
DVR-MS – Windows XP Media Center Edition's Windows Media Center recorded television format
FLV – Flash video (encoded to run in a flash animation)
MPEG-1 – M1V Video
MPEG-2 – M2V Video
NOA – rare movie format use in some Japanese eroges around 2002
FLA – Adobe Flash (for producing)
FLR – (text file which contains scripts extracted from SWF by a free ActionScript decompiler named FLARE)
SOL – Adobe Flash shared object ("Flash cookie")
STR – Sony PlayStation video stream
M4V – video container file format developed by Apple
.mkv – Matroska Matroska is a container format, which enables any video format such as MPEG-4 ASP or AVC to be used along with other content such as subtitles and detailed meta information
WRAP – MediaForge (*.wrap)
MNG – mainly simple animation containing PNG and JPEG objects, often somewhat more complex than animated GIF
.mov – QuickTime container which enables any form of compression to be used; Sorenson codec is the most common; QTCH is the filetype for cached video and audio streams
.mpeg, .mpg, .mpe - MPEG
THP – Nintendo proprietary movie/video format
MPEG-4 – MPEG-4 Part 14, shortened "MP4" multimedia container (most often used for Sony's PlayStation Portable and Apple's iPod)
MXF – Material Exchange Format (standardized wrapper format for audio/visual material developed by SMPTE)
ROQ – used by Quake III Arena
NSV – NSV Nullsoft Streaming Video (media container designed for streaming video content over the Internet)
Ogg – container, multimedia
RM – RealMedia
SVI – SVI Samsung video format for portable players
SMI – SMI SAMI Caption file (HTML like subtitle for movie files)
.smk – SMK Smacker video file. A video compression system developed by RAD Game Tools
SWF – Adobe Flash (for viewing)
WMV – Windows Media Video (See ASF)
WTV – Windows Vista's and up Windows Media Center recorded television format
YUV – raw video format; resolution (horizontal x vertical) and sample structure 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 must be known explicitly
WebM – video file format for web video using HTML5
Video editing, production
BRAW – Blackmagic Design RAW video file name
DRP – Davinci Resolve 17 project file
FCP – Final Cut Pro project file
MSWMM – Windows Movie Maker project file
PPJ, PRPROJ – Adobe Premiere Pro video editing file
IMOVIEPROJ – iMovie project file
VEG, VEG-BAK – Sony Vegas project file
SUF – Sony camera configuration file (setup.suf) produced by XDCAM-EX camcorders
WLMP – Windows Live Movie Maker project file
KDENLIVE – Kdenlive project file
VPJ – VideoPad project file
MOTN – Apple Motion project file
IMOVIEMOBILE – iMovie project file for iOS users
WFP, WVE – Wondershare Filmora Project
PDS – Cyberlink PowerDirector project
VPROJ – VSDC Free Video Editor project file
Video game data
List of common file formats of data for video games on systems that support filesystems, most commonly PC games.
Minecraft
files used by Mojang to develop Minecraft
MCADDON – format used by the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft for add-ons; Resource packs for the game
MCFUNCTION – format used by Minecraft for storing functions/scripts
MCMETA – format used by Minecraft for storing data for customizable texture packs for the game
MCPACK – format used by the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft for in-game texture packs; full addons for the game
MCR – format used by Minecraft for storing data for in-game worlds before version 1.2
MCTEMPLATE – format used by the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft for world templates
MCWORLD – format used by the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft for in-game worlds
NBS – format used by Note Block Studio, a tool that can be used to make note block songs for Minecraft.
TrackMania/Maniaplanet Engine
Formats used by games based on the TrackMania engine.
GBX – All user-created content is stored in this file type.
REPLAY.GBX – Stores the replay of a race.
CHALLENGE.GBX, MAP.GBX – Stores tracks/maps.
SYSTEMCONFIG.GBX – Launcher info.
TRACKMANIAVEHICLE.GBX – Info about a certain car type.
VEHICLETUNINGS.GBX – Vehicle physics.
SOLID.GBX – A block's model.
ITEM.GBX – Custom Maniaplanet item.
BLOCK.GBX – Custom Maniaplanet block.
TEXTURE.GBX – Info about a texture that are used in materials.
MATERIAL.GBX – Info about a material such as surface type that are used in Solids.
TMEDCLASSIC.GBX – Block info.
GHOST.GBX – Player ghosts in Trackmania and TrackMania Turbo.
CONTROLSTYLE.GBX – Menu files.
SCORES.GBX – Stores info about the player's best times.
PROFILE.GBX – Stores a player's info such as their login.
DDS – Almost every texture in the game uses this format.
PAK – Stores environment data such as valid blocks.
LOC – A locator. Locators allow the game to download content such as car skins from an external server.
SCRIPT.TXT – Scripts for Maniaplanet such as menus and game modes.
XML – ManiaLinks.
Doom engine
Formats used by games based on the Doom engine.
DEH – DeHackEd files to mutate the game executable (not officially part of the DOOM engine)
DSG – Saved game
LMP – A lump is an entry in a DOOM wad.
LMP – Saved demo recording
MUS – Music file (usually contained within a WAD file)
WAD – Data storage (contains music, maps, and textures)
Quake engine
Formats used by games based on the Quake engine.
BSP – BSP: (For Binary space partitioning) compiled map format
MAP – MAP: Raw map format used by editors like GtkRadiant or QuArK
MDL, MD2, MD3, MD5 – MDL/MD2/MD3/MD5: Model for an item used in the game
PAK, PK2 – PAK/PK2: Data storage
PK3, PK4 – PK3/PK4: used by the Quake II, Quake III Arena and Quake 4 game engines, respectively, to store game data, textures etc. They are actually .zip files.
.dat – not specific file type, often generic extension for "data" files for a variety of applications, sometimes used for general data contained within the .PK3/PK4 files
.fontdat – a .dat file used for formatting game fonts
.roq – Video format
.sav – Savegame/Savefile format
Unreal Engine
Formats used by games based on the Unreal engine.
U – Unreal script format
UAX – Animations format for Unreal Engine 2
UMX – Map format for Unreal Tournament
UMX – Music format for Unreal Engine 1
UNR – Map format for Unreal
UPK – Package format for cooked content in Unreal Engine 3
USX – Sound format for Unreal Engine 1 and Unreal Engine 2
UT2 – Map format for Unreal Tournament 2003 and Unreal Tournament 2004
UT3 – Map format for Unreal Tournament 3
UTX – Texture format for Unreal Engine 1 and Unreal Engine 2
UXX – Cache format; these are files a client downloaded from server (which can be converted to regular formats)
Duke Nukem 3D Engine
Formats used by games based on this engine
DMO – Save game
GRP – Data storage
MAP – Map (usually constructed with BUILD.EXE)
Diablo Engine
Formats used by Diablo by Blizzard Entertainment.
SV – Save Game
ITM – Item File
Real Virtuality Engine
Formats used by Bohemia Interactive. Operation:Flashpoint, ARMA 2, VBS2
SQF – Format used for general editing
SQM – Format used for mission files
PBO – Binarized file used for compiled models
LIP – Format that is created from WAV files to create in-game accurate lip-sync for character animations.
Source engine
Formats used by Valve. Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Team Fortress 2, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Alien Swarm, Portal 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Titanfall, Insurgency, Titanfall 2, Day of Infamy
VMF – Valve Hammer Map editor raw map file
VMX – Valve Hammer Map editor backup map file
BSP – Source Engine compiled map file
MDL – Source Engine model format
SMD – Source Engine uncompiled model format
PCF – Source Engine particle effect file
HL2 – Half-Life 2 save format
DEM – Source Engine demo format
VPK – Source Engine pack format
VTF – Source Engine texture format
VMT – Source Engine material format.
Pokemon generation V
CGB – Pokemon Black and White/Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 C-Gear skins.
Other formats
ARC – used to store New Super Mario Bros. Wii level data
B – used for Grand Theft Auto saved game files
BOL – used for levels on Poing!PC
DBPF – The Sims 2, DBPF, Package
DIVA – Project DIVA timings, element coördinates, MP3 references, notes, animation poses and scores.
ESM, ESP – Master and Plugin data archives for the Creation Engine
HAMBU – format used by the Aidan's Funhouse game RGTW for storing map data
HE0, HE2, HE4 – HE games File
GCF – format used by the Steam content management system for file archives
IMG – format used by Renderware-based Grand Theft Auto games for data storage
LOVE – format used by the LOVE2D Engine
MAP – format used by Halo: Combat Evolved for archive compression, Doom³, and various other games
MCA – format used by Minecraft for storing data for in-game worlds
NBT – format used by Minecraft for storing program variables along with their (Java) type identifiers
OEC – format used by OE-Cake for scene data storage
OSB – osu! storyboard data
OSC – osu!stream combined stream data
OSF2 – free osu!stream song file
OSR – osu! replay data
OSU – osu! beatmap data
OSZ2 – paid osu!stream song file
P3D – format for panda3d by Disney
PLAGUEINC – format used by Plague Inc. for storing custom scenario information
POD – format used by Terminal Reality
RCT – Used for templates and save files in RollerCoaster Tycoon games
REP – used by Blizzard Entertainment for scenario replays in StarCraft.
Simcity, DBPF, .dat, .SC4Lot, .SC4Model – All game plugins use this format, commonly with different file extensions(Simcity 4)
SMZIP – ZIP-based package for StepMania songs, themes and announcer packs.
SOLITAIRETHEME8 – A solitaire theme for Windows solitaire
USLD – format used by Unison Shift to store level layouts.
VVVVVV – format used by VVVVVV
CPS – format used by The Powder Toy, Powder Toy save
STM – format used by The Powder Toy, Powder Toy stamp
PKG – format used by Bungie for the PC Beta of Destiny 2, for nearly all the game's assets.
CHR – format used by Team Salvato, for the character files of Doki Doki Literature Club!
Z5 – format used by Z-machine for story files in interactive fiction.
scworld – format used by Survivalcraft to store sandbox worlds.
scskin – format used by Survivalcraft to store player skins.
scbtex – format used by Survivalcraft to store block textures.
prison – format used by Prison Architect to save prisons
escape – format used by Prison Architect to save escape attempts
WBFS – (Wii Backup File System)
.GBA – Game Boy Advance ROM File
.pss – Sony PlayStation 2 Game Video file and is used to store audio and video data by games for the PlayStation 2 console.
Video game storage media
List of the most common filename extensions used when a game's ROM image or storage medium is copied from an original read-only memory (ROM) device to an external memory such as hard disk for back up purposes or for making the game playable with an emulator. In the case of cartridge-based software, if the platform specific extension is not used then filename extensions ".rom" or ".bin" are usually used to clarify that the file contains a copy of a content of a ROM. ROM, disk or tape images usually do not consist of one file or ROM, rather an entire file or ROM structure contained within one file on the backup medium.
.a26 – Atari 2600
.a52 – Atari 5200
.a78 – Atari 7800
.lnx – Atari Lynx
.jag, .j64 – an Atari Jaguar game from a Rom Cartridge
.iso, .wbfs, .wad, .wdf – a Wii and WiiU disk/game
.gcm, .iso – a GameCube disk/game
.min – a Pokemon mini rom/game
.nds – a Nintendo DS game from a Rom Cartridge
.dsi – Nintendo DSiWare
.3ds – Nintendo 3DS
.cia – Nintendo 3DS Installation File (for installing games with the use of the FBI homebrew application)
.gb – Game Boy (this applies to the original Game Boy and the Game Boy Color)
.gbc – Game Boy Color
.gba – a Game Boy Advance Game from a Rom Cartridge
.sav – Game Boy Advance Saved Data Files
.sgm – Visual Boy Advance Save States
.n64, .v64, .z64, .u64, .usa, .jap, .pal, .eur, .bin – Nintendo 64
.pj – Project 64 Save States
.nes – Nintendo Entertainment System
.fds – Famicom Disk System
.jst – Jnes Save States
.fc# – FCEUX Save States (.fc#, where # is any character, usually a number)
.gg – Game Gear
.sms – Master System
.sg – SG-1000
.smd, .bin – Mega Drive/Genesis
.32x – Sega 32X
.smc, .078, .sfc – Super NES (.078 is for split ROMs, which are rare)
.fig – Super Famicom (Japanese releases are rarely .fig, above extensions are more common)
.srm – Super NES Saved Data Files
.zst, .zs1-.zs9, .z10-.z99 – ZSNES Save States (.zst, .zs1-.zs9, .z10-.z99)
.frz, .000-.008 – Snes9X Save States
.pce – TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine
.npc, .ngp – Neo Geo Pocket
.ngc – Neo Geo Pocket Color
.vb – Virtual Boy
.int – Intellivision
.min – Pokémon Mini
.vec – Vectrex
.bin – Odyssey²
.ws – WonderSwan
.wsc – WonderSwan Color
.tzx – ZX Spectrum (for exact copies of ZX Spectrum games)
TAP – for tape images without copy protection
Z80, SNA – (for snapshots of the emulator RAM)
DSK – (for disk images)
.tap – Commodore 64 (.tap) (for tape images including copy protection)
T64 – (for tape images without copy protection, considerably smaller than .tap files)
D64 – (for disk images)
CRT – (for cartridge images)
.adf – Amiga (.adf) (for 880K diskette images)
ADZ – GZip-compressed version of the above.
DMS – Disk Masher System, previously used as a disk-archiving system native to the Amiga, also supported by emulators.
.pss – A Sony PlayStation 2 Game Video file and is used to store audio and video data by games for the PlayStation 2 console.
Virtual machines
Microsoft Virtual PC, Virtual Server
.vfd – Virtual Floppy Disk
.vhd – Virtual Hard Disk
.vud – Virtual Undo Disk
.vmc – Virtual Machine Configuration
.vsv – Virtual Machine Saved State
VMware ESX, GSX, Workstation, Player
.log – Virtual Machine Logfile
.vmdk, .dsk – Virtual Machine Disk
.nvram – Virtual Machine BIOS
.vmem – Virtual Machine paging file
.vmsd – Virtual Machine snapshot metadata
.vmsn – Virtual Machine snapshot
.vmss, .std – Virtual Machine suspended state
.vmtm – Virtual Machine team data
.vmx, .cfg – Virtual Machine configuration
.vmxf – Virtual Machine team configuration
VirtualBox
.vdi – VirtualBox virtual disk image
.vbox-extpack – VirtualBox extension pack
Parallels Workstation
.hdd – Virtual Machine hard disk
.pvs – Virtual Machine preferences/configuration
.sav – Virtual Machine saved state
QEMU
.cow – Copy-on-write
.qcow – QEMU copy-on-write
.qcow2 – QEMU copy-on-write – version 2
.qed – QEMU enhanced disk format
Web page
Static
DTD – Document Type Definition (standard), MUST be public and free
.html, .htm – HTML HyperText Markup Language
.xhtml, .xht – XHTML eXtensible HyperText Markup Language
.mht, .mhtml – MHTML Archived HTML, store all data on one web page (text, images, etc.) in one big file
.maff – MAF web archive based on ZIP
Dynamically generated
.asp – ASP Microsoft Active Server Page
.aspx – ASPX Microsoft Active Server Page. NET
.adp – ADP AOLserver Dynamic Page
.bml – BML Better Markup Language (templating)
.cfm – CFM ColdFusion
.cgi – CGI
.ihtml – iHTML Inline HTML
.jsp – JSP JavaServer Pages
.las, .lasso, .lassoapp – Lasso, A file created or served with the Lasso Programming Language
.pl – Perl
.php, .php?, .phtml – PHP ? is version number (previously abbreviated Personal Home Page, later changed to PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor)
.shtml – SSI HTML with Server Side Includes (Apache)
.stm – SSI HTML with Server Side Includes (Apache)
Markup languages and other web standards-based formats
.atom, .xml – Atom Another syndication format.
.eml – EML Format used by several desktop email clients.
.jsonld – JSON-LD A JSON-based serialization for linked data.
.kprx – KPRX A XML-based serialization for workflow definition generated by K2.
.ps – PS A XML-based serialization for test automation scripts called PowerScripts for K2 based applications.
.metalink, .met – Metalink A format to list metadata about downloads, such as mirrors, checksums, and other information.
.rss, .xml – RSS Syndication format.
.markdown, .md – Markdown Plain text formatting syntax, which is popularly used to format "readme" files.
.se – Shuttle Another lightweight markup language.
Other
AXD – cookie extensions found in temporary internet folder
APK – Android Package Kit
BDF – Binary Data Format – raw data from recovered blocks of unallocated space on a hard drive
CBP – CD Box Labeler Pro, CentraBuilder, Code::Blocks Project File, Conlab Project
CEX – SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Vault File
COL – Nintendo GameCube proprietary collision file (.col)
CREDX – CredX Dat File
DDB – Generating code for Vocaloid singers voice (see .DDI)
DDI – Vocaloid phoneme library (Japanese, English, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Catalan)
DUPX – DuupeCheck database management tool project file
FTM – Family Tree Maker data file
FTMB – Family Tree Maker backup file
GA3 – Graphical Analysis 3
.ged – GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) format to exchange genealogy data between different genealogy software
HLP – Windows help file
IGC – flight tracks downloaded from GPS devices in the FAI's prescribed format
INF – similar format to INI file; used to install device drivers under Windows, inter alia.
JAM – JAM Message Base Format for BBSes
KMC – tests made with KatzReview's MegaCrammer
KCL – Nintendo GameCube/Wii proprietary collision file (.kcl)
KTR – Hitachi Vantara Pentaho Data Integration/Kettle Transformation Project file
LNK – Microsoft Windows format for Hyperlinks to Executables
LSM – LSMaker script file (program using layered .jpg to create special effects; specifically designed to render lightsabers from the Star Wars universe) (.lsm)
MELSAVE – Melon Playground build save file
MELMOD – Melon Playground mod file
NARC – Archive format used in Nintendo DS games.
OER – AU OER Tool, Open Educational Resource editor
PA – Used to assign sound effects to materials in KCL files (.pa)
PIF – Used to run MS-DOS programs under Windows
POR – So called "portable" SPSS files, readable by PSPP
PXZ – Compressed file to exchange media elements with PSALMO
RISE – File containing RISE generated information model evolution
SCR – Windows Screen Saver file
TOPC – TopicCrunch SEO Project file holding keywords, domain, and search engine settings (ASCII)
XLF – Utah State University Extensible LADAR Format
XMC – Assisted contact lists format, based on XML and used in kindergartens and schools
ZED – My Heritage Family Tree
zone – Zone file a text file containing a DNS zone
FX – Microsoft DirectX plain text effects and properties for the associated file and are used to specify the textures, shading, rendering, lighting and other 3D effects (.fx)
MIFRAMES – Mine-imator keyframes file (.miframes)
MILANGUAGE – Mine-Imator language data file (.milanguage)
MIDATA – Mine-Imator data file (.midata)
BCA – Short for Burst Cutting Area Holds the information of the circular area near the center of a DVD, HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc, it is usually 64 bytes in size. (.bca)
Cursors
ANI – Animated cursor
CUR – Cursor file
Smes – Hawk's Dock configuration file
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 – 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
.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 dumps 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 – logfiles usually text, but sometimes binary
.asc, .text, .txt,– human-readable plain text, usually no more specific
Partial files
Differences and patches
diff – text file differences created by the program diff and applied as updates by patch
Incomplete transfers
.!ut – !UT partly complete uTorrent download
.crdownload – CRDOWNLOAD partly complete or incomplete Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge download
.opdownload – OPDOWNLOAD partly complete or incomplete Opera download
.part – PART partly complete Mozilla Firefox or 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 – Pseudo-pipeline file used to simulate a software pipe
See also
List of filename extensions
MIME#Content-Type, a standard for referring to file formats
List of motion and gesture file formats
List of file signatures, or "magic numbers"
References
External links
File formats at FileInfo.com
File Extension Database at FileExpert.Net