Common File Extensions

                               Common File Extensions

            Extension                                     Software

-A-

• ACE - ACE  Archiver compression file.
• AIF - Audio Interchange  File used with SGI and Macintosh applications.
• ANI - Animated cursors used in Microsoft Windows.
• API - Application Program Interface.
• ARC - Compressed file format from an old program called ARC.
• ARJ - Compressed file by the ARJ program from Robert Jung.
• ART - Clipart.
• ASC - ASCII text file.
• ASM - Assembler  Code.
• ASP - Microsoft Active Server Page.
• AVI - Audio/Video interleaved used for windows based movies.

-B-

• BAK - Backup Files.
• BAS - Basic programming language source code.
• BAT - MS-DOS batch file.
• BFC - Briefcase document used in Windows.
• BIN - Binary File.
• BIN - MacBinary encoded files.
• BMP - Bitmap format.
• BUD - Backup disk for Quicken by Intuit.
• BZ2 - Bzip2-compressed files.

-C-

• C - C source file.
• CAB - Microsoft cabinet file compressed for software (OS) distribution.
• CAT - Security Catalog file.
• CBL - Cobol code.
• CBT - Computer based training.
• CDA - Compact Disk Audio track.
• CDT - Coraldraw Template file.
• CFML - ColdFusion Markup Language.
• CGI - Common Gateway Interface. Web based programs and scripts.
• CHM - Compiled HTML help file used by Windows.
• CLASS - Javascript Class file.
• CLP - Windows Clipboard File.
• CMD - Dos command file.
• CMF - Corel Metafile.
• COM - Command file.
• CPL - Control panel item = The settings in Control Panels represent CPL files in the Windows/System folder.
• CPP - C++ programming language source code.
• CSS - Cascading Style Sheet. Creates a common style reference for a set of web pages.
• CSV  - Comma Separated Values format.
• CTY - Citydisk site from Fog Creek Software.
• CWK - ClarisWorks/AppleWorks file.
• CWS - AppleWorks template file.
• CUR - Cursor in Microsoft Windows.

    -D-   

• DAO - Registry Backup file for Windows registry.
• DAT - Data file. Often viewable n a text editor.
• DD - Compressed  Archive by Macintosh DiskDoubler.
• DEB - Debian packages.
• DEV - Device Driver.
• DIC - Dictionary File.
• DIR - Macromedia Director file.
• DLL - Dynamic  Linked Library. Microsoft application file.
• DOC -  Document format for Word Perfect and Microsoft Word.
• DOT - Microsoft  Word Template.
• DRV - Device Driver.
• DS - TWAIN Data Source file.
• DUN - Dial-up  networking configuration file.
• DWG - Autocad drawing.
• DXF - Autocad  drawing exchange format file.
• DOCX  - Microsoft Word.
• DAT - Video file.

 

  -E-

• EMF - Enhanced Windows Metafile.
• EML - Microsoft  Outlook e-mail file.
• EPS - Encapsulated PostScript supported by most graphics programs.
• EPS2 - Adobe PostScript Level II Encapsulated Postscript.
• EVE - TTMaker Event Scheduling File.
• EXE - DOS based  executable file which is also known as a program.

-F-

• FFL - Microsoft Fast Find  file.
• FFO - Microsoft Fast Find file.
• FLA - Macromedia flash movie format.
• FNT - Font file.
• FSH - EA Sports Game Graphic Editor File.

-G-

• GIF - Graphics Interchange Format that supports animation. Created by CompuServe and used primarily for web use.
• GID - Windows global index. Contains the index information used by "Help" in Windows.
• GRP - Microsoft Program  Manager Group.
• GZ - Unix compressed file.

-H-

• HEX - Macintosh binary hex(binhex) file.
• HLP - Standard help file.
• HT - HyperTerminal files.
• HQX - Macintosh binary hex(binhex) file.
• HTM - Hyper Text Markup. This markup language is used for web design.
• HTML - Hyper Text Markup Language. This markup language us used for web design.

-I-

• ICL - Icon Library  File.
• ICM - Image Color Matching  profile.
• ICO - Microsoft icon image.
• INF - Information  file used in Windows.
• INI - Initialization file used in Windows.
• ISO - Image file to burn in ODD.

-J-

• JAR - Java Archive. A compressed java file format.
• JAVA - File containing Java source code.
• JPEG - Compression scheme supported by most graphics programs and used predominantly for web use. Image/pictures.
• JPG - More common  extension for  JPEG described above. Images.
• JS - Javascript  file- A text file containing  Javascript programming code.
• JSP - An HTML page that contains a link to a Java servlet.

-K-

• KBM - Keyboard mapping  script for Reflection 4.0
• KDC - Kodak Photo-Enhancer image.
• KIZ - Kodak digital postcard.
• KQP - Konica camera file.

-L-

• LAB - Microsoft Excel mailing labels.
• LG - OOTP Developments saved games.
• LGO - Windows 9x startup logo.
• LHZ - Compressed archive by the LHA program from Haruyasu Yashizaki.
• LIT -  eBooks in Microsoft Reader format.
• LNK - Windows 9x shortcut file.
• LOG - Application log file.
• LSP - Autocad(\visual) lisp program.

-M-

• MAQ - Microsoft Access Query.
• MAR - Microsoft Access Report.
• MDB - Microsoft Access Database File.
• MDL - Rose model file. Opens with Visual Modeler of Rational Rose.
• MFM - MFWorks map file standard by Keigan Systems.
• MHT - Microsoft single file web archive.
• MID - MIDI music file.
• MOD  - Microsoft Windows 9.x kernel module.
• MOV - Quicktime movie.
• MP3- MPEG Audio Layer 3.
• MPEG- Animation Project File.
• MPP- Microsoft Project File.
• MSG- Microsoft Outlook message file.
• MSG- Fidonet messages.
• MSI- Software

-N-

• NCF- Netware command File.
• NDX- ArcView Fonts Index File  by ESRI
• NFF- Haines Neutral File Foramat.
• NFF- WorldToolkit Neutral File Format.
• NITF- National Imagery Transmission Format.
• NLM- Netware loadable Module.

-O-

• O- Object file, used by linkers.
• OBD- Microsoft Office Binder file. Ties Office docs together without having to load separate  programs.
• OCX-  ActiveX Control: A component of the  Windows environment. 
• OFT- Microsoft  Outlook template.
• OGG- Ogg  Vorbis digitally encoded  music file.
• OST- Microsoft Exchange/Outlook offline file.
• ODT- Open Office.

-P-

• PAK- WAD file that contains information about levels, settings, maps, etc for Quake and Doom.
• PCL- Printer Control Language file. PCL is a Page Description Language developed by HP.
• PCT- Macintosh drawing format.
• PDF- Portable Document File by Adobe. Viewable in a web browser or with Adobe Acrobat.
• PDF- Printer Description File. Provides printer support for certain applications.
• PDR- Port driver for windows 95. It is actually a virtual device driver (vxd). 
• PHP- Web page that contains a PHP script.
• PHTML- Web page that contains a PHP script.
• PIF- Program Information File.
• PIF- Vector graphics GDF file (IBM Mainframe).
• PIF- Macintosh Compressed archive.
• PL- Perl source code file.
• PM- Perl Module.
• PM3- Pagemaker 3.0 document.
• PM4- Pagemaker 4.0 document.
• PM5- Pagemaker 5.0 document.
• PM6- Pagemaker 6.0 document.
• PNG- Portable Network Graphic file.
• POL- System Policy file for Windows NT.
• POT- Microsoft PowerPoint design template.
• PPD- PostScript Printer.description file used in Macintosh and Windows operating systems to provide printer specific features to a driver.
• PPK= Putty Private Key.
• PPS- Microsoft PowerPoint slide show.
• PPT- Microsoft PowerPoint presentation (default extension).
• PRN- A pront file created as the result of "printing to file".
• PS- PostScript file.
• PSD- Native Adobe Photoshop format.
• PSP= Paint Shop Pro image.
• PST- Personal Folder File for Microsoft Outlook.
• PUB- Microsoft Publisher document.
• PWL- Windows Password list file.

-Q-

• QBB- QuickBooks backup company file.
• QBW- QuickBooks working company file.
• QIF- Quicken Import file.
• QXD- Quark Express file.

-R-

• RAM- RealAudio Metafile.
• RAR- RAR compressed archive created by Eugene Roshall.
• RAW- Raw File Format.
• RDO- Raster Document Object. Proprietary file type used on Xerox Digipath Scan and Makeready workstations.
• REG- Registry file that contains registry settings.
• RM- RealAudio video file.
• RPM- RedHat Package Manager.
• RSC- Standard resource file.
• RTF- Rich Text Document.

-S-

• SCR- Screen Saver file.
• SEA- Self-extracting archive for Macintosh Stuffit files.
• SGML- Standard Generalized Markup Language.
• SH- Unix shell script.
• SHTML- HTML file that supports Server Side Includes(SSI).
• SIT- Compressed Macintosh Stuffit files.
• SMD- SEGA mega drive ROM file.
• SVG- Adobe scalable vector graphics file.
• SWF- Shockwave Flash file by Macromedia.
• SWP- DOS swap file.
• SYS- Windows system file used for hardware configuration or drivers.

-T-

• TAR- Unix Tape Archive.
• TCW- TurboCAD Drawing file.
• TGA- Targa bitmap.
• TIFF- Tagged Image File Format. Universal graphics format supported by most graphics applications.
• TMP= Windows temporary file.
• TTF- True Type font.
• TXT- Text Format.

-U- 

• UDF- Uniqueness Definition File. Used for Windows unattended Installations.
• UUE- UU-encoded file.

-V- 

• VBS- Microsoft Visual Basic script file.
• VBX- Microsoft Visual Basic Extension.
• VM- Virtual Memory File.
• VXD- Windows 9x  virtual device driver.

-W-

• WAV- Waveform sound file.
• WMF- Windows Metafile (Graphics format).
• WMV- Audio file.
• WRI- Write Document: This is equivalent to RTF, Rich Text Format, that enables saving text with formatting information.
• WSZ- Winamp Skin.

-X-

• XCF- The GIMP's native image format.
• XIF- Wang imaging file. Wang Image Viewer comes with Windows 95/2000.
• XIF- Xerox Image file (same as TIFF).
• XIF- Image file extended by ScanSoft is similar to TIFF and is a Pagis application format.
• XLS- Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet.
• XLT- Microsoft Excel Template.
• XML- Extensible markup language.
• XSL- XML style sheet.

-Y-

• YBK- Microsoft Encarta yearbook file.

-Z- 

• ZIP- Compressed Zip archive.