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Definition: file name


Every independent collection of data on a disk is a "file," such as a word procesing document, spreadsheet, database, image or video. An executable program, program shortcut and an icon are also files. Any file created by the user is named by the user, while files generated by the application are named by the developer of the program.

The first part of the file name is arbitrary, while the second part, which is attached to the first part with a period, is a suffix called an "extension," and it denotes the type of file. For example, when an image is saved in the JPEG format, the user-created name suits the content, such as BIGFISH.JPG or FAMILY_HIKING.JPG, while the application assigns the .JPG suffix. See file, extension and Win file names.

The file names that make up the Windows version of this encyclopedia are named as follows:

  NAME and
  EXTENSION   PURPOSE

  CDEweb.exe  Executable program
  CDE.INI     User preferences

  CDE.ABC     Main index + configuration
  CDE.NDX     Entry index
  CDE.PAR     Paragraph index
  CDE.TXT     Text