| FILES | |
|---|---|
| Text files | Binary files |
| sequence of ASCII/Unicode characters: simplest format. | bytes. Complex formats |
| viewable in any text editor, e.g. Notepad. or a web browser. | Open one in Notepad to "see" its bytes. |
| universal and eternal | obscure, application-specific, often proprietary. |
| .txt .dat .html .py .c .cpp .bas .bat ... | Executable: .exe .dll
Application data: .docx .xlsx .accdb .pptx ... Media: Audio: .wav .au .mp3 .ogg ... Image: .jpg .png .gif ... |
Another source and/or sink of data.
Can input ("read") from an existing file.
Can output ("write") to a file, either creating it or appending to it.
Can also "random access" a file anywhere in it to read or write.