File type refers to the classification of computer files based on their format and content. Files may be categorized as audio, video, image, document or other application files.
An audio file stores sound or music data, such as WAV, MP3, MIDI, and AIFF formats. Video files contain digital video streams, including formats such as MOV, AVI, and MPEG. Images files store digital images, including jpeg, png, gif, and tiff formats. Document files contain textual or multimedia content, such as PDF, docx, and ppt. Other application files may have specific purposes and are associated with particular programs, such as system files, which are used to configure a program, or library files, which are used to store program modules.
File types are typically indicated by the file extension. For example, an audio file might have the file type “.wav” and a document file might have the file type “.docx”. Because there are so many different types of files, knowing the appropriate file type is important in order to ensure that a file can be properly opened and used.
A file type may also be referred to as a “file format”. Additionally, some types of files can be converted to different file types in order to change their contents or make them more accessible.
