Files: Definition, Types, Functions, Differences with Folders
When interacting with computer devices, you indirectly interact with all kinds of files on the computer.
But, do you know what a file is? File types and their extensions? And what is the difference between files and folders?
If the answer is no, then please refer to the discussion about all things computer files below.
list of contents
File Definition
Understanding File is a collection of data or information that are interconnected and stored in secondary storage.
The concept of a file also means an archive or data consisting of: characters, binary, and numeric stored on a computer. There are also files in program form.
Therefore, each file will usually have a different extension depending on the data contained in the file.
Generally, files on a computer will be stored in a certain folder or sub folder according to the wishes of the owner.
Understanding Files According to Experts
Some computer experts also provide their own explanations or definitions of the file itself, here are some of them.
1. According to McLeod (Pearson)
A file is a collection of records (record) that are related to each other, like one file from a group record which contains course codes and their names.
2. According to Edi S Mulyanta
A file is a sequence of data that is used to perform encode digital information that serves to exchange and store data.
3. According to Rachmad Hakim S
A file is a document that contains certain information and can be opened using a program or file application.
4. According to Hendaudi
Definition A file is a collection of data stored in a media that has information about file size, file name, file attributes, file characteristics, and the date and time the file was created or saved the.
5. According to Sindhunata
A file is a collection of records or archives.
File Types and Their Functions
Once you know what a File is? Now is the time for you to get to know the types of files and the functions that each file has.
1. File System
The file system is responsible for running all the programs on a computer.
File System also has different extensions, such as exe, sys, com, bak, tmp, bat, and many others.
Where each file system extension has different uses and functions.
You can download the file system at FileHippo Download Software
2. Document Files
Next is the type of document file, a document file is a file that contains documents in written form in which there are letters, numbers, to pictures and other media.
The extensions used in this type of document file include doc, docx, xls, pdf, ppt, txt, ods, odt, and many others.
Each of these extensions denotes a different type of document file which is later associated with the application that can be used to open and edit the file.
3. Image Files
An image file is a type of file that contains images or photos that are generally generated by camera captures or images created in an application.
Files of this type have extensions, including jpg, jpeg, jpeg 2000, png, gif, and several other extensions.
4. Audio Files
Audio files contain recorded voice or music data.
Like other file types, audio files also have different extensions depending on the type of sound in them.
Sound file extensions include mp3, m4a, wav, ogg, midi, rm, and many more.
5. Video Files
A video file is a file that contains images and sound.
This type of file has extensions such as mp4, mkv, avi, flv, 3gp, wmv, mpg, mpeg, and so on.
Difference between Files and Folders
If you think that the folder belongs to one type of file, then your assumption is not correct. Because files and folders are two different things.
If the file contains a certain set of data and information that can later be run in the appropriate program, the definition of a folder is a place to store the file.
So the folder has a role as a container so that these files can be stored neatly and can be easily found.
Here are some differences between files and folders:
- Files have extensions, folders don't
- A file contains a collection of data and information, while a folder is a place to store files
Thus the function of files and folders is very different.
After you read all of the posts above, now you understand what a file is, from understanding, file types, to the differences between files and folders.