File extensions – definition and basic information


File extensions are the integral parts of the files that are on each computer. Often, when working on a computer, we encounter a wide range of files, such as docx, ppt, part, mp3 or rmvb. We realize that they are there – but we often do not know what they are for on our computer.

File extension, also known as the filename extension is a suffix added to the name of a computer file, usually consisting of a number of characters placed after the last dot in the filename, which gives us information about its coding. In other words a file extension is a file format. It allows the operating system (e.g. Windows) to recognize what program it should try to open the file.

In the table below you will find a random selection of popular file extensions.


File extension The full name of the file Category

BMP file extension

Bitmap Image File

Raster Image Files

CPP file extension

C++ Source Code File

Developer Files

CRX file extension

Chrome Extension

Plugin Files

GADGET file extension

Windows Gadget

Executable Files

GAM file extension

Saved Game File

Game Files

LUA file extension

Lua Source File

Developer Files

M4A file extension

MPEG-4 Audio File

Audio Files

OTF file extension

OpenType Font

Font Files

PS file extension

PostScript File

Vector Image Files

PSPIMAGE file extension

PaintShop Pro Image

Raster Image Files

ROM file extension

N64 Game ROM File

Game Files

SH file extension

Bash Shell Script

Developer Files

TAX2012 file extension

TurboTax 2012 Tax Return

Data Files

TIF file extension

Tagged Image File

Raster Image Files

3DM file extension

Rhino 3D Model

3D Image Files