| file type The kind of data stored in a file. Most modern use the to determine the file type though some store this information elsewhere in the . The file type is used to choose an appropriate icon to represent the file in a and the correct with which to view, edit, run, or print the file. Different operating systems support different sets of file types though most agree on a large common set and allow arbitrary new types to be defined. See also . [URL of list of file types?] (1997-02-13) |