a way of arranging information in a file. Almost every computer program has one or more file formats of its own; for example, WordPerfect documents are not in the same format as MicrosoftWord documents, and similar programs from different manufacturers cannot necessarily process each other's files. There are three reasons why file formats are diverse:
- Different programs handle different kinds of data (text vs. pictures vs. spreadsheets, for example).
- Different programmers simply pick different ways of doing the same thing. Sometimes, inventing a newformat is a point of pride, or is necessary to avoid infringing someone else's copyright or patent.
- Even when the end result is the same, the way different programs achieve it may be very different. For example, aWindows Paintbrush picture is a bitmap (a large grid of dots), but a CorelDraw picture consists of vector graphics (instructions to draw lines or shapes in particular positions). The two kinds of pictures are very different from the computer's point of view.
Many programs have the ability to import (bring in) files that are not in their own format. But the format of the imported file may not be very well suited to the way the program works, resulting in a loss of quality or partial loss of information (disappearance of italics or footnotes, loss of graphics resolution, inability to edit the imported material, or the like). It is also possible to export files to a format other than the usual one, but again, loss of information may occur. See Save As.
