WHAT IS A FILE FORMAT?
mapping of data to bits
a way to organize information on a computer
a schema
an agreement
a ratified mode of interpretation
a use case
A ‘digital material’ for communicating data
presentation of data
structure of a file
standard for encoding a file for the computer
an intermediate interface between a producer and a consumer
parser for data
a key that points at instructions
a container for the particles ; a vessel
Thinking of files
How do we identify them?
where they resides
With filesystems, using a system command, inodes, and hoping there is a “unique” non-colliding identifier the domain to codomain. It has a place on the desktop. And keyboard with help with command-I
or by passport
May have name and location.May have metadata, file naming conventions, contents, metadata, filename, location, creator(?), modifier(?). Or even hash, over time across edits.By file extension? Or with a URL
what we perceive
By lookin’ at them ditto By watching the screen by pointing-and-clicking on the GUI machine
Our technology/software decides how we identify the files & mind
Our memory or knowledge of the file
Our expectations about what we can do with it.
FAVORTIE FORMATS
GRAPHIC FILES
From BITMAPS
to exploring layers of JPEG compression algorithm
