File extensions

There are many file extension which have been used over the  years. A considerable anount are now defunct and not used. Good NetiquetteIQ espouses not sending formats which are uncommon. All attachments should also be identified in the text of the email itself. An email should never be sent which requires a custom program to open it unless it is expected. The following is a compilation of file extensions which are hopefully contemporary. If any reader identifies an outdated extension, please let us know. This list has extensions from a to m. The next blog will list extensions n-z.

List of File Extensions

        File extensions are based on utilizing all possible combinations of English characters.  Three alpha characters shows a possible combination of close to 20,000 possibilities.  If numbers or additional letters are added, far more combinations are possible.  There are a number of categories for file extensions.  Among these are compression data archive, media archiving, computer aided design, database, fonts, graphs (vector, 3D), object code, source code and music.  There are more categories for scientific, video, games, medical and more.  The following list shows most of the formats used in common email.

3DS       3D Studio
 8BF      Adobe Photoshop
 AAC      Advanced Audio Coding (Mac)
 APP      Apple Executable
 AFM      Adobe font metrics (Type 1)
 AI        Adobe Illustrator graphics,
 AIF       Digital audio (Mac)
 AIFC     Digital audio (Mac)
 AJAX     Asynchronous JavaScript And XML
 ALB      JASC Image Commander
 ANI      Animated cursor
 ANN     Windows help annotations
 ANS      ANSI text
 ARC      ARC, ARC+ compressed archive
 ASA      ASP info
 ASAX    ASP.NET file
 ASC      ASCII file
 ASCX    ASP.NET file
 ASD      Word temporary document
 
 ASMX    ASP.NET file
 ASP      Active Server Page
 ASPX    ASP.NET file
 ATT      AT&T Group IV fax
 AU        Digital audio (Sun)
 AVI       Microsoft movie format
 BAK      Backup
 BAS      BASIC source code
 BAT      DOS, OS/2 batch file
 BIN      Driver, overlay
 BML      Bookmark library (SyncURL)
 BMP      Windows & OS/2 bitmap
 BMK     Windows help bookmarks
 C         C source code
 CAB      Microsoft compressed format for distribution
 CAL      Windows calendar,
 CCB      Visual Basic animated button
 CDA      CD audio track
 CDX      FoxPro and Clipper index
 CFG      Configuration
 CGM     CGM vector graphics
 CHK      DOS/Windows corrupted file (Chkdsk)
 CIT       Intergraph scanned image
 COB      COBOL source code,
 COB      Truespace 3-D file
 CLP      Windows clipboard
 CLS      Visual Basic class module
 CMP      JPEG bitmap, LEAD bitmap
 CMP      RichLink composed format
 CNT      Windows help contents
 COM     Executable program
 CPD      Fax cover document
 CPE      Fax cover document
 CPI       DOS code page
 CPL      Windows control panel applets
 CPP      C++ source code
 CPR      Knowledge Access bitmap
 CRD      Cardfile file
 CSV      Comma delimited
 CUR      Cursor
 CUT      Dr. Halo bitmap
 CV5      Canvas 5 vector/bitmap
 DAT      Data
 DB       Paradox table
 DBF      dBASE database
 DBT      dBASE text
 DCA      IBM text
 DCM     DICOM medical image
 DCS      Color separated EPS format
 DCX      Intel fax image
 DCT      Dictionary
 DEF      Definition
 DIB      Windows DIB bitmap
 DIC      Dictionary
 DIF       Spreadsheet
 DISCO   Publishing and Discovering Web Services
 DLG      Dialogue script
 DLL      Dynamic link library
 DOC     Microsoft Word Document (2003-2007)
 DOCX    Microsoft Word Document (2008-)
 DOT      Microsoft Word template
 DPI       Pointline bitmap
 DRV      Driver
 DWG     AutoCAD vector format
 DX       Autotrol document imaging
 DXF      AutoCAD vector format
 ED5      EDMICS bitmap (DOD)
 EMF      Enhanced Windows metafile
 EPS      Encapsulated PostScript
 EXE      Executable program
 FAX      Various fax formats
 FLC      Autodesk animation
 FLI       Autodesk animation
 FLT       Graphics conversion filter
 FMT      dBASE Screen format
 FMV      FrameMaker raster & vector graphics
 FNT      Windows font
 FOG      Fontographer font
 FON      Windows bitmapped font,
 FON      Telephone file
 FOR      FORTRAN source code
 FOT      Windows TrueType font info.
 FPX      FlashPix bitmap
 FRM      dBASE report layout
 FTG      Windows help file links
 FTS      Windows help text search index
 GDF      GDDM format
 GED      Arts & Letters graphics
 GEM     GEM vector graphics
 GID      Windows help global index
 GIF       CompuServe bitmap
 GP4      CALS Group IV - ITU Group IV
 GRA      Microsoft graph
 GRP      Windows ProgMan Group
 GZ       UNIX Gzip
 H         C header
 HED      HighEdit document
 HGL      HP Graphics language
 HLP      Help text
 HPJ       Visual Basic help project
 HPP      C++ program header
 HPL      HP Graphics language
 HT        HyperTerminal
 HTM      HTML document (Web page)
 HTML    HTML document (Web page)
 HTX      HTML extension file
 ICA       IBM MO:DCA - IOCA bitmap
 ICO      Windows icon
 IDC      Internet Database Connector
 IDD      MIDI instrument definition
 IDE       Development environment configuration
 IMG      Macintosh image file
 IMG      GEM Paint bitmap
 INF       Setup information
 INI       Initialization
 JAR      JAVA data

 JFF       JPEG bitmap
 JIF       JPEG bitmap
 JPG      JPEG bitmap
 JS        JavaScript file
 JT        JT Fax
 JTF       JPEG bitmap
 KDC      Kodak Photo bitmap
 KFX      Kofax Group IV fax
 LBL       dBASE label
 LEG      Legacy text
 LIB       Function library
 LIT       Microsoft Reader file
 LOG      Log file
 LQT      Liquid Audio
 LSN      Topic list (CDE)
 LST      List
 LV        LaserView Group IV
 M1V      MPEG file
 M3U      MPEG file
 MAC     MacPaint bitmap
 MAK     Visual Basic/MS C++ project
 MAP      Link editor map
 MBX     Mailbox (e-mail)
 MCS     MathCAD format
 MCW     Word for Macintosh document
 MDB     Access database
 MDF     Mircrosoft SQL server database

 MET      OS/2 Metafile
 MEU      Menu items
 MDX     dBASE IV multi-index
 MID      MIDI sound file
 MME     MIME-encoded file
 MMF     Microsoft mail file
 MMM     Macromind animation format
 MOD     Eudora script file
 MOV     QuickTime movie
 MPA      MPEG file
 MP2      MPEG file
 MP2V    MPEG file
 MP3      MPEG-1 Layer 3 audio
 MPE      MPEG file
 MPEG    MPEG file
 MPG     MPEG file
 MPP      Microsoft Project
 MSG     Message file
 MSP      Microsoft Paint bitmap
 MUS     Music
 MVB     Microsoft Multimedia Viewer
 MYD     MYSQL table data MYI     

 MYSAM table index

 M1V   MPEG file