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This text discusses file formats and their importance in modern computer systems. It explains how encoding works, how different software applications use proprietary file formats, and how encryption can protect sensitive files. It also mentions the MP3 audio format and the variety of video and photo formats available. Open file formats are recommended for easier sharing of information.
Most of the modern civilization is based on system automation and computer processing. Each computing device contains data files that are typically used by individual applications in the computer. A file format is the defined specification of how a file will be encoded for storage within the computer.
Encoding is the transformation of data into a specific file format. Files must be encrypted before they can be saved to a file storage device. This encoding process is necessary for a software program to understand the information in the file.
A word processing application is a computer program designed to automate the writing of documents. Special characters are used within these applications to capture commands such as tab stops, indentation, and font size. These special characters are encoded in a file format when the document is saved. This encoding allows the software to present the document in the same style in which it was saved.
File formats are generally not interchangeable between software applications. Each software vendor creates a proprietary file format for its specific software application. This makes sharing files between software applications extremely difficult.
MP3 is a digital audio file encoding format widely available today. This format allows audio devices to play music. By defining a standard format for digital audio, files can be easily shared between computer systems. Most modern stereo systems and car audio systems support the MP3 format.
With the explosion of the Internet, formats have become a regular soup of alphabets. Today, a wide variety of video and audio file formats are available. These formats are required for video software applications to understand how to output video to a monitor. This non-standard approach to formats has placed the burden of managing formats on application users.
Computer graphics and photography files have different formats. These format types are unique based on the clarity and size of the file that will be saved. The file size of a photograph is based on the clarity required for a photograph. Better clarity requires a larger file size to support the encoding of special data elements needed for photos.
Encryption is another form of file format. Software encryption is the process of transforming a set of data into an unreadable format. This format can only be decrypted with a special key. Software encryption is typically used to protect sensitive files from unwanted viewing.
Not all file formats are proprietary. There are several open file formats available on the Internet today. Using open file formats makes it easier to share information between computers.
