03-25-2013, 11:52 AM
ooooh my favourite topic
.DAT files
(Assuming you mean files ending with ".dat" when you write "dat.")
Have a lesson on file extensions!
A file extension is something added to the end of a filename which is supposed to tell a computer user what kind of file it is. ".bmp" tells us it is an image in Bitmap file format, ".exe" says it is a Windows executable file.
HOWEVER.
It is just a convention to make things easier for computer users. A file extension does not define what data is stored in the file or how it is stored! You can rename a ".bmp" to ".exe" but would not be able to run it as a program!
Everyone can make up their own file extension. In a video game's files, you may find a lot of files with weird extensions that you never heard of. That's because the file structure was made specifically for the game and the programmers decided how to name their file type.
Often, ".dat" is used for a newly invented file type because noone wants to think of something else. ".dat" for "data". Similar to ".bin" for "binary" - these file extensions don't tell us anything about the files at all! They're used all over the place for a variety of files that are different like night and day! You may be able to open a .dat file with a program, but for the next .dat file you may need a completely different application!
Take this as some basic background information on file extensions and .dat files~
.DAT files
(Assuming you mean files ending with ".dat" when you write "dat.")
Have a lesson on file extensions!
A file extension is something added to the end of a filename which is supposed to tell a computer user what kind of file it is. ".bmp" tells us it is an image in Bitmap file format, ".exe" says it is a Windows executable file.
HOWEVER.
It is just a convention to make things easier for computer users. A file extension does not define what data is stored in the file or how it is stored! You can rename a ".bmp" to ".exe" but would not be able to run it as a program!
Everyone can make up their own file extension. In a video game's files, you may find a lot of files with weird extensions that you never heard of. That's because the file structure was made specifically for the game and the programmers decided how to name their file type.
Often, ".dat" is used for a newly invented file type because noone wants to think of something else. ".dat" for "data". Similar to ".bin" for "binary" - these file extensions don't tell us anything about the files at all! They're used all over the place for a variety of files that are different like night and day! You may be able to open a .dat file with a program, but for the next .dat file you may need a completely different application!
Take this as some basic background information on file extensions and .dat files~