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TXT file format

Extension.txt
Categorydocuments
Programs
Notepad
TextEdit
WordPad
Description.txt (Text File) The .txt file format is a standard text document format that contains unformatted text. It is universally recognized by virtually every text editor and word processing program. TXT files are useful for storing information in plain text with no special formatting beyond basic fonts and font styles. This format is widely used for its compatibility and simplicity, as it can be opened on almost any computer platform.
Technical detailsThe `.txt` (plain text) file format is a basic, universal format with the following key technical details:
- Character Encoding: Supports encodings like ASCII, UTF-8, UTF-16, affecting character range representation.
- No Formatting: Lacks support for any formatting (bold, italics, etc.); stores text in a basic form.
- Universal Compatibility: Can be created, opened, and edited by most operating systems and devices.
- Uses: Common for simple documents, notes, configuration files, and unformatted data storage.
- File Extension: Standard extension is `.txt`.
- Small File Size: Typically very small due to no formatting or multimedia content.
- Line Breaks: Varies by operating system (CRLF for Windows, LF for Unix/Linux, CR for older Mac OS).
- No Metadata: Does not support embedded metadata like author or creation date.
- Encoding Declaration: Lacks inherent encoding information, which may cause issues in different systems.
- Programming and Scripting Use: Widely used for source code, scripts, JSON, XML, etc.
- Editability: Editable with various text editors and IDEs.
- Security: Generally safe from viruses but can be involved in phishing or malicious activities. The `.txt` format is essential for storing or transferring text without formatting or complex features.
MIME type
text/plain
application/txt
browser/internal
text/anytext
widetext/plain
widetext/paragraph