Computer file

A computer file is a named collection of data stored on a digital storage device. Its name and format help software locate and interpret its contents.

Connect

File system: A system for organizing, naming, storing, and retrieving files on a storage device. It defines how files are arranged and found on a device.
File descriptor: A process-specific handle used by an operating system to access an open file or another input-output resource. Programs use descriptors to operate on files after opening them.
Executable file: A file containing instructions that a computer can run as a program. Executable files turn stored instructions into running software.
Directory: A file-system structure that groups named entries, which may identify files or other directories. Directories organize file names but are not ordinarily treated as the files they contain.
Filename: The name assigned to a file within a directory or other storage system. A filename distinguishes a file from its neighbors in the same directory.
File allocation table: A file-system data structure that records which storage clusters belong to files. It illustrates how a file system tracks where file contents reside.
Configuration file: A file containing settings that control how a program or system behaves. Programs use these files to preserve and load user or system settings.
Data stream: A continuous sequence of data delivered or processed over time, rather than necessarily stored as a named object. Streams can carry data without the persistent identity of a stored file.
Filename extension: A suffix in a filename that commonly indicates the file's format or intended use. Extensions such as .jpg and .pdf signal how software may interpret a file.
Inode: A Unix-like file-system record containing a file's metadata and pointers to its data blocks. Inode-based systems separate a file's identity and metadata from its names.