Text file

A computer file whose contents are represented as text characters, usually encoded as bytes. It may contain plain text or follow a structured text format.

Character encoding: A system that maps characters to numbers or byte sequences. It determines how a text file’s bytes represent characters.
Configuration file: A file that stores settings used to configure software or a system. Many configuration files use readable text formats.
Text editor: A program for creating and modifying text, often as files of characters without rich formatting. It interprets encoded bytes as characters and lets users edit them.
Binary file: A file whose contents are intended to be interpreted as data other than readable text characters. It contrasts with text files, though both are stored as bytes.
Unix philosophy: A set of design principles favoring small tools that perform focused tasks and work together. Readable text streams let separate Unix tools exchange data through simple interfaces.
Unicode: A character standard that assigns code points to characters used across writing systems. Unicode supplies the characters that many text files encode.
Log file: A record of events produced by a computer system or application. Logs are commonly stored as appendable text files.
MIME type: A standardized label indicating the media type and format of a file or data stream. Software uses MIME types to identify text formats and choose handling behavior.
Rich text format: A document representation that combines text with formatting instructions and other presentation information. Its formatting makes it distinct from plain-text files.
Version control: A system for recording and managing changes to files over time. Text files can be compared line by line to reveal edits.

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