File extensions – definition and basic information


File extensions are the integral parts of the files that are on each computer. Often, when working on a computer, we encounter a wide range of files, such as docx, ppt, part, mp3 or rmvb. We realize that they are there – but we often do not know what they are for on our computer.

File extension, also known as the filename extension is a suffix added to the name of a computer file, usually consisting of a number of characters placed after the last dot in the filename, which gives us information about its coding. In other words a file extension is a file format. It allows the operating system (e.g. Windows) to recognize what program it should try to open the file.

In the table below you will find a random selection of popular file extensions.


File extension The full name of the file Category

7Z file extension

7-Zip Compressed File

Compressed Files

PPTX file extension

PowerPoint Open XML Presentation

Data Files

SQL file extension

Structured Query Language Data File

Database Files

GAM file extension

Saved Game File

Game Files

PSPIMAGE file extension

PaintShop Pro Image

Raster Image Files

WPD file extension

WordPerfect Document

Text Files

PDB file extension

Program Database

Database Files

PY file extension

Python Script

Developer Files

GADGET file extension

Windows Gadget

Executable Files

MPA file extension

MPEG-2 Audio File

Audio Files

AIF file extension

Audio Interchange File Format

Audio Files

MP3 file extension

MP3 Audio File

Audio Files

MID file extension

MIDI File

Audio Files

RM file extension

Real Media File

Video Files

PL file extension

Perl Script

Developer Files