What is a TXT file?
A file with .TXT extension represents a text document that contains plain text in the form of lines. Paragraphs in a text document are recognized by carriage returns and are used for better arrangement of file contents. A standard text document can be opened in any text editor or word processing application on different operating systems. All the text contained in such a file is in human-readable format and represented by sequence of characters.
Text files can store large amount of data as there is no limitation on the size of contents. However, text editors opening such large files need to be smart for loading and displaying these. Almost all operating systems come with text editors that allow you to create and edit text files. For example, Windows OS comes with Notepad and Wordpad for this purpose. Similarly, MacOS comes with TextEdit for creating and editing Text Documents. There are, however, other free text editors available as well over the internet that provide you the capability to work with Text Documents like Notepad++ which is far more advanced in terms of functionality.
File Format Specifications
The text file format doesn’t have any special file format specifications. Text files have “text/plain” MIME type and have little or no formatting at all. This enables text editors to open such files without any other requirements. The default character set of text files is ASCII that is used for creating and display of text file contents. Characters are encoded using ASCII character set, but this imposes limitation of usage on characters such as Pound Sign, Dollar and Euro sign that can’t be represented using the ASCII character set. Thus, text files can also be saved in Unicode format, with UTF-8 being the mostly used.
Windows Text File Format
Text files on Windows OS consists of several lines where each line is made up of a sequence of characters. Each user implied line is defined by combination of two characters i.e. carriage return (CR) and Line Feed (LF). Windows text files can be in ANSI, OEM, Unicode or UTF-8 encoding. The UTF-16 encoding helps save information in a text file that requires two bytes for representation. Such files usually begin with Byte Order Mark (BOM) which communicates the endianness of the file content. It should be noted that other applications on Windows OS can store information in text file format but with different file extensions to represent application specific text. For example, programming languages usually save code in text file but with their own extensions.
Unix Text File Format
All such systems fine a text file as a file whose characters are organized into zero or more lines. Each line is a sequence of zero or more non-newline characters and a terminating newline character, normally LF.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about .txt Files
1. What is a TXT file?
A TXT file is a plain text document that contains unformatted text and can be opened with any text editor.
2. What is the TXT file format?
The TXT file format is a simple format used to store plain text without special formatting, fonts, or images.
3. What is a .TXT file extension?
A .TXT file extension indicates that the file is a plain text file that can be opened and edited in any text editor.
4. How do I open a TXT file?
TXT files can be opened using Notepad (Windows), TextEdit (Mac), VS Code, Sublime Text, and even web browsers.
5. How do I create a TXT file?
You can create a TXT file using Notepad, TextEdit, or by using the command line:
- Windows: Right-click > New > Text Document
- macOS: Open TextEdit > Save as .TXT
- Command line:
echo "Hello" > file.txt
6. How do I save a file as TXT?
When saving a document in Notepad or TextEdit, choose “Save As” and select .txt as the file type.
7. What does a TXT file look like?
A TXT file contains only raw text without formatting. It is displayed as a simple block of text without bold, italics, or images.
8. Can a TXT file contain images or special formatting?
No, TXT files only support plain text and do not include images, colors, or fonts.
9. What is the difference between TXT and DOCX?
TXT files contain only plain text, while DOCX files support formatting, images, and styles.
10. What is the structure of a TXT file?
A TXT file is structured with lines of text separated by newline characters (\n).
11. What is the full form of TXT?
TXT stands for “Text,” meaning it contains plain text data.
12. How do I convert a text document to a TXT file?
If your text is in another format (e.g., DOCX, PDF), you can save or export it as a .txt file using a text editor or word processor.
13. What is the purpose of a TXT file?
TXT files are used for storing and sharing plain text data, including notes, logs, programming code, and configuration files.
14. What is the difference between TXT and CSV?
TXT files store unformatted text, while CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files organize data into structured rows and columns.
15. How do I change a file to a TXT file?
You can rename the file extension to .txt or save it as a TXT file using a text editor.
16. What are different types of text file formats?
Some common text-based formats include:
.txt(Plain text).csv(Comma-separated values).json(JavaScript Object Notation).xml(Extensible Markup Language).log(Log files)
17. Is a TXT file the same as a Notepad file?
Yes, TXT files are commonly created using Notepad, but they can be opened in any text editor.
18. How do I download a TXT file?
You can download a TXT file from the internet, cloud storage, or create your own using a text editor.
19. Can I format text inside a TXT file?
No, TXT files do not support formatting like bold, italics, or underlining. They contain only plain text.
20. What is a TXT document?
A TXT document is another term for a text file with the .txt extension.
21. What are the common uses of TXT files?
TXT files are used for notes, programming code, configuration files, scripts, and plain text storage.
22. What is the difference between a TXT file and a Word document?
A Word document (DOCX) supports formatting, fonts, and images, while a TXT file contains only unformatted text.
23. How do I open a TXT file in Excel?
You can open a TXT file in Excel by selecting “Open” and choosing “Text Files” or by using the “Import Data” function.
24. Can I open a TXT file in a web browser?
Yes, most web browsers can open TXT files when dragged into the browser window or accessed via a URL.
25. How do I convert a TXT file to a different format?
You can convert a TXT file to PDF, DOCX, or CSV using a text editor, word processor, or online file conversion tools.
26. What is a Notepad file extension?
The default file extension for Notepad is .txt, but it can open other plain text formats as well.
27. What is a simple text file?
A simple text file is a file containing only plain text with no formatting or special characters.
28. What are the benefits of using a TXT file?
TXT files are lightweight, universally compatible, and easy to edit across different operating systems.
29. Can I use a TXT file for programming?
Yes, TXT files are often used to write and store source code or script files before saving them in a specific programming language format.
30. How do I format a TXT file?
While TXT files do not support rich formatting, you can organize content using spaces, line breaks, and indentation.
31. What is the file size limit for a TXT file?
TXT files are very lightweight, but the size limit depends on the operating system and available disk space.
32. What does a TXT file mean in computing?
A TXT file is a standard format for storing and exchanging plain text information across different applications.
33. Can a TXT file contain code?
Yes, a TXT file can contain programming or scripting code, but it will not execute unless saved with the appropriate extension (e.g., .py, .html, .js).
34. What is the file extension of a text document?
The most common file extension for a text document is .txt.
35. What is a plain text file?
A plain text file is a file that contains only unformatted text without any special formatting or multimedia content.
36. What is the difference between a TXT file and a RTF file?
TXT files contain plain text only, while RTF (Rich Text Format) files support formatting like bold, italics, and colors.
37. How do I edit a TXT file?
You can edit a TXT file using any text editor, such as Notepad, TextEdit, VS Code, or Sublime Text.
38. What are some examples of text files?
Examples include notes, README files, configuration files (.conf), and programming scripts.
39. How do I view a TXT file on my phone?
You can open a TXT file on a smartphone using a text editor app, file manager, or browser.
40. What is the full form of TXT in a computer?
TXT stands for “Text” and refers to a file format that stores plain text information.
