What is a file extension?

On the computer, there are several types of file formats, such as image, sound, text, video and others. File extensions are nothing more than the character set like PNG, PDF, EXE that come right after the file name, separated by the period. File extensions characterize the format and function that file will have on your computer.

Therefore, in the vast majority of file extensions, it is necessary to use a software for its execution.

Example: A .docx file extension can be opened on your computer through Microsoft Word. There are some main file extension types like txt, doc, pdf, ppt, jpeg, png, eps, psd, ai and cdr, and many others.

TXT, for example, is a text file extension, just like PDF and DOC, but with a more basic approach because it doesnt allow formatting in the texts, which allows it to be opened by a greater number of programs.

JPEG and PNG are also file extensions, only in this case they are image file extensions. Its properties are what differ these two types of extensions. The main property of JPEG is the compression capacity, however, with a loss in image quality. PNGs main property is the use of transparency in the image.

Thats why there are different types of file extensions, to better satisfy the need for a given file.