ARCHIVED: What do I need to know about file formats in order to transfer files?

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When you are transferring a file from one computer to another, you need to know what format the file is in:

  • Is it ASCII or binary? Images, music, video, spreadsheets, and word-processing documents are binary files, while HTML documents and text files are typically ASCII. Some FTP software will automatically download ASCII and binary files correctly, but sometimes you will need to specify the file type. Consult the documentation for your software or the references in the "Also see:" section below.
  • If it has been compressed or is an archive of several files, you'll need to know what program was used so you can uncompress ("unarchive") it. Examples of compression formats include zip (.zip), StuffIt (.sit), GNU Zip (.gz), and tar (.tar). For more information, see ARCHIVED: What are compressed files, and how do I open them?

Related documents

Use SFTP to transfer files Use FTP to transfer files Common FTP commands

This is document aces in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2023-09-22 17:41:14.