Which file holds the data?
Data in a computer is kept in a file. The kind of file matters. A value is one item of data, such as a mark.
Step 1 of 3
- A CSV file is plain text. Commas split the values.
- A spreadsheet puts each value in its own column.
- The same data is now a table you can sort and chart.
The rule
A format decides how easily data is read, shared and analysed.
A file format is the agreed way data is stored. CSV means comma-separated values.
| Format | What it holds |
|---|---|
| CSV | Rows of values split by commas |
| Spreadsheet | Tables you can sort, total and chart |
| Database | Big tables, searched fast |
| HTML | The content of a web page |
| XML | Data with a label on each value |
| JPG, PNG, GIF | Pictures |
| MP3, WAV | Sound |
| MP4, MOV | Video |
A text editor is a simple program that shows a file's text. It shows CSV, HTML and XML files as readable text. It shows mixed-up symbols for common picture, sound and video files.
Watch out!
Renaming a file does not change its format. A photo renamed with .csv is still a photo.
Open each file in a text editor.
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