Talk:Electronic File Formats

Revision as of 14:17, 26 November 2012

There should probably be an agreed definition of an electronic file format to aid in selecting content and automating reasoning based on format IDs etc (if we are not all talking about the same things then we will not be able to generalise from the results of our work).

What is an Electronic File format?

Options:

1) a knowable, repeatable set of rules for structuring content in a computer file

2) a documented standard way of structuring computer files

3) the options that appear in the save-as drop-down menus in software applications

4) a file extension

5) a mime type

6) ???

preceeding question was written by Euanc.

For the moment, I can make this very simple. An Electronic File Format is a file format that can only be accessed through the use of electrical charge. The rest of what you're discussing is a matter of hierarchy below the "Electronic File Format" heading, which will definitely be sticky and hard to keep on top of, but can be done. --Jason Scott (talk) 06:15, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

If an electronic file format is an "electronic" file format, then what is a file format? --Euanc (talk) 06:27, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

ASN.1

Is it a file format and if so, where should it go? Crusbridge

Hmm, I'd say it's a Domain Specific Language. I propose we add Domain Specific Language under Languages. Ideas, anyone? --Darkstar (talk) 03:15, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

Remaining uncategorized categories

I'm not sure where Resource Fork belongs; it's a platform-specific Mac thing, but is there some more general category it can be put in? It's kind of related to filesystems, so does it belong somewhere in that hierarchy? As for Binary Data, those can probably be moved to the specific category they belong in based on their function, like, is Multiplan a spreadsheet or something? Dan Tobias (talk) 14:17, 26 November 2012 (UTC)