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Table C: File types


List of file types

File types are three-digit hexadecimal numbers. They are divided into ranges:

E00 - FFF allocated by Acorn for generic data types
B00 - DFF allocated by Acorn to software houses for applications
A00 - AFF reserved for use by Acorn applications
400 - 9FF allocated by Acorn to software houses for applications
100 - 3FF allocated by Acorn to public domain applications
000 - 0FF free for users

For information about the allocation of file types, see Appendix H: Registering names.

For each type, there may be a default action on loading and running the file. These actions may change, depending on whether the desktop is in use, and which applications have been seen. The system variables Alias$@LoadType_XXX and Alias$@RunType_XXX give the actions (XXX = file type).

Some types have a textual equivalent set at start-up, which may be used in most commands (but not in the above system variables) instead of the hexadecimal code. These are indicated in the table below by a double dagger '‡', or by a single dagger '†' if not available in RISC OS 2. For example, file type &FFF is set at start-up to have the textual equivalent Text. Other textual equivalents may be set as an application is first 'seen' by the Filer, or as it starts - for example, Acorn Desktop Publisher sets up file type &AF9 to be DtpDoc, and file type &AFA to be DtpStyle. These textual equivalents are set using the system variables File$Type_XXX, where XXX is the hexadecimal file type.

You should use the hexadecimal file type in command scripts and in programs, otherwise you will find that your files will give an error if you try to run them on a machine that uses a territory with different textual equivalents.

The following types are currently used or reserved by Acorn. Most file types used by other software houses are not shown. This list may be extended from time to time:

Acorn file types
Type Description Textual equivalent
FFF Plain ASCII text Text
FFE Command (Exec) file Command
FFD Data Data
FFC Position independent code Utility
FFB Tokenised BASIC program BASIC
FFA Relocatable module Module
FF9 Sprite or saved screen Sprite
FF8 Absolute application loaded at &8000 Absolute
FF7 BBC font file (sequence of VDU operations) BBC font
FF6 Font (4 bpp bitmap only) Font
FF5 PostScript PoScript
FF4 Dot Matrix data file Printout
FF3 LaserJet data file LaserJet
FF2 Configuration (CMOS RAM) Config
FF1 Raw unprocessed data (eg terminal streams) RawData
FF0 Tagged Image File Format TIFF
FED Palette data Palette
FEC Template file Template
FEB Obey file Obey
FEA Desktop Desktop
FE9 ViewWord ViewWord
FE8 ViewPS ViewPS
FE7 ViewSheet ViewSht
FE6 UNIX executable UNIX Ex
FE4 DOS file DOS
FE3 Atari file Atari
FE2 Commodore Amiga file Amiga
FE1 Make data Make
FDF TCP/IP suite: VT220 script VTScript
FDE TCP/IP suite: VT220 setup VTSetup
FDD Master utilities MasterUtl
FDC TCP/IP suite: unresolvable UNIX soft link SoftLink
FDB Text using CR and LF for line ends TextCRLF
FDA PC Emulator: DOS batch file MSDOSbat
FD9 PC Emulator: DOS executable file MSDOSexe
FD8 PC Emulator: DOS command file MSDOScom
FD7 Obey file in a task window TaskObey
FD6 Exec file in a task window TaskExec
FD5 DOS Pict Pict
FD4 International MIDI Assoc. MIDIfiles standard MIDI
FD3 Acorn DDE: debuggable image DebImage
FD1 BASIC stored as text BASICTxt
FD0 PC Emulator: configuration PCEmConf
FCF Font cache FontCache
FCE FileCore floppy disc image FileCoreFloppyDisc
FCD FileCore hard disc image FileCoreHardDisc
FCC Device object within DeviceFS Device
FCA Single compressed file Squash
FC9 Sun raster file SunRastr
FC8 DOS MultiFS disc image DOSDisc
FC7 Macintosh format Type 1 font MacType1
FC6 !Printers printer definition file PrintDfn
FC3 !Patch patch definition file Patch
FC2 Audio Interchange file format AIFF
Industry standard file types
Type Description Textual equivalent
DFE Comma separated variables CSV
DEA Data exchange format (AutoCAD etc) DXF
DB4 SuperCalc III file SuperCalc
DB3 DBase III file DBaseIII
DB2 DBase II DBaseII
DB1 DBase index file DBaseIndex
DB0 Lotus 123 WK1 format WK1
CE5 TEX file TeX
CB6 Amiga Sound Tracker AmigaSTM
CAF IGIS graphics IGIS
CAE Hewlett-Packard graphics language HPGLPlot
C85 JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file JPEG
C35 Corel Draw file CorlDraw
BBC ROM file type
Type Description Textual equivalent
BBC BBC ROM file (ROMFS) BBC ROM

Acornsoft file types
Type Description Textual equivalent
AFF Draw file DrawFile
AFE Mouse event record Mouse
AFA DTP style file DtpStyle
AF9 DTP documents DtpDoc
AF8 First Word Plus file 1stWord+
AF7 Help file HelpInfo
AF1 Maestro file Music
AF0 ArcWriter file ARCWriter
AE9 Alarm file Alarms
ADB Outline font New Font

This edition Copyright © 3QD Developments Ltd 2015
Last Edit: Tue,03 Nov 2015