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RISC OS 3.7 User Guide


Appendix E: RISC OS file types


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

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 'T'. 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 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 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. Not all file types used by software houses are shown. This list may be extended from time to time: Acorn file types

File type       DescriptionTextual equivalent
  FFF Plain ASCII text Text T
  FFE Command (Exec) file Command T
  FFD Data Data T
  FFC Position independent code Utility T
  FFB Tokenised BASIC program BASIC T
  FFA Relocatable module Module T
  FF9 Sprite or saved screen Sprite T
  FF8 Absolute application loaded at &8000 Absolute T
  FF7 BBC font file (sequence of VDU operations) BBC font T
  FF6 Font Font T
  FF5 PostScript PoScript T
  FF4 Dot Matrix data file Printout T
  FF3 LaserJet data file LaserJet ;
  FF2 Configuration (CMOS RAM) Config T
  FF1 Raw unprocessed data (e.g. terminal streams) RawData
  FF0 Tagged Image File Format TIFF
  FED Palette data Palette T
  FEC Template file Template T
  FEB Obey file Obey T
  FEA Desktop Desktop T
  FE9 ViewWord ViewWord
  FE8 ViewPS ViewPS
  FE7 ViewSheet ViewSht
  FE6 UNIX executable UNIX Ex
  FE4 DOS file DOS T
  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 T
  FD6 Exec file in a task window TaskExec T
  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 Cache T
  FCE FileCore floppy disc image FileCoreFloppyDisc
  FCD FileCore hard disc image FileCoreHardDisc
  FCC Device object within DeviceFS Device T
  FCA Single compressed file Squash
  FC9 Sun raster file SunRastr
  FC8 DOS MultiFS disc image DOSDisc T

Industry standard file types

  File type Description Textual equivalent
  DFE Comma separated values 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 file WK1 (was Lotus123)
  CE5 TEX file TeX
  CAF IGES graphics IGES
  CAE Hewlett-Packard graphics language HPGLPlot
  C85 JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file     JPEG

Acorn Advance file types

  File type Description Textual equivalent
  C25 Acorn Advance Wordprocessor     AWord
  C26 Acorn Advance Spreadsheet ASheet
  C27 Acorn Advance Database ADBase
  C28 Acorn Advance Graph AGraph

BBC ROM file type

  File type Description Textual equivalent
  BBC BBC ROM file (ROMFS)     BBC ROM T

Acornsoft file types

  File type Description Textual equivalent
  AFF Draw file DrawFile T
  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 (obsolete file type)     New Font


RISC OS 3.7 User Guide - 20 JAN 1997

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