What Is a Text File?

April 29, 2024

Text files are a fundamental type of computer file, primarily used for storing plain text data in a readable format. Text files are simple and universally compatible, making them easily accessible across different operating systems and software applications.

What Is a Text File?

A text file is a type of computer file that stores plain text information without any embedded formatting options such as bold, italics, or images. The content in a text file is composed entirely of letters, digits, and special characters that can be easily read and edited using basic text editors.

Text files are distinguished by their simplicity and the lack of features for rich formatting, which makes them highly versatile and compatible across different platforms and applications. They are often used for writing and storing code, configuration directives, and documentation due to their straightforward nature which allows them to be processed by many software tools without the need for complex parsing or formatting.

Types of Text Files

Text files can be categorized based on their content and purpose. Here are some common types of text files:

  • Plain text files. These are the simplest form of text files and contain only basic characters like letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. They are typically saved with a .txt extension. Plain text files are used for writing notes, documentation, and scripts. They are universally compatible with all operating systems and can be edited with any text editor.
  • Configuration files. Often saved with extensions like .cfg, .conf, .ini, or .xml, configuration files store settings and parameters that control the behavior of a software program or operating system. These files are structured to be easily read both by humans and machines, often using simple key-value pairs or more structured formats like XML.
  • Source code files. Used for storing programming code, these files may have various extensions that correspond to different programming languages, such as .py for Python, .java for Java, .cpp for C++, and many others. Source code files contain instructions written in a programming language that are meant to be compiled or interpreted by computers.
  • Log files. These files, typically with a .log extension, automatically record events, processes, and operations within a software environment. Log files are crucial for debugging and monitoring the performance of applications. They continuously update with new entries and provide a chronological record of events.
  • Markdown files. With an extension like .md, markdown files are used to create formatted text using a plain text editor. Markdown language allows users to add formatting elements such as headers, links, bulleted lists, and other typical formatting found in rich text files but remains fundamentally plain text.
  • CSV files. Standing for "Comma-Separated Values," these files, with a .csv extension, store tabular data in plain text form. Each line of the file corresponds to a row in the table, where columns are separated by commas or other delimiters like semicolons. CSV files are particularly useful for exporting and importing data from databases and spreadsheets.

How To Create a Text File?

Creating a text file is a straightforward process that can be done on any computer operating system. Here's a general guide on how to create a text file using various methods.

On Windows

Using Notepad

  1. Open Notepad, a simple text editor included with Windows.
  2. Type your text.
  3. To save, click File > Save As.
  4. Choose a location to save the file, enter a file name, and ensure the file type is set to "Text Documents (*.txt)".
  5. Click Save.

Using Command Prompt

  1. Open Command Prompt.
  2. Navigate to the directory where you want to create the file.
  3. Type notepad filename.txt and press Enter. Replace "filename" with whatever you wish to name your file.
  4. If the file does not exist, Notepad will prompt you to create it. Click Yes, then enter your text and save as described above.

On macOS

Using TextEdit

  1. Open TextEdit from your Applications folder.
  2. Ensure that TextEdit is set to plain text mode by going to Format > Make Plain Text.
  3. Type your text.
  4. To save, click File > Save.
  5. Enter a file name, choose a location, and ensure the format is set to plain text (.txt).
  6. Click Save.

Using Terminal

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Type touch filename.txt to create an empty text file. Replace "filename" with your desired file name.
  3. To add text to your file, you can open it in a text editor like nano by typing nano filename.txt, then typing your text, and saving by pressing Ctrl + O, Enter, and Ctrl + X.

On Linux

Using a Text Editor (GUI)

  1. Open a text editor such as Gedit, KWrite, or another available on your distribution.
  2. Type your text.
  3. To save, click File > Save.
  4. Enter a file name, choose a location, and ensure the format is set to plain text (.txt).
  5. Click Save.

Using Terminal

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Type nano filename.txt or vi filename.txt to open the nano or vi editor, respectively. Replace "filename" with your desired file name.
  3. After entering your text, save and exit. In nano, press Ctrl + O, Enter, and Ctrl + X. In vi, press Esc, type :wq, and press Enter.

How To Open a Text File?

Opening a text file is a basic operation that can be performed across different operating systems using a variety of methods. Here's how to open a text file on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

On Windows

Using Notepad or Another Text Editor

  1. Right-click the text file.
  2. Select "Open with" and choose Notepad or another text editor like Notepad++ if installed.
  3. Alternatively, you can double-click the file if the default program for opening text files is already set to a text editor.

From the Command Prompt

  1. Open Command Prompt.
  2. Navigate to the directory containing the text file using the cd command.
  3. Type notepad filename.txt (replace "filename.txt" with your file name) and press Enter to open it in Notepad.

On macOS

Using TextEdit

  1. Right-click the text file in Finder.
  2. Choose "Open With" > "TextEdit" (or another text editor if you prefer).
  3. You can also double-click the file if TextEdit is set as the default application for .txt files.

Using Terminal

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Navigate to the directory containing the text file.
  3. Type open -a TextEdit filename.txt or simply open filename.txt to open it with the default text application.

On Linux

Using a Graphical Text Editor (such as Gedit or KWrite)

  1. Navigate to the file using your file manager.
  2. Right-click on the file and select "Open with" followed by your chosen text editor.
  3. Or, double-click the file if your file manager is set to open text files with a text editor by default.

Using Terminal

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Navigate to the directory containing the text file.
  3. To open the file in a text editor like nano or vi, type nano filename.txt or vi filename.txt and press Enter. Replace "filename.txt" with the name of your file.
  4. You can also view the content directly in the terminal by typing cat filename.txt.

How To Convert a Text File?

Converting a text file from one format to another often involves changing its encoding, delimiter (in the case of data files like CSV), or simply transforming it to another file format for compatibility or usage reasons. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to convert text files using various methods.

Convert Encoding (e.g., UTF-8 to ASCII)

Using Notepad++ (Windows)

  1. Open the text file in Notepad++.
  2. Go to Encoding in the menu bar.
  3. Choose the desired encoding to convert your file to (e.g., Convert to ANSI for ASCII).
  4. Save the file with the new encoding.

Using iconv (Linux/macOS)

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Use the iconv command to convert file encoding. For example:
iconv -f UTF-8 -t ASCII//TRANSLIT input.txt -o output.txt

This command converts input.txt from UTF-8 to ASCII, saving the result as output.txt.

Convert to/from CSV

Using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets

  1. Open Excel or Google Sheets.
  2. Import the text file you want to convert (often done through File > Open or Import).
  3. Once the text data is displayed in the spreadsheet, you can save or export it as a CSV file.
  4. Conversely, open a CSV file and save it as a different format like Excel (.xlsx), which can also be done via Save As in Excel.

Convert to/from Markdown, HTML, or Other Formats

Using Pandoc

  1. Install Pandoc, a versatile document converter.
  2. Open a command line interface.
  3. To convert a Markdown file to HTML, for example, use:
pandoc input.md -o output.html

You can convert between many formats like DOCX, PDF, HTML, LaTeX, and more using similar commands.

Using Online Tools

  1. Use online conversion tools like Zamzar, CloudConvert, or any other reliable file conversion website.
  2. Upload your text file, choose the output format, and start the conversion.
  3. Download the converted file once the process is complete.

Scripting Solutions

Using Python

  • Python can be particularly useful for parsing text and saving it in structured formats.
  • Libraries like csv for CSV handling, json for JSON, and lxml or BeautifulSoup for HTML and XML can be utilized.
  • Example script to convert a list of dictionaries (which could be lines from a text file) to JSON:
import json data = [{'name': 'John', 'age': 30}, {'name': 'Doe', 'age': 25}] with open('output.json', 'w') as json_file: json.dump(data, json_file)

Text File vs. Binary File

Text files and binary files represent two fundamental ways of storing data on a computer, each suited to different types of applications.

Text files are designed to store data in a human-readable format, consisting solely of printable characters and simple control characters like newlines or tabs. This makes them ideal for storing documents, scripts, or configuration information where readability and simplicity are essential. The universal nature of text files allows them to be easily created, manipulated, and understood across various platforms and applications without the need for specialized software to read the content.

In contrast, binary files are used to store data in a format that is not intended to be directly readable by humans. They contain data in a specific format that can only be processed by programs designed to understand that format. This includes executable programs, images, audio files, and any other type of data that requires precise, compact storage to maintain its integrity and functionality. Binary files are more efficient than text files for storing complex data because they can directly encode binary numbers and structures, which allows them to handle large amounts of data more effectively.

Anastazija
Spasojevic
Anastazija is an experienced content writer with knowledge and passion for cloud computing, information technology, and online security. At phoenixNAP, she focuses on answering burning questions about ensuring data robustness and security for all participants in the digital landscape.