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Grex Micros Item 191: Dos filename extension definitions and .PAL.
Entered by keesan on Tue Jun 2 19:26:19 UTC 1998:

Where can I get a listing of the definitions for dos filename extensions?
And right now I am wondering what programs use PAL files.  (Jdeigert).

6 responses total.

#1 of 6 by scott on Tue Jun 2 23:12:15 1998:

There are no real definitions for DOS filenames, although the practice
reflects certain operating systems where there were specific file types.

However, in DOS, files with .exe, .sys, .com, and .bat will usually execute
without having to type the extension.

#2 of 6 by keesan on Wed Jun 3 00:04:50 1998:

Are there any lists of the conventional extensions?  Jim thinks .pal means
pallet and sets screen colors, for instance.  He still has a lot to learn
about DOS and has a large book on DOS tools that he is amusing himself with
when not switching my phone lines and modem and fax switch around.  (I don't
seem to have the freezeup problem with the slower modem, but now the line
keeps disconnecting instead, and I cannot even upload with zmodem, but that
could be due to the different computer and lack of virtual memory and expanded
memory card.  At least we have Kermit working properly again.)

#3 of 6 by davel on Wed Jun 3 01:14:53 1998:

What Scott said is right ... except that I don't think that having a .EXE file
named .BAT will let it execute, for example.  (And .SYS won't execute from
a command prompt at all, I think.  That one is just a convention.  The BAT
and EXE and COM files may actually correspond to expectations on the system's
part about file types.)

Also, by the time you get to Win, more things are making assumptions about
file types based on extension.  To some degree at least it's configurable,
but you can get tripped up if you're not careful.

#4 of 6 by kentn on Wed Jun 3 23:00:31 1998:

Check out ftp.simtel.net:

Primary Mirror Directory simtelnet/msdos/fileutil/
Filename    Type Length  Date    Description     
===============================================================================
filex16.zip  B    50367  960610  File identification based on extensions (1800)

While there is no hard and fast "standard" for DOS file extensions
(beyond those mentioned above), you'll find that most software packages
make assumptions about extensions and if the package is popular, those
extensions tend to become de facto standards (e.g. wks, wk1, gif, jpg,
zip, etc.).  Yes, .pal is probably a palette file from some graphics
program.  But then again maybe not.  Often, too, several packages will use
some of the same extensions, although their file structure is different.
It wouldn't surprise me if .pal was used by several software packages.

Sometimes you have to look beyond the extension to the contents of
the file...

(same site/directory as above)
fi100.zip     B  176329  970616  Identifies 300+ file types by content not ext.

#5 of 6 by keesan on Thu Jun 4 01:13:26 1998:

Well that's the answer to my question!  That'll be a help.  I should telnet
in and fi100.zip, I need that information.  (Glad Jim understands the above.)
This is the information I wanted, more than I wanted.

#6 of 6 by kentn on Thu Jun 4 23:52:20 1998:

Sorry about the formatting in :4.  I got some "bad return" error from vi
and had to cut and paste from my buffer (looked okay before I entered the
response...).

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