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Conference noted::mswindows

Title:Microsoft Windows
Moderator:EEMELI::BACKSTROM
Created:Thu Apr 24 1986
Last Modified:Thu May 29 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4731
Total number of notes:24015

4731.0. "File type/extensions " by BUSY::SLAB (Audiophiles do it 'til it hertz!) Thu May 29 1997 13:03

    
    	Where could I find some sort of list/glossary of file type/extension
    	and a definition and/or description of same?
    
    	For example, what's a .DLL file?  .INI file?  Are they acronyms?  If
    	so, what do they stand for?  What are they used for?  How are they
    	created?  Etc., etc.
    
    	Thanks for any info.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
4731.1my guessNETCAD::ROLKEThe FDDI Genome ProjectThu May 29 1997 14:3321
You can get a list of your NT4 or W95 system's file type associations by
using Explorer->View->Options pulldown.  The FileTypes tab
has sort of an explanation but nothing definitive.  At least it
is something.

Specifically, a DLL is a dynamic link library which is kind of like
a VMS sharable image that gets linked with your code at run time.

An INI file has initialization data (man, is this vague!) for an
application.  I'd expect it to be a plain text file but this isn't
always the case.  
[ You never know what's in an INI file -- the program
  may have ten times as many settable features as the INI file shows
  and it may have undocumented features.  Or if you make a typo in
  an INI file the app may crash.  Or if you forget to leave a blank
  line then the app may swallow some of the lines without processing
  them.  Old DOS/WIN3 ini files are the worst; new modern VC++ INI
  files are better. ]

HTH,
Chuck