
2.3 Digital Files
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2.3 Digital Files
A computer file is a container for binary code, which is the universal language of a
computer. Everything a computer does, from startup to shutdown, must ultimately be
represented as 0s and 1s. This includes the instructions, or programs, a computer follows
to carry out its operations as well as the data it processes. A file format is the conven-
tion that specifies how instructions and data are encoded in a computer file. Without a
specific file format, a binary code has no meaning.
File Sizes
The size of a file is usually measured in numbers of bytes. The
term kilo designates one thousand ...