Definition

Noun: A text file that contains only ASCII characters without special formatting.

Usage

An ASCII text file is a basic, universal file format. It contains only characters from the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) character set, which includes standard letters, numbers, punctuation, and basic control codes. It does not contain any special formatting like bold text, fonts, images, or complex layouts. This makes it readable by virtually any computer system or text editor.

Examples

• The program's configuration settings are saved in an ASCII text file.
• You can open and edit the data in a simple ASCII text file using Notepad.
• For maximum compatibility, export the report as an ASCII text file.

Advanced Usage

• Plain Text Equivalent: The term "ASCII text file" is often used interchangeably with "plain text file," though plain text could theoretically use other simple character encodings. In common usage, they mean the same thing.
• Programming and Data Interchange: ASCII text files are fundamental in computing for source code, log files, and data exchange between different systems because they avoid the complexity and incompatibility of proprietary binary formats.

Variants and Related Words

• Text File (n.): A broader category of file containing readable text. An ASCII text file is a specific type of text file.
• Plain Text File (n.): A common synonym for an ASCII text file.
• Binary File (n.): The opposite of a text file; a file that contains data in a non-text format, often executable code or formatted documents.

Synonyms

• Plain text file
• Text file (in the specific sense of unformatted text)

Related Phrases

• ASCII format: The state of being saved or encoded as an ASCII text file.
  • Make sure the data is in ASCII format before uploading.

Noun

1. a text file that contains only ASCII characters without special formatting