up vote 0 down vote favorite
share [g+] share [fb]

For some reason, I can't save .txt files on my web server.

I have a text file hosted on my web server, but the ending is not .txt

I was wondering what ending should I choose, so that whoever sees that link would know that it is a text file ?

I mean sure, I could do file.asd but basically I was wondering is there already some sort of standard (alike the .txt) so that generally when people see the file with that extension they would know (from past experience) that it is a text file?

link|improve this question
89% accept rate
2  
I'd suggest that you try and investigate further why you can't save .txt files to the web server? Failing that, why not just use .text as the extension? – Stuart McLaughlin Sep 12 '11 at 14:06
Or no extension at all? – slhck Sep 12 '11 at 14:11
@slhck I've tried that but for some reason that doesn't work as well – Pacerier Sep 12 '11 at 14:19
@Stuart is there such a standard .text ? – Pacerier Sep 12 '11 at 14:20
feedback

3 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

You can use .text — while not as common, it's clear to everyone what's in there. Services like filext.com also consider it an ASCII/plain-text file format.

I've seen .text used for Markdown (the formatting language also used on this site), but regular text is usually also valid Markdown, so no problem there.

Depending on your use, you can even skip the file extension. It's certainly popular with the Linux open-source folks, with file names such as README or INSTALL.

link|improve this answer
feedback
up vote 1 down vote

I'd go with .NFO (as for "info") -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.nfo

or .ASC (for "ASCII") ->

.asc, a computer filename extension sometimes used for text files, as an abbreviation to ASCII (also used by ASCII Armor in the programs GPG and PGP to convert binary data into ASCII)

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASC

link|improve this answer
.nfo is associated with some system information program on Windows. – Daniel Beck Sep 12 '11 at 14:09
yes, you're right. almost every common three letter extension is used for some other purpose. Even .TXT is used by Excel in tab-delimeted tables exports / imports. Browing inside any web server, I'd first think of .nfo being some info than being a backuped windows info file. – woliveirajr Sep 12 '11 at 14:15
2  
also, .nfo is primarily used by the warez community – Journeyman Geek Sep 12 '11 at 14:56
1  
@JourneymanGeek Now how do you know that? – Daniel Beck Sep 12 '11 at 18:20
misspent youth, naturally ;) – Journeyman Geek Sep 12 '11 at 23:21
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

.rtf is another type of text file.

link|improve this answer
2  
It is, but implies a different kind of content than plain text. – Daniel Beck Sep 12 '11 at 18:20
feedback

Your Answer

 
or
required, but never shown
discard

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.