DOS imposes certain restrictions on
the names which can be given to
files.  There are also a set of
conventions which have been applied
to filenames.

             The Format

    A filename can be composed of
from 1 to 8 letters, numbers or
certain punctuation marks
(collectively called characters).  A
filename can also have an optional
extension containing from 1 to 3 more
characters.  If the filename has an
extension, the main name is separated
from the filename by a period, called
"Dot" by computer experts. Example:

README.1ST

          The Restrictions

    Filenames cannot contain a space,
question mark, or exclamation point,
or many other punctuations such as
backslash.  The underline and the
dash characters are legal, and are
frequently used instead of a space to
make a two-word filename more
legible.  Examples:

TWO_WORD.TXT
READ-ME.1ST

           Capitalization

Whether the letters in a filename are
capitalized or lower-case does not
matter.  README, ReadMe, and readme
are all the same file to DOS.

           The Conventions

Many extensions have become
standardized and are known to
represent certain types of files:

.ASC - An ASCII text file.  ASCII
stands for American Standard Code for
Information Interchange. These files
contain plain old text, which can be
used by most programs which work with
text.  This is the native text format
of DOS.  There are other proprietary
text formats created by specific word
processing programs, but ASCII is
used when the author wants a standard
file which can be used with a wide
variety of text viewers or programs.
Files with extensions other than .ASC
can also contain ASCII text.

.BMP - A picture file.

.CNF - Customized configuration
information for use by a program.
Has no function by itself.

.COM - A small program which can
usually be run merely by typing it's
name on the command line and pressing
the [Enter] key.

.DLL - An auxiliary file required
by a Windows program which has no
function by itself.

.DOC - A file containing standard
ASCII text which can be displayed
with most text viewing, editing and
word processing programs or printed
onto paper.

.EXE - A small or large program which
can often be run merely by typing
it's name on the command line and
pressing the [Enter] key.

.GIF - A picture file.

.ICO - An icon for a Windows
program.

.INI - Customized configuration
information for use by a program.
Has no function by itself.

.OVR - An auxiliary file required
by a DOS program.  Has no function by
itself.

.PCX - A picture file.

.TIF - A picture file.

.TXT - A file containing standard
ASCII text can be displayed with most
text viewing, editing and word
processing programs, or printed onto
paper.

.VOC - A sound file, usually
digitized speech.

.WAV - A sound file.

             BATCH FILES

.BAT - A batch file.  These can be
run like programs, by simply typing
the batch file name on the command
line and pressing the [Enter] key. If
examined with a text viewing program,
batch files are found to contain
ordinary text.  In fact, they are
commands to DOS, exactly as you would
type them on the command line.  Many
batch files have several lines.  Each
line is executed by DOS as soon as
the previous line is done.  BATCH
files are used to automate tasks
which otherwise would require much
typing.  For instance to copy three
files, then delete one of them and
run another would look like this if
you had to type it all on the command
line:

COPY C:\FIRST.DOC A:
COPY C:\SECOND.TXT A:
COPY C:\FIRST.EXE A:
DEL C:\SECOND.TXT
C:\FIRST

However, it could be typed into a
batch file just once, you could give
the batch file any DOS-legal filename
ending with .BAT, and then by simply
typing the name of the file on the
command line, all five operations
will automatically occur.

          INSTRUCTION FILES

Many new programs come with text
files on their disks which you can
view with a text viewing or word
processing program.  These contain
instructions for using the program or
are are last minute changes made
after the program owner's manual was
printed.  They usually have names
ending in .DOC or .TXT, or names such
as:

READ.ME
README.1ST
READ.NOW

             DIRECTORIES

The structure of directory names is
very similar to filenames.  There is
an 8 character limit. Extensions on
directory names are rare, but
possible. A directory name can have
an extension of up to 3 more
characters after the "dot." For more
information on directories, see the
Directory section.

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