Fitxer

Fitxer is the term used in Catalan to denote a discrete container for data stored on a computer or storage device. A fitxer typically has a name, an extension that hints at its format, and metadata such as size, creation and modification times, and permissions. The contents may be text, images, software, or other data types, and the format determines how software can read or interpret the data.

Files are organized within a file system, which provides a hierarchical structure of directories and files. Each fitxer has a path that identifies its location, and access controls determine who may read, modify, or execute it. File systems also manage storage blocks, allocation, and metadata that describe the file.

Common operations include creating, reading, writing, copying, moving, renaming, and deleting fitxers. File formats range from plain text (.txt) and structured data (.csv, .json) to binary formats used by images, audio, video, or executables (.png, .mp3, .exe). Extensions are conventional cues to format, though the data may be interpreted by programs that recognize the encoding regardless of extension.

Security and reliability concerns include permissions, encryption, backups, and versioning. Users interact with fitxers through graphical file managers, command-line tools, or software applications, which provide actions such as open, save, export, or share. In contemporary computing, fitxers are the basic units for storing and exchanging information across systems and platforms.