Formats

Formats are predefined structures for representing and storing information so that it can be shared and interpreted by systems and humans. In computing, a format specifies the arrangement of data, including how bits map to values, the order of elements, and any metadata that accompanies the content. Formats can refer to encoding schemes used to compress or encode content, or to containers that package multiple streams of data into a single file.

Common categories include image formats such as JPEG, PNG, and GIF; audio formats such as MP3, WAV, and FLAC; video formats such as MP4 and MKV; document formats such as PDF, DOCX, and ODT; data interchange formats such as JSON, XML, and CSV; web formats such as HTML and CSS; and archive formats such as ZIP and 7Z. Some formats are container formats that package multiple streams (for example MP4 or MKV), while others are encoding formats that describe how data is encoded within a stream (for example H.264 for video, AAC for audio). Document formats may be either proprietary or open standards and often include metadata schemas like EXIF in images or XMP in documents. Interoperability depends on adhering to specifications; deprecation, licensing, and software support affect practical choice. Formats evolve; newer versions aim to improve efficiency or features while maintaining backward compatibility in many cases. Choosing a format involves tradeoffs among fidelity, compression, latency, accessibility, and compatibility with tools and platforms.