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reformats

Reformats refer to the act or process of changing the format or structure of something, often to enable compatibility, standardization, or preparation for use. The term is used across computing, data processing, and publishing contexts and can describe both a broad conceptual change and a specific operational action.

In computing, reformating a storage device typically means erasing its contents and initializing a new file

Beyond storage, reformats also occur in data and document workflows. Reformating in this sense can mean converting

In publishing and typography, reformats describe adjustments to page layout, margins, fonts, and column structure to

system
or
partition
scheme.
It
is
generally
a
destructive
operation
and
is
performed
to
reclaim
space,
switch
file
systems,
or
change
the
partitioning
layout.
Quick
formats
and
full
formats
are
common
variants;
quick
formats
usually
do
not
scan
for
bad
sectors,
while
full
formats
may
take
longer
but
can
provide
a
more
thorough
check.
The
choice
of
file
system
(for
example
NTFS,
FAT32,
exFAT
on
Windows;
ext4
or
Btrfs
on
Linux;
APFS
on
macOS)
and
partition
scheme
(MBR
vs
GPT)
affects
compatibility
and
performance.
Backing
up
data
beforehand
is
strongly
advised,
as
reformating
typically
erases
all
existing
information.
data
from
one
format
to
another
(for
instance,
transforming
a
dataset
from
XML
to
JSON
or
a
document
from
DOCX
to
PDF)
or
reflowing
content
to
meet
layout
constraints.
In
software
development
and
data
processing,
reformats
can
improve
interoperability,
readability,
or
processing
efficiency,
though
they
may
alter
how
information
is
interpreted
if
semantics
are
not
preserved.
fit
publication
requirements
or
device
constraints.
See
also:
formatting,
data
conversion,
data
migration.