file

Definition of file in The Network Encyclopedia.

What is File (in computer science)?

Information assigned a name and stored on a disk or some other media. Files are the primary unit of information stored on disk systems. Examples of files include:

  • Executable files (programs)
  • Data files (documents, databases)
  • Web pages (HTML files)

Files are generally stored in a file system, which provides a hierarchical way of saving, locating, and accessing information.