┌─ FILE ANALYSIS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┐
│ DEVELOPER : N/A (Universal)
│ CATEGORY : Document
│ MIME TYPE : text/plain
└ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘
What is a TXT file?
TXT (Plain Text) is the simplest and most universal text format. It contains only raw text characters with no formatting, styling, or embedded objects. TXT files can be read and edited by virtually any application on any platform.
How to open TXT files
- Notepad (Windows) — Built-in
- TextEdit (macOS) — Built-in
- nano / vim (Linux) — Terminal editors
- VS Code (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free editor
- Any web browser — Direct rendering
Technical specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Encoding | ASCII, UTF-8, UTF-16, etc. |
| Formatting | None (plain text only) |
| Line Endings | LF (Unix), CRLF (Windows), CR (old Mac) |
| Max Size | Limited only by filesystem |
| Metadata | None |
Programs that open TXT files
- Notepad / Notepad++ — Windows text editors
- VS Code — Cross-platform code editor
- Sublime Text — Fast, feature-rich editor
- TextEdit — macOS built-in editor
- Any text editor — Universal support
Common use cases
- Notes: Quick notes and reminders
- Configuration: Config files (often .conf or .cfg)
- Logs: Application and system logs
- README files: Project documentation
- Data exchange: Simple data interchange