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Afile viewer is a utilityapplication software on operating systems, such asLinux,macOS, orWindows. The file viewer is responsible for user access of files located on adata storage device. File viewers allow the user to open and view content[1] on a device, such as aPersonal Computer (PC) or amobile phone.
File viewer applications can be categorized based on their functionality:
Differences in functionality are often due to software licensing and proprietary file formats. Some formats can be freely viewed but require specific software for creation or modification. For example,.DBF files created indBASE could be viewed inNorton Commander, while.PDF files require software likeAdobe Photoshop,LibreOffice, orMicrosoft Word for editing, whereasAcrobat Reader supports only viewing.[2]
To function correctly, a file viewer must interpret the structural information of a file format, such asbyte order, character encoding, andnewline styles. Media file viewers, such asvideo players, often rely oncodecs rather than built-informat support. This approach allows users to extend a media viewer’s compatibility with additional file types.
Some editors, such asAudacity, allow users to open files as raw data,[3] a feature sometimes used inglitch art.[4] Additionally, some file viewers act asfilters that convert binary files into text (e.g.,antiword), though this may result in data loss.
Image viewers display graphic files on screen. Some viewers, such asIrfanView,[5] can read multiplegraphic file formats, while others, such asJPEGview only support a single format. Common image viewer features includethumbnail preview and creation, image zooming and rotation, color balance and gamma correction, resizing, etc.
Aweb browser functions as a file viewer forHTML and various other file types. While HTML files are stored as plain text, web browsers render them into a structured, human-readable format.[6] Additionally, web browsers can displaymultimedia files, includingimages,videos, preformatted documents, and interactive content such as3D models,augmented reality andvirtual reality elements.
