3.2 Text/HTML

A .txt file can store text and numbers; it cannot store any formatting information. The advantage of a .txt file is that it can be read by many different programs on different computers. ¹

A .doc file can store text, numbers, and formatting information. For example, a .doc file will process changes in font-style, font-size, etc. A limitation of Word documents is that for a computer to read the formatting information, the document must be opened by the same program on another computer or by a program that can convert the .doc file to a readable format. If you try to open a .doc file with a program like Notepad, the formatting changes appear as gobbledygook. This inhibits the sharing of information between computers.

To add metadata to a document and allow other computers to read this information, you can save the document as an .html file. If you open an .html file in Notepad, you will see the markup that communicates the formatting information. Now your formatting changes can be read by numerous programs on many different computers.

Sometimes a file is intended for use by one user on a personal computer. Thus, it is appropriate to save the file as a Word document. More and more, we are interested in disseminating information via the internet and sharing the documents we create with others. This requires a document-centered view of computing. Our documents are no longer self-contained in a single program; elements of a single document can be stored in different programs and even on different computers. Consequently, it is important to save the document in a universal format to promote interoperability. This style of organizing information allows for changes to the source document to be simultaneously reflected in all of the documents in which it has been embedded.