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[[File:Plain_text.png|Plain text|thumb]] '''Plain text''' is a form of [[digital data]] representation that is unformatted, consisting solely of [[text]] characters without any [[text formatting]] such as [[bold type|bold]], [[italic type|italics]], [[underline]], or various [[font]] sizes. It is distinguishable from [[rich text]], which allows for such formatting. Plain text files are often identified by the file extension ''.txt'', although they can also be stored with other extensions or with no extension at all.

==Characteristics==
Plain text is characterized by its simplicity and versatility. It can be edited with a wide range of [[text editor]]s, from simple ones like [[Notepad]] on [[Windows]] to more complex ones like [[Vim]] or [[Emacs]] on [[Unix]] or [[Linux]] systems. Due to its simplicity, plain text is often used for [[source code]] in [[programming languages]], [[configuration files]], and is the basis for [[markup languages]] like [[HTML]] and [[Markdown]].

==Encoding==
The representation of plain text in [[computer]]s is based on [[character encoding]] standards, such as [[ASCII]] (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) or [[Unicode]]. ASCII was one of the first encoding schemes to represent English characters as numbers, but it was limited in scope. Unicode is a more comprehensive standard that supports most of the world's writing systems, allowing for the representation of characters from virtually any [[language]].

==Uses==
Plain text is widely used in [[computing]] due to its interoperability across different [[operating systems]] and software applications. It is commonly used for:

* [[Source code]] of [[computer programs]]
* [[Configuration file]]s that control the operation of software applications
* [[Data exchange]] between different software systems
* [[Documentation]], due to its ease of editing and version control

==Advantages and Disadvantages==
The primary advantage of plain text is its simplicity and compatibility with nearly all [[text processing]] and [[text editing software]]. This makes it an ideal format for data that needs to be accessible and editable across various platforms and environments.

However, the lack of formatting options can be a limitation for documents that require a specific layout or styling. For such purposes, formats like [[PDF]] or [[Word document]]s are more suitable.

==See Also==
* [[Rich text]]
* [[Text file]]
* [[Text editor]]
* [[Markup language]]

[[Category:Computer file formats]]
[[Category:Digital typography]]
[[Category:Text]]

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Plain text - Revision history

Prab: CSV import