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FileNameToFormatList[]

returns lists of file formats corresponding to all registered file name patterns.

FileNameToFormatList["file"]

returns a list of file formats that matches the file name "file".

Details
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Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
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FileNameToFormatList   

Listing of Formats »

FileNameToFormatList[]

returns lists of file formats corresponding to all registered file name patterns.

FileNameToFormatList["file"]

returns a list of file formats that matches the file name "file".

Details

  • FileNameToFormatList returns a list of file formats that matches the file name.
  • FileNameToFormatList returns a list of all formats {"fmt1",…} in the order that they are considered to be used as the format for the file given in the specified pattern.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (2)

Get the formats associated with a specific filename:

Wolfram Language code: FileNameToFormatList["file.txt"]

Get the formats association to an extension:

Wolfram Language code: FileNameToFormatList["txt"]

Scope  (1)

Get the association of all file name pattern mappings:

Wolfram Language code: FileNameToFormatList[]//Short

Properties & Relations  (4)

Filename and extension mapping is case insensitive:

Wolfram Language code: FileNameToFormatList /@ {"jpg", "JPG"}

A file name could match different formats:

Wolfram Language code: FileNameToFormatList[".cdf"]

FileFormat uses this list as a starting point to make a guess:

Wolfram Language code: FileFormat["ExampleData/cacsst2.cdf"]

The first format returned by FileNameToFormatList is used by default in Export:

Wolfram Language code: FileNameToFormatList["file.cdf"]
Wolfram Language code: Export["data.cdf", RandomInteger[100, 10]]
Wolfram Language code: FileFormat[%]

Specify a different export format:

Wolfram Language code: Export["data.cdf", RandomInteger[100, 10], "NASACDF"]
Wolfram Language code: FileFormat[%]

It is possible to create a file with an incorrect extension. Create a PNG file with a .jpg extension:

Wolfram Language code: Export["file.jpg", RandomImage[], "PNG"]

FileNameToFormatList only looks at the file name:

Wolfram Language code: FileNameToFormatList["file.jpg"]

FileFormat uses more sophisticated heuristics to determine the correct format:

Wolfram Language code: FileFormat["file.jpg"]
Wolfram Research (2021), FileNameToFormatList, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileNameToFormatList.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2021), FileNameToFormatList, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileNameToFormatList.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2021. "FileNameToFormatList." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileNameToFormatList.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2021). FileNameToFormatList. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileNameToFormatList.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_filenametoformatlist, author="Wolfram Research", title="{FileNameToFormatList}", year="2021", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileNameToFormatList.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_filenametoformatlist, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={FileNameToFormatList}, year={2021}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileNameToFormatList.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}