Math 232 FAQ: What are the File Formats?

What is a "gif" file?
What is a "pdf" file?
What is a "ps" file?
What is an "html" file?
What is an "mws" file?

html:

This stands for "Hypertext Markup Language". These files end in ".html", and need to be read in a Web Browser. If you're reading this, then you're probably using a Web Browser, because this is an html file called "aboutformat.html".

gif:

This stands for "Graphics Interchange Format". The files end in ".gif", and can be read in almost any Web Browser (with the exception of Lynx, which is text-only). Any hand-written solutions, which I scan into the computer using a scanner, are saved in this format.

pdf:

This stands for "Portable Document Format". These files end in ".pdf" and can be viewed by Adobe's Acrobat Reader. This popular software supports graphics, and any detail can be scaled by clicking on a magnifying glass in the toolbar. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free, and can be downloaded from their web site. There is also a web browser plug-in which allows your web browser to read pdf files directly.

ps:

This stands for "Postscript". These files end in ".ps" and are useful for printing to a postscript printer. (Most laser printers print postscript.) The postscript files can also be viewed using various freeware and shareware utilities, such as "Ghostscript". Web Browsers can be configured to launch Ghostscript when you click on a postscript file (although I can't guarantee whether or not this has been done for the computers in the labs on campus).

mws:

This stands for "Maple Worksheet". These files end in ".mws" and can be used with Maple. Your web browser probably won't know what these files are, so be sure to save them as type "TEXT" when downloading them. You can then use Maple to read them and manipulate them. For more detail on how to do this, see the Math 232 FAQ: How do I Download a Maple Worksheed?