In Data Engineering, these are the top 25 file types used to store and transfer data.:
- CSV (Comma-Separated Values) - CSV files store tabular data in plain text format. Each row represents a record, and each column represents a field.
- XML (Extensible Markup Language) - XML files store structured data in a hierarchical format using tags.
- JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) - JSON files store structured data in a text format using key-value pairs.
- Excel - Excel files store tabular data in a proprietary binary format used by Microsoft Excel.
- Database-specific files - Some databases, such as MySQL and Oracle, have their own file types for exporting and importing data.
- Fixed-width files - Fixed-width files store data in a text format, where each column has a fixed width.
- Parquet - Parquet is a columnar storage format that is optimized for use with big data processing frameworks such as Apache Spark and Hadoop.
- Avro - Avro is a binary data format used to serialize data in a compact and efficient way.
- ORC (Optimized Row Columnar) - ORC is a columnar storage format that is optimized for use with Apache Hive.
- Text files - Text files are simple files that store data as plain text. They can be used to store unstructured data or semi-structured data in a human-readable format.
- Binary files - Binary files are files that store data in binary format. They are used for storing complex data structures or binary data such as images, audio, and video.
- RDF (Resource Description Framework) - RDF is a standard for representing metadata about resources on the web. It uses triples to describe the relationships between resources.
- HL7 (Health Level 7) - HL7 is a standard for exchanging healthcare information between different systems. It uses message formats to exchange information about patients, treatments, and other healthcare-related data.
- EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) - EDI is a standard for exchanging business documents between different systems. It uses a standardized format to exchange data such as purchase orders, invoices, and shipping notices.
- YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) - YAML is a human-readable data serialization format that is often used for configuration files.
- SAS (Statistical Analysis System) - SAS is a software suite used for data management and statistical analysis. It uses its own file format for storing datasets, which can be used for ETL processes.
- ZIP (ZIP archive) - ZIP files are used to compress and archive one or more files or directories. They can be used to package and transfer data for ETL processes.
- XLS (Microsoft Excel) - XLS files are used to store spreadsheets in a binary format used by older versions of Microsoft Excel. They can be used for ETL processes where the source data is in an XLS format.
- SQL (Structured Query Language) - SQL files contain SQL statements used to interact with a relational database. They can be used to extract, transform, and load data from a database.
- TXT (Plain Text) - TXT files contain unformatted plain text and can be used to store data in a simple, human-readable format.
- PDF (Portable Document Format) - PDF files are used for storing and sharing documents in a fixed layout format. They can be used for ETL processes where data is extracted from PDF files.
- YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) - YAML is a human-readable data serialization format that is often used for configuration files.
- HDF5 (Hierarchical Data Format) - HDF5 is a file format used for storing and managing large datasets. It supports efficient storage and retrieval of multidimensional arrays and structured data.
- ARFF (Attribute-Relation File Format) - ARFF is a file format used for storing data sets for use with machine learning algorithms. It includes metadata about the data and is supported by several machine learning tools.
- DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) - DICOM is a standard used for storing and exchanging medical images and associated information.