To manage content, you manage files.
A file is a container object that has information and data in it that
programs can work with. Some files are programs themselves—they are
executable, and when you “open” them the program runs. Some files
contain data, such as text, music, photos, or video.
To differentiate one type of file from
another, files are given a three-letter file extension. For example, a
program uses the .exe file extension. Each extension is assigned a
default application that opens that file. File extensions are hidden by
default in Windows 8, but it is the extension that determines the icon
type you see.
When you do a search in Windows for a file with the word love in it, then all file types with love in the name appear. Change the search string to love.mp3,
and you get songs of only that type. Windows Search is organized by
file type, and you can use apps, files, settings, and
application-specific searches to isolate the content you want.
Libraries are collections of files of a certain type.
Windows Explorer has a picture file selected. A thumbnail and details
are shown in the Preview pane (on the right), and the Properties
command is shown on the context menu. The Properties dialog box for the
selected photo.
You can view properties in Windows Explorer in several places.
A file’s properties (also called attributes or metadata) are shown (and can sometimes be altered) in the Properties dialog box.
Properties are labels
that can be applied to files, and different file types allow for
different property types. For example, the property called “Bit depth” is the number of colors that each pixel can choose from. The number 24 indicates a palette of 224,
or 16.8 million, colors. That property can’t be changed, but the
filename, date taken, and other properties can be altered. The set of
properties is called a file’s metadata; metadata is data about data.
Metadata is used to manage content by apps in all sorts of ways. These
properties are what you use every day to make your content meaningful.
To view a file, folder, or object’s properties
• On the Desktop or in Windows
Explorer, move the cursor over an object so that it gains focus;
Windows displays an informational box about the object.
• In Windows Explorer, tap or click an
object to view properties in the Details pane. (Use the View menu to
turn this feature on, if necessary.)
• Tap and hold or right-click an object, and select the Properties command from the context menu.
Tip
System folders and files are hidden
in Windows by default, as are the three-letter file extensions.
Sometimes you need to see them, but Windows considers this an advanced
feature. To change these defaults, open Windows Explorer, tap or click
the View tab, then tap or click the Options button. The Hidden Files
And Folders setting allows you to display hidden files. Deselect the
Hide Extensions For Known File Types setting to display file
extensions. Note that when you change a file extension, the program
assigned to open it will no longer work. Be cautious when using this
feature.
