• The term format has several meanings, related to 1) disk formatting, 2) page formatting, and 3) file formats.

    Disk formatting

    In order for storage media, such as a hard drive or flash drive to be recognized by your computer, it first needs to be initialized, or formatted. Formatting a disk involves testing the disk and writing a new file system onto the disk. This enables the computer to read the disks directory structure, which defines the way files and folders are organized on the disk.
    You can use a disk utility program to format or reformat a disk. This will create a blank, empty disk for storing your files. Therefore, only format disks that dont contain important data or make sure you have backed up your data before reformatting a disk!
    When you reformat a disk, it will appear to be empty. This is because the directory structure has been rewritten, making the entire disk space available for writing new data. However, the old files are still on the disk. They just dont show up since they are no longer included in the directory structure. So if you accidentally format a disk (which is pretty hard to do), you may be able to retrieve your files using a disk utility such as Norton Disk Doctor or DiskWarrior.

    Page formatting

    The term format can also be used to describe the page layout or style of text in a word processing document. When you format the layout of a page, you can modify the page size, page margins, and line spacing. When you format the text, you can choose the font and font size, as well as text styles, such as bold, underlined, and italics.

    File formats

    A file format refers to the way data is saved within a file. For example, some files are saved in a plain text format, while others are saved as binary files. Software developers often create proprietary file formats for their programs, which prevents the files from being used by other applications.


    Format meaning & definition 1 of Format.


  • [formatting] [your hard] drive, this will make it possible to store [data] on your hard drive

    Format meaning & definition 2 of Format.


  • the act of a man [changing] a [lesbian] back to [a straight] woman

    Format meaning & definition 3 of Format.


  • The way in which something is arranged or set out.

    Format meaning & definition 4 of Format.


  • Website designing platform that enables businesses to create and edit landing pages, allowing them to showcase work portfolios. A software product by Ideaform

    Format meaning & definition 5 of Format.

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