The breaking apart of files as they are stored by the operating system into
small, separate segments on disk. The condition is a natural consequence of
enlarging files and saving them on a crowded disk that no longer contains
contiguous blocks of free space large enough to hold them. File fragmentation is
not an integrity problem, although it can eventually slow read and write access
times if the disk is very full and storage is badly fragmented. Software
products are available for redistributing optimizing file storage to reduce
fragmentation. 2. In a
database, a situation in which records are not stored in their optimal access
sequence because of accumulated additions and deletions of records. Most
database systems offer or contain utility programs that resequence records to
improve efficiency of access and to aggregate free space occupied by deleted
records.
The structure of a file that defines the way it is stored and laid out on the screen or in print. The format can be fairly simple and common, as are files stored as “plain” ASCII text, or it can be quite complex and include various types of control instructions and codes used by programs, printers, and other devices. Examples include RTF -Rich Text Format, DCA -Document Content Architecture, PICT, DIF-Data Interchange Format, DXF -Data Exchange File, TIFF-Tagged Image File Format, and EPSF -Encapsulated PostScript Format.
The structure of a file that defines the way it is stored and laid out on the screen or in print. The format can be fairly simple and common, as are files stored as “plain” ASCII text, or it can be quite complex and include various types of control instructions and codes used by programs, printers, and other devices. Examples include RTF -Rich Text Format, DCA -Document Content Architecture, PICT, DIF-Data Interchange Format, DXF -Data Exchange File, TIFF-Tagged Image File Format, and EPSF -Encapsulated PostScript Format.