format

(fôr'măt')
n.

1. A plan for the organization and arrangement of a specified production.
2. The material form or layout of a publication.
3. Computer Science.
   1. The arrangement of data for storage or display.
   2. A method for achieving such an arrangement.

tr.v., -mat·ted, -mat·ting, -mats.

1. To plan or arrange in a specified form: They formatted the conference so that each speaker had less than 15 minutes to deliver a paper.
2. Computer Science.
   1. To divide (a disk) into marked sectors so that it may store data.
   2. To determine the arrangement of (data) for storage or display.

[French, ultimately from Latin fōrmātus, past participle of fōrmāre, to form, from fōrma, form.]

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is pronounced faw-mat, and as a verb has inflected forms formatted, formatting. The verb dates from the 1960s and is mostly used in the context of computing.

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(1) As a noun, the format is the structure, or layout, of an item.

Screen formats are the layout of windows and data on the screen.

Report formats are the columns, headers and footers on a page.

Record formats are the fields within a record.

File formats are the structure of program and data files. Each has its own headers, codes and rules for laying out the content. There are many different file structures for each kind of file, including executable programs, word processing documents, graphics files and databases. See graphics formats, extension, header, disk format and style sheet.

(2) As a verb, to initialize a storage medium (hard disk, CD-RW, etc.) to hold data. See format program.

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Broadcast:

1. Style or content of the material aired by a radio station, such as all news, country-western music, or rock-and-roll music; also called personality. Other common formats include classical music, easy-listening music, talk shows, general interest programs, or special interest broadcasts, such as religious or Spanish-language programs. The program format is part of the context in which an advertising message is received and affects how the message is perceived. See also communication.

2. Style or content of a television program, such as a variety show, talk show, game show, situation comedy, police drama, and so forth. See also item 1 above.

Direct marketing: medium on which a list or file is produced, such as magnetic tape, label, or galley. Magnetic tape is used when additional computer processing of the information is planned or when the information requires access only via computer. Labels are used when a mailing piece will be sent to the individuals on a list. Labels are produced in a variety of formats such as cheshire labels, or pressure-sensitive labels, heat-activated labels, and so forth. Galley formats are used when the information must be accessed manually-for example, by a customer service representative.

Fulfillment: arrangement of fields within a computer file or record. See also fixed field.

Printing:

1. General design of an original or printed image or of a completed print product, such as the arrangement of elements on a page or the size and shape of a book. See also composition; graphic design; layout.

2. Page size expressed in terms of the number of pages per signature, usually in multiples of four.

In general: arrangement of data; method of presentation of data.


Computers: method of arranging information that is to be stored or displayed. Format can refer to: (1) how information is stored on a computer disk and (2) making the computer record a pattern of reference marks on a disk. A brand-new disk must always be formatted before it can be used. Formatting a used disk erases any information previously recorded on it. In fortran , the format statement specifies the form in which data items, especially numbers, are to be read or written.

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An AIA standardized arrangement of the contents of the project manual, including bidding information, contract forms, conditions of the contract, and specifications (which are subdivided into the sixteen divisions illustrated under contract documents).

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(DOD, NATO) 1. In photography, the size and/or shape of a negative or of the print therefrom. 2. In cartography, the shape and size of a map or chart.

i. In photography, the size and/or shape of a negative or of the print.
ii. In cartography, the shape and size of a map or chart.

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n

A predetermined computer arrangement of characters, fields, lines, page numbers, punctuation marks, and the like.

For a list of words related to format, see:

• General Technology - format: (vb) prepare disk to receive information; (n) organization of data on disk into tracks and sectors
• Publishing - format: physical dimensions of publication
• Performance, Airplay, and the Recording Industry - format: radio programming style and content
• Television Programming and Institutions - format: specific type of programming provided by station or shown at particular time of day or week
• Radio Programming - format: emphasis and content of broadcasting, such as all-news, country music, talk show, Top 40 call-in, AOR, or classical
• Tools and Techniques - format: negative size, such as 35 mm

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See words rhyming with "format."

Dansk (Danish)
n. - format, fremgangsmåde
v. tr. - formatere, arrangere på en bestemt måde

Nederlands (Dutch)
formaat, in een bepaald formaat gieten, formatteren van een diskette

Français (French)
n. - (TV, Radio) formule, (Comput) format
v. tr. - (Comput) formater

Deutsch (German)
n. - Format
v. - formatieren

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (τυπογρ.) σχήμα/διαστάσεις έντυπου
v. - (τεχνολ.) φορμάρω (προετοιμάζω για χρήση) δισκέτα Η/Υ

Italiano (Italian)
formato

Português (Portuguese)
n. - formato (m)
v. - formatar

Русский (Russian)
формат, размер, вид, характер, разметка диска, форматировать

Español (Spanish)
n. - formato, tamaño, forma
v. tr. - (informática) formatear

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - format, utseende
v. - formatera (data)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
开本, 形式, 版式, 安排...的格局, 格式化

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 開本, 形式, 版式
v. tr. - 安排...的格局, 格式化

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 체재, 형
v. tr. - ~의 포맷을 지정하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 体裁, 構成, 様式

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) شكل , حجم (فعل) يصمم , يشكل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮תבנית, פורמט‬
v. tr. - ‮תבנית, פורמט‬

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