File signature

From HandWiki
Revision as of 05:06, 15 June 2021 by imported>John Stpola (update)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Short description: Data used to identify or verify the content of a file

In computing, a file signature is data used to identify or verify the contents of a file. In particular, it may refer to:

  • File magic number: bytes within a file used to identify the format of the file; generally a short sequence of bytes (most are 2-4 bytes long) placed at the beginning of the file; see list of file signatures
  • File checksum or more generally the result of a hash function over the file contents: data used to verify the integrity of the file contents, generally against transmission errors or malicious attacks. The signature can be included at the end of the file or in a separate file.

External links