What is a TXT file? [+ How to Open and Use]

What is a TXT file?

A TXT file is a text document in an unformatted and plaintext file format.

Produced from the word 'text', TXT files are often utilized for note-taking, programming, or saving information in a simple and readable format.

TXT files are highly compatible, and can be opened with nearly any text editor on any operating system.

What are TXT files for?

TXT files serve as a straightforward method for storing written information. They are commonly used for storing notes or readable documents, and can also be employed for scripting purposes.

For instance, configuration details for a software program could be stored in a TXT file. Developers use such files to feed configuration parameters into their software.

But, you don't have to be a software engineer to use a TXT file. You can put anything you want in them! But, you can't format anything that goes in a TXT file. Formatting like alignment, bullet points, bold and italic text has to be done in a rich text format like DOCX or RTF.

How to Open TXT files?

TXT files can be opened using most text editors or word processing applications. Some commonly used applications include Microsoft Notepad, TextEdit on Mac, and Linux text editors (like emacs and vim).

On Windows, you can use Notepad++ which offers advanced options for text editing. TXT files can be opened with Google Docs in an online environment. You can easily open a TXT file using your browser too.

What other file types are related to TXT files?

There are several file types similar to or associated with TXT files. Here is a list of few file types related to the TXT:

• DOC file
• PDF file
• RTF file
• HTML file

These files serve similar purposes as TXT files but offer more features revolving around document creation and formatting.

How to Open a TXT File in Excel [In 5 Steps]

Opening a TXT file in Microsoft Excel is a useful skill for analyzing and manipulating text data within a spreadsheet format. Excel can import TXT files and parse their contents into columns and rows based on delimiters such as commas, tabs, or other characters. This process allows for easier data analysis and management compared to a standard text editor. Here's how to open a TXT file in Excel:

1. Start Excel:
2. • Launch Microsoft Excel. If you're planning to add a TXT file to an existing spreadsheet, open that file. Otherwise, start with a new, blank workbook.
2. Open the TXT File:
3. • Navigate to the "File" menu in the top-left corner of Excel, and click on "Open."
   • In the Open dialog box, navigate to the folder containing your TXT file. If you don't immediately see the TXT file, make sure the file type dropdown next to the File Name search bar is set to "All Files (.)".
   • Select the TXT file you wish to open and click "Open."
3. Text Import Wizard:
4. • After choosing to open a TXT file, Excel will launch the Text Import Wizard to guide you through the process of importing your text data.
   • Step 1: Choose the type of data. The most common options are "Delimited" (where columns are separated by a specific character, like a comma or tab) or "Fixed Width" (where columns are aligned in fixed positions). Select the option that matches your data structure and click "Next."
   • Step 2 (for Delimited files): Choose the delimiters your text file uses, such as tabs, semicolons, commas, or spaces. Excel will provide a data preview to help you select the correct delimiter. If your file uses a unique delimiter not listed, you can specify it in the "Other" option.
   • Step 2 (for Fixed Width files): Set the column breaks in the data preview section. Excel will attempt to guess where the breaks should be, but you can adjust them by clicking to add or remove break lines.
   • Step 3: Choose the data format for each column. You can select "General," "Text," or "Date," or you can choose to skip a column if you don't want it imported. After configuring the column formats, click "Finish."
4. Finalizing the Import:
5. • Excel will ask where you want to place the data. You can choose to insert it into the existing worksheet, at a specified cell, or into a new worksheet. Make your selection and click "OK."
5. Adjusting the Data:
6. • Once your TXT file data is imported into Excel, you may need to make adjustments such as resizing columns, changing formatting, or correcting any data that didn't import as expected.

How to Make a TXT File on Mac [2 Ways]

There are two easy ways to make a TXT file on Mac. You can either use TextEdit or a terminal.

Let's get started with the simple approach of using TextEdit.

How to Create a TXT File Using TextEdit

TextEdit is a text editing application that comes pre-installed on all Mac computers. It can be used to create simple text documents or more complex RTF (Rich Text Format) documents.

1. Open TextEdit:
2. • Navigate to your Applications folder and double-click on TextEdit, or use Spotlight Search (Command + Space) to find and open TextEdit.
2. Configure TextEdit for Plain Text:
3. • By default, TextEdit opens in rich text mode. To create a TXT file, you need to switch to plain text mode. Go to the "Format" menu at the top of the screen and select "Make Plain Text" (Shortcut: Shift + Command + T).
3. Write Your Text:
4. • Once in plain text mode, you can begin typing or paste the text into the new document.
4. Save the TXT File:
5. • After typing your text, go to the "File" menu and select "Save," or press Command + S.
   • In the save dialog, choose the location where you want to save the file, enter a name for your file, and ensure the format is set to "Plain Text (.txt)".
   • Click "Save" to create your TXT file.

How to Create a TXT File Using Terminal

For users comfortable with the command line, the Terminal app offers a quick way to create text files.

1. Open Terminal:
2. • Open Terminal by going to Applications > Utilities > Terminal, or use Spotlight Search to find and open it.
2. Navigate to the Desired Directory:
3. • Use the cd command to navigate to the folder where you want to create your TXT file. For example, cd Desktop will change your current directory to the Desktop.
3. Create the TXT File:
4. • To create a new TXT file, type touch filename.txt, replacing "filename" with the desired name of your file. This command creates an empty TXT file.
   • To add text to your file, you can use the echo command. For example, echo "This is a text file." > filename.txt will write the quoted text into the file. If the file doesn't exist, it will be created.
4. Edit the TXT File (Optional):
5. • If you want to edit your TXT file directly from Terminal, you can use a command-line text editor like nano or vi. For example, typing nano filename.txt will open the file in the nano editor, allowing you to edit the content.

How to Convert an Excel Spreadsheet to a TXT File

You can convert an Excel spreadsheet to a TXT file by using the "Save as type" feature and choosing a delimited file type (such as CSV or TSV). This works to convert both XLS and XLSX files to TXT files.

To get started, follow these steps:

1. Open Your Excel File:
2. • Start by opening the Excel file (.xlsx or .xls) that you wish to convert to a text file.
2. Save As Text:
3. • Once your file is open, click on "File" in the top-left corner of Excel, then select "Save As."
   • In the "Save As" dialog box, navigate to the location where you want to save the new file.
   • Click on the "Format" dropdown menu or the "Save as type" dropdown menu (depending on your version of Excel) and select "Text (Tab delimited) (.txt)" or "CSV (Comma delimited) (.csv)" if you prefer a comma as your delimiter.
   • Note: While CSV is another type of text file, using the "Text (Tab delimited)" option will directly save your file as a TXT file with tabs as separators.
3. Naming Your File:
4. • Enter a name for your text file in the "File Name" field.
4. Save and Convert:
5. • After choosing the format and naming your file, click "Save."
   • Excel may prompt you with a warning that some features might be lost if you save the file as a TXT file. Since TXT files cannot contain multiple sheets or certain formatting options, ensure that you have selected the correct data and that it’s formatted appropriately for a text file.
   • Click "OK" or "Yes" to proceed with the conversion.
5. Check the TXT File:
6. • Navigate to the location where you saved your TXT file and open it with a text editor (such as Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac) to verify that the conversion was successful and the data is formatted as expected.