How to create a text file

I’ve heard a lot about text files. All my friends are singing the praises of txt. What are text files? How can I make one?

Text files are perhaps one of the most common types of files around — they’re pure text and nothing more. Text files don’t contain formatting, layouts, images, or any other bells and whistles. This makes them small in size, and perfect for quick notes, short reminders, and other such uses.

You can create a text file with Windows’ default text editor, Notepad. First, start up Notepad by following these steps:

1. Click Start
2. Click All Programs
3. Click Accessories
4. Click Notepad

When the Notepad window opens, type out your file.

Fig 1. A text file in action

Once you’re finished typing your file, you can save it to any location on your computer. To do so, follow these directions:

1. Click File.
2. Click Save.
3. Give your text file a name and press OK.

Fig 2. Saving a text file

Now, you’ve got a shiny new text file that can be e-mailed to a friend, burned to a CD or DVD, or even compressed into a RAR file.