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Everything about COM file

Type of simple executable file

A COM file is a type of simple executable file. On the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VAX operating systems of the 1970s, .COM was used as a filename extension for text files containing commands to be issued to the operating system. With the introduction of Digital Research's CP/M, the type of files commonly associated with COM extension changed to that of executable files. This convention was later carried over to DOS. Even when complemented by the more general EXE file format for executables, the compact COM files remained viable and frequently used under DOS. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: COM fileA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: OME-Zarr: a cloud-optimized bioimaging file format with international community supportInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: Learning PerlThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: The protein data bank: A computer-based archival file for macromolecular structuresCited 6,820 times
  5. Go sideways: Fat binaryA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: Program Segment PrefixA closely related topic

📖 Definitions

No dictionary entry for this exact phrase.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. DOS binary format
  2. Large programs
  3. Platform support
  4. Use for compatibility reasons
  5. Execution preference
  6. Malicious usage of the .com extension

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

📚 Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

🔗 Related topics