Text File Previews

The Files.com web interface previews text-based documents including source code files, structured data files, unformatted text files, and markdown files. Source code files include syntax highlighting for most language types.

Required Permission for Text File Previews

Users with the List/Preview permission can preview all text file formats listed in the table above, including CSV, TXT, XML, and all supported markdown variants. Custom text file extensions added through your site's Viewer & Editor settings are also previewable for List/Preview users. Previewing a text file is read-logged, the same as any other file read. Users with List/Preview permission cannot download the file. Only the rendered text content is accessible in the preview window.

Additional Text File Extensions

Site Administrators can customize your site's Viewer & Editor settings to supply additional file extensions that use the text previewer.

One common reason to enable this option is to prevent automatic conversion of a delimited file, such as CSV, to a spreadsheet file. Viewing CSV files directly avoids problems with large numbers or non-standard date formats.

Another reason to add an extension to your previewer is when a system produces plain text files with a nonstandard extension. For example, if you transfer a delimited text file for invoices that ends in the extension .inv, you cannot preview those files without adding the extension to your site's settings.

Supported Source Code Languages

Our previewer supports the associated files of over 280 programming languages. Source files using standard extensions preview within Files.com with automatic syntax highlighting.

For source code files that do not use a standard extension, add that extension as a custom text file extension for your site. You can then preview the files within Files.com, though without automatic syntax highlighting.