A payroll export tool saves employee records as a plain-text file in which each line is one record and commas divide the fields. Which file format is this?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
CSV, or comma-separated values, is a plain-text format in which each line holds one record and delimiter characters separate the fields. Because spreadsheets, databases, and scripts can all read it, it is widely used for tabular exchange. PDF is a fixed-layout document format, TIFF is an image format, and MP3 stores compressed audio, so none of those hold delimited records.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. PDF files preserve page layout for printing and sharing, but their content is not stored as delimited, line-by-line records that software can split into fields.
- B. TIFF is an image format used for scanned pages and photographs. It stores pixels rather than rows and fields, so it cannot represent tabular records.
- D. MP3 is a compressed audio format. It has no concept of records or delimiters, so it cannot hold a payroll export.