Through this guide, you’ll learn exactly what .tab files are and how to open them.

What are .tab files?

TAB files are essentially tab-delimited text or data files. This means they contain tab-separated values. For software developers and app writers, they can be an easy way to store input received from the front end without using a database. The tab spaces act as column separators. This means that it is an easy and quick way to create tabulated data. As a matter of fact, you can create your own .tab file through the use of Notepad. After adding your tab-separated figures in Notepad, save your file with a .tab extension instead of a .txt. A reason as to why they may be unpopular or rare is that they become a little harder to maintain and organize when you’re working with large chunks of information. Nevertheless, applications like MapInfo use .tab files to store graphical information system (GIS) data. Now the question is if you encounter a TAB file, how do you open it?

How do I open a .tab file?

1. Using Notepad

2.  Using Microsoft Excel

As previously stated, working with .tab files with large data sets can be a bit tricky. While Notepad is serviceable for smaller files, you need something a little more powerful for larger files. If you’re the curious type, then the above steps should allow you to see what type of data a program is saving into a .tab file. Hopefully, you’ve also been inspired to create tab-delimited files of your own. If you have any other questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to reach for the comments section below. READ ALSO:

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