Program information file

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File Format
Name Program information file
Ontology
Extension(s) .pif
Released ~1984

A Program information file (PIF) is used by multitasking environments, mainly Microsoft Windows, to describe how to open a legacy DOS program. It contains things like the amount of available memory (conventional, high, extended, expanded), the number of rows and columns of ASCII output on screen, mouse capture, full screen mode, behaviour of the window after program termination, etc.

The original 369-byte version of the format comes from TopView by IBM. Essentially the same format is used by Windows 1 and 2. An extended version of the format is used by Windows 3+. A different extension is DESQview Program Information File.

Contents

Identification

PIF files for Windows 3+ have ASCII "MICROSOFT PIFEX", followed by byte 0x00, at offset 369.

There doesn't seem to be a simple way to identify the original 369-byte format.

Specifications

Sample files

Old format:

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