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INI Files

INI files, short for Initialization files, are configuration files used in various software applications to store settings and preferences. They are particularly popular in Microsoft Windows operating systems but are also used across other platforms due to their simplicity and human readability.

Structure

An INI file typically follows this structure:

History

The INI file format was first introduced with the Windows operating system. Microsoft used these files for system configuration, with the most famous being the WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files in early versions of Windows. Here's a brief timeline:

Usage

INI files are commonly used for:

Advantages

Disadvantages

Alternatives

With the evolution of configuration file formats, alternatives like JSON, YAML, and XML have gained popularity due to their ability to handle more complex data structures:

However, INI files continue to be used due to their legacy support and simplicity for small-scale configurations.

References

  1. Microsoft Windows 1.0

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