Software tool identifies file formats of digital
files.
The U.K. National Archives has released PRONOM 4, the latest
version of its web-based technical registry to support long-term digital
preservation. PRONOM 4 now holds detailed technical information about
individual file formats, including links to the full format
specifications where available and supports the use of unique
identifiers. The new version also introduces digital record object
identification (DROID), the first in a planned series of tools that use
the content of the registry to provide specialized preservation
services. DROID is an automatic file format identification tool that
uses byte signatures stored in PRONOM to identify and report the
specific file format versions of digital files.
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