Plain Text Files vs Rich Text Format

Developers should use plain text files for configuration, logging, and data exchange because they are lightweight, easy to parse programmatically, and compatible with virtually all operating systems and tools meets developers should learn rtf when working with document processing, text editors, or applications that need to export or import formatted text across different platforms or software versions. Here's our take.

Plain Text Files

Nice Pick

Developers should use plain text files for configuration, logging, and data exchange because they are lightweight, easy to parse programmatically, and compatible with virtually all operating systems and tools

Pros

• They are essential for version control systems like Git, which rely on text-based diffs, and for scripting and automation tasks where readability and simplicity are prioritized over complex formatting
• Related to: file-io, encoding-formats

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Rich Text Format

Developers should learn RTF when working with document processing, text editors, or applications that need to export or import formatted text across different platforms or software versions

Pros

• It is particularly useful for generating reports, creating formatted text in applications without full word processing capabilities, or ensuring compatibility in legacy systems where simple formatting is required
• Related to: document-processing, text-editing

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Plain Text Files is a concept while Rich Text Format is a tool. We picked Plain Text Files based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Plain Text Files wins

Based on overall popularity. Plain Text Files is more widely used, but Rich Text Format excels in its own space.