PicTracker reads and writes TSV (Tab Separated Value) files. This is a standard text readable file format with each line of data separated by a CR character (or LF or CRLF), and individual fields separated by a TAB character (ASCII control code 9). The TSV file format is registered as an Internet media type (MIME) under the name text/tab-separated-values, and is readable by most text editor, spreadsheet, and database programs. TAB characters rarely occur in data fields, and do not occur in any major operating system file names. The files are self-documenting in that they include a header that defines the column types. Thus the number of fields and the field order does not effect readability, and any unused fields can be skipped.
PicTracker TSV files contains the name of each field separated by a TAB character in the first line. The current field names are: Name, Size, CRC32, Path, Status, and Transform (case independent). The second line of data contains information on the collection, specifically including the collection path in the Path field. The file data begins on the third line. File paths use a colon to separate subdirectories.
The CRC value used by PicTracker is a 32 bit CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Code), or checksum, which is commonly used for file verification. There is a very high probability that this number will be unique for each file in a collection, however PicTracker also uses the file size as an additional verification check.
PicTracker can open and save to the following list verification formats:
| Format | Import | Export |
| CRC |
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| CSV |
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| Extended CSV |
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| SFV |
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| TSV |
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CSV (Comma Separated Value) format files represent files as one line: file name, size, CRC, path (Extended CSV), status (optional). File names containing commas are double quoted, and path names are bracketed with back slashes. Subdirectories within file paths are separated with back slashes. Lines of data are separated by a CRLF sequence.
SFV (Simple File Verification) files do not contain file sizes. CRC and SFV file formats were designed for DOS file names and can generate errors, especially if multiple adjacent spaces occur in file names.
PicTracker requires QuickTime for most picture formats. PicTracker can open and save to the following graphics file types:
| Format | Import | Export |
| BMP |
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| JPEG |
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| JPEG 2000 Image |
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| MacPaint |
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| BMP |
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| Photoshop |
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| PICT |
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| PNG |
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| QuickTime Image |
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| SGI Image |
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| TGA |
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| BMP |
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Some image formats in addition to those noted below may be viewable, although drag and drop may not work. Multiple page support is not provided for PDFs.
If you wish your file and folder names to be readable on multiple platforms it is necessary to be aware of a few naming issues. A file path gives a file's location within nesting folders. The folders and file name are separated by a path separator. On Macintosh this is a : (colon), on Windows a \ (backslash), and on Unix a / (forward slash). A system's path separator can not be used in it's file names.
Illegal characters in Windows file names include: \ (backslash), / (forward slash), : (colon), * (asterisk), ? (question mark), " (double quotes), < (left angle bracket), > (right angle bracket), | (pipe). A : (colon) is illegal on Macintosh, and a / (forward slash) is illegal on Unix.
Other characters are less likely to be an issue, however ^;,!+{}&[] may ocassionally cause problems, as can ASCII characters above 126 (generally entered with the Alt or Option key), such as a • (bullet = ASCII #149). A period at the beginning of a file name is illegal on the Macintosh, and spaces and periods should used with caution. A _ (underscore) is a good substitute for a space.
Length restrictions are less of an issue than in the past, and it is unrealistic to use the old DOS style names, however excessively long names should be avoided. ISO 9660 CDs burned using the Joliet standard for Windows have a 64 character limit for file paths, and Macintosh OS 9 names are restricted to 31 characters.