What are Script Files?

Commands or instructions written in a scripting language, like JavaScript, VBScript, PHP, AppleScript, etc. are stored in a file format known as “script”. A script file can be written by any simple text editor and then executed by a scripting engine.

A script is generally an automation of a set of tasks that could generally be done by a human operator. A major difference between programs and scripts is that most script languages are interpreted, while programs are compiled.

Popular Script File Extensions

JS — Format: Text
Used to store source code for JavaScript, a popular scripting language used in Web Development. Most commonly, “.JS” files are used to run JavaScript on the client's end.
BAT — Format: Text
A Batch file, also known as a Batch script, is a simple list of commands that can be executed by your computer's operating system in one go when the file is double-clicked.
PIF — Format: Unknown
A Program Information File, it contains necessary info about a program for Microsoft's DOS operating system.
PRI — Format: Binary
Files in the “.PRI” format are resource files compiled by Microsoft's Windows operating system. Containing strings, they are saved in a compiled binary format.
PS1 — Format: Text
A PowerShell scripting file, PS1 is similar to a batch file in terms of how it works. A batch files contains a list of instructions for the MS-DOS-based Command interpreter to run, while a file with a “.PS1” extension can be directly run by the Windows PowerShell, a dedicated command-line shell and scripting language for Windows.

Top Script File Extensions

File Extension	Total Number of Files	Oldest File (Date)	Latest File (Date)
BAT	381	msdtcvtr.bat (09/18/2006)	CollectSyncLogs.bat (03/30/2020)
PS1	399	HTInteractiveRes.ps1 (06/10/2009)	Microsoft.PowerShell.ODataV4Adapter.ps1 (03/04/2020)
PRI	345	resources.pri (07/25/2012)	resources.pri (03/30/2020)
JS	8775	currency.js (11/02/2006)	style.js (03/30/2020)
PIF	3	_default.pif (04/14/2008)	W3DemoUnin.pif (11/23/2019)
VBS	131	prnmngr.vbs (11/02/2006)	OSPP.VBS (03/04/2020)

What are Script Files?

Popular Script File Extensions

File Database Breakdown - Script File Extensions

Top Script File Extensions