data file
(also datafile), n.
A collection of information for use on a computer that is treated as a unit for storage.
Notes
Some applications may store one or many files within a larger file or in a database. For example, a file compression utility may pack several files into what the operating system sees as a single file; the operating system may not be able to access the compressed files until they are extracted. A records management application or document management application may store files within a database, providing users controlled access to those files through the application rather than through the operating system.
