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ANS File - What is an .ans file and how do I open it?
Learn about .ANS files and view a list of programs that open them.
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What is an ANS file? An ANS file is a text file that contains ANSI escape codes, which are special characters used to control text color, formatting, and cursor position in a text-mode screen. It contains plain text and may include text-based graphics, where characters and colors combine to form images. Although an ANS file is plain text, it only displays correctly in software that understands and interprets ANSI control codes.
More Information ANSI formatting became common on DOS systems, bulletin board systems (BBSes), and early terminal programs, where it allowed colorful screens and structured layouts instead of plain monochrome text. People used ANS files to create BBS welcome screens, menus, logos, and simple artwork, while developers used ANSI codes to make console output easier to read and more organized. Today, ANS files are mostly used by retro computing enthusiasts, ANSI artists, and users working in terminal environments.
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DeveloperHotDocs
Popularity2.3 | 4 Votes
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.ANS File Extension
2 file types use the .ans file extension.
ANSI Text File
| Developer | N/A |
| Popularity |
3.8 | 29 Votes |
What is an ANS file?
An ANS file is a text file that contains ANSI escape codes, which are special characters used to control text color, formatting, and cursor position in a text-mode screen. It contains plain text and may include text-based graphics, where characters and colors combine to form images. Although an ANS file is plain text, it only displays correctly in software that understands and interprets ANSI control codes.
More Information
ANSI formatting became common on DOS systems, bulletin board systems (BBSes), and early terminal programs, where it allowed colorful screens and structured layouts instead of plain monochrome text. People used ANS files to create BBS welcome screens, menus, logos, and simple artwork, while developers used ANSI codes to make console output easier to read and more organized. Today, ANS files are mostly used by retro computing enthusiasts, ANSI artists, and users working in terminal environments.
How to open an ANS file
You can open ANS files with a standard text editor to view its raw contents, but the colors and layout will not appear correctly. To see the file as intended, open it with an ANSI-capable terminal or viewer, such as DOSBox, modern terminal emulators with ANSI support, or dedicated ANSI art viewing tools.
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Programs that open ANS files
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DOSBox
Free
Any text editor
Windows
Microsoft Notepad
Included with OS
Mac
Apple TextEdit
Included with OS
Linux
Vim
Free
gedit
Free
Category: Text Files
Updated: December 19, 2025
HotDocs Binary Answer File
| Developer | HotDocs |
| Popularity |
2.3 | 4 Votes |
File created by HotDocs, a document preparation application; saves "answers" that can be used for filling fields in a HotDocs form document ( .HFD or .HPD file); saved using binary formatting whereas the newer .ANX format uses XML formatting.
More Information
NOTE: ANS files were used primarily by older versions of HotDocs. However, recent versions still support saving and loading ANS files in addition to ANX files.
Programs that open ANS files
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HotDocs
Paid
Category: Data Files
Updated: July 7, 2011