.P File Extension

A P file is a pickle file created by pickle, a Python module used for converting Python objects to a byte representation for storage on disk or transfer over a network. It allows for objects to be conveniently stored or transmitted without first having to convert the data to another format. P files can be "unpickled" and loaded back into program memory during runtime.

You will most likely only encounter Python pickle P files if you use the pickle module to convert a Python object hierarchy into a byte stream. This may also be referred to as "serialization." The Python scripting language is typically used for programming web applications and dynamic web content.

NOTE: P files may also be saved as .PICKLE files.

You can use Python pickle (multiplatform) to read the data serialized in a P file. For more detailed instructions, refer to pickle's documentation.

A P file may also be a source code file written in the Pascal programming language. It contains Pascal source code that can be edited with a Pascal development program or a basic text editor. P files can be compiled into executable programs using a Pascal compiler such as Turbo Pascal.

Pascal was originally developed in the late 1960s and published in 1970 by Niklaus Wirth. It is a procedural language that has led to several different variants such as Super Pascal and Pascal Sol. Object Pascal is also an extension of Pascal that was developed in 1985 and designed for object-oriented programming at Apple Computer. P files are one of several files used to store Pascal source code, along with the more common .PAS file.

Plugin file used by LightWave 3D, a 3D modeling and rendering application for animations and still images; stores data and procedures used for extending the software's functionality; often used for auto-generating custom 3D objects and modifying existing object properties.

A P file may also be an image created by Ashton-Tate Applause, a graphics program for MS-DOS used to create business presentations. It contains vector image data for a presentation graphic, which may include text, 3D shapes, and clipart images. P files are primarily used to store business presentations, such as quarterly reviews and strategies.

Ashton-Tate was a software company in the 1980s that was sold to Borland Software Corporation in 1991. One of Ashton-Tate's software offerings was Draw Applause, later renamed Applause (released in 1998), which was a slide-making presentation program. Applause was discontinued in 1991 when Ashton-Tate was absorbed by Borland.

You can open P files with Ashton-Tate Applause by selecting File → Open.... Borland discontinued Applause when it acquired Ashton-Tate in 1991, but the program is still available for download and can only be run in MS-DOS.

A P file contains P-code, which is code saved in a proprietary, obfuscated format supported by The MathWorks MATLAB. It is produced from a MATLAB programming language .M file and contains the same content, such as scripts, classes, and functions, but saved in the executable P-code format to protect the code from other users modifying or copying it. MATLAB users may use P files to perform mathematical operations, create algorithms, and plot graphs from data.

MATLAB is an advanced application with various features to analyze data, develop algorithms, create models, build apps, and more. One of its features is the MATLAB high-level programming language that scientists and engineers use to code various capabilities in the software.

You can convert MATLAB programming language in M files to P-code in P files by typing pcode in the MATLAB Command Window, followed by the name of the M file. For example, if the M file is named func.m, you can type pcode func in the Command Window, and MATLAB will produce a P file bearing the same name as the M file. Remember that once you convert the programming language to P-code, you cannot open or edit it, only execute it.

NOTE: P files generated with MATLAB version 7.4 and earlier are saved in a different format than those generated with newer versions of MATLAB. The older P files do not run in MATLAB V8.6 or later.

You cannot open a P-Code P file since it is saved in a proprietary, obfuscated format not meant to be opened or edited. However, you can invoke P files in the The MathWorks MATLAB Command Window.