ROFF magic bytes (.roff)
.roff file signature: 2E 5C 22 | text/troff
ROFF is a text formatting language originally developed at Bell Labs and later maintained through Unix and GNU groff implementations. It is used to prepare manuals, technical documentation, and printed or paginated text for systems such as nroff and troff. As a legacy Unix format, ROFF files are generally safe to process, though they may contain escape sequences and macros that require compatible interpreters.
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
2E 5C 22
Sources: Apache Tika
All Known Signatures
5 signature variants are documented for .roff files across multiple sources.
| Hex Signature | Offset | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2E 5C 22 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 27 5C 22 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 27 2E 5C 22 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 5C 22 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 27 27 27 | 0 | Apache Tika |
Validation Code
How to validate .roff files in Python
def is_roff(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid ROFF by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x2E, 0x5C, 0x22])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(3) == signatureHow to validate .roff files in Node.js
function isROFF(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x2E, 0x5C, 0x22]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 3).equals(signature);
}How to validate .roff files in Go
func IsROFF(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x2E, 0x5C, 0x22}
if len(data) < 3 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:3], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/roff
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/roff
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .roff file?
A .roff file is identified by the magic bytes 2E 5C 22 at byte offset 0. ROFF is a text formatting language originally developed at Bell Labs and later maintained through Unix and GNU groff implementations. It is used to prepare manuals, technical documentation, and printed or paginated text for systems such as nroff and troff. As a legacy Unix format, ROFF files are generally safe to process, though they may contain escape sequences and macros that require compatible interpreters.
What are the magic bytes for .roff files?
The magic bytes for ROFF (.roff) files are 2E 5C 22 at byte offset 0. These bytes identify the file format more reliably than the extension alone.
How do I validate a .roff file?
To validate a .roff file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (2E 5C 22) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .roff files?
The primary MIME type for .roff files is text/troff.
Is it safe to open .roff files?
ROFF (.roff) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.