# Card image

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{{Short description|String that represents the content of a computer punch card}}
'''Card image''' is a traditional term for a [character string](/source/string_(computer_science)), usually 80 characters in length, that was, or could be, contained on a single [punched card](/source/punched_card).  IBM cards were 80 characters in length. UNIVAC cards were 90 characters in length. Card image files stored on [magnetic tape](/source/Magnetic_tape_data_storage) or [disk](/source/Hard_disk_drive) were usually used for simulated card input or output.<ref>{{cite web |title=RFC 678: Standard File Formats |url=https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc0678.txt |website=ietf.org |accessdate=June 1, 2019}}</ref>   

A punched card typically held multiple data fields, some numeric, some alphabetic. Many data formats, such as the [FITS](/source/FITS) [image file](/source/image_file) format, still use card images as basic building blocks—even though punched cards are now mostly obsolete.<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of: punch card |url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/49962/punch-card |website=PC Magazine |accessdate=Oct 2, 2019}}</ref>

==References==
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Category:Computer data storage
Category:Punched card
Category:History of software

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Card image](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_image) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_image?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.