Мetafile
A metafile describes how essence, data, and metadata are stored, but the metafile does not describe how that information is coded. In computer data systems, metafile is a term that is generically used to mean a file format that stores multiple types of data.
Metafile – a file format that can hold other types of files [Collins English Dictionary].
A metafile is a file that contains specifications for another file. Metafiles are commonly associated with digital graphics, particularly vector images. However, metafiles can contain other formats, such as bitmaps or other data. Metafiles that contain audio, video, and (in some cases) text are often referred to as container files.
The word "metafile" basically translates to "beyond" or "before" file. With that, the metafile is meant to serve some outside function to an existing file. The use of the word "file" to explain electronically stored data can be traced back to an RCA advertisement for electron tubes in 1950. Since then, files have broadly expanded in format, function, and capability. The metafile is typically used to outline specifications for a graphic image file, but metafiles have also evolved to perform other functions over the years [Techopedia].
Paulsen, K. (April 15, 2011). Moving Media Storage Technologies: Applications & Workflows for Video and Media Server Platforms. (1st ed., p. 225). Waltham: Focal Press.
Metafile. (2023). Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved from: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/metafile
Metafile. (2023). Techopedia. Technology Dictionary. Retrieved from: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1844/metafile