Q. Why do some systems stay track of the type of a file while others leave it to the user or simply don't implement multiple file types? Which system is "better?"
Answer: A few systems permit different file operations based on the type of the file (for instance an ascii file can be read as a stream while a database file is able to be read via an index to a block). Erstwhile systems leave such interpretation of a file's data to the process and provide no help in accessing the data. The process that is better depends on the needs of the processes on the system and the demands the users place on the operating system. If a system runs mainly database applications it may be more efficient for the operating system to implement a database type file as well as provide operations rather than making each program implement the same thing (possibly in different ways). For common purpose systems it may be better to only implement basic file types to keep the operating system size smaller and permit maximum freedom to the processes on the system.