Free INI sample files
Simple key = value settings grouped into sections. Old, informal and still everywhere. Download valid INI test files in 4 exact sizes, from 1 KB to 1 MB, each with a checksum.
- Extension
- .ini
- MIME type
- text/plain
- Kind
- Text
- Category
- Configuration
INI files by size
Every file below is a valid INI configuration file file of exactly the stated size. Open a file's page for its checksum and contents, and to preview it in your browser before downloading.
| File | Size | Contents | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 KB INI samplesample-ini-1kb.ini | 1 KB1,024 bytes | Sections: 9 | Download INI |
| 10 KB INI samplesample-ini-10kb.ini | 10 KB10,240 bytes | Sections: 90 | Download INI |
| 100 KB INI samplesample-ini-100kb.ini | 100 KB102,400 bytes | Sections: 888 | Download INI |
| 1 MB INI samplesample-ini-1mb.ini | 1 MB1,048,576 bytes | Sections: 8,933 | Download INI |
What is an INI file?
An INI file holds settings as key and value pairs, grouped under section names in square brackets. It originated in early versions of Windows and survives in php.ini, .gitconfig, systemd units and desktop entries.
There is no formal specification. Implementations disagree on comment characters, quoting, duplicate keys and whether values have types.
How to recognise an INI file
No signature bytes. INI files are identified by parsing their content.
| Extension | .ini |
|---|---|
| MIME type | text/plain |
| Specification | None; behaviour is defined by each parser |
| Comments | ; or # |
| Types | Everything is a string |
| Nesting | One level of sections |
What to test for
These are the behaviours that most often go wrong when software handles INI files.
- Because nothing is standardised, test with the exact parser you ship; a file that one library accepts another may reject.
Strengths of INI
- About as simple as a configuration format can be.
- Readable and editable by anyone with a text editor.
Limitations of INI
- No standard, so parsers disagree on comments, quoting and duplicates.
- No nesting, lists or data types.
Typical uses of INI test files
- Testing configuration readers
- Checking migration to YAML or TOML
- Testing settings import in desktop software
Software that opens INI
- PHP, Git, MySQL and systemd
- configparser (Python), ini (Node.js)
- Windows applications
Related
INI sample files: questions
- Which comment style do the samples use?
- Semicolons, which the widest range of parsers accept.
- What is the MIME type of an INI file?
- The MIME type is text/plain. The file extension is .ini.
- Is a sample INI file the same as a dummy or example INI file?
- Yes. Sample, test, dummy and example INI files are different names for the same thing: an INI file with known contents that stands in for a real one. Any file on this page will do wherever a tutorial or a test plan asks for a dummy INI file.