File Extension Database

Open DVI File

DVI files, or Device Independent files, are commonly associated with the TeX typesetting software, designed for creating complex documents, particularly those with large amounts of mathematical notation. These files contain information about layout and formatting, which can later be translated for display or printing on devices such as screens and printers. Understandably, it can be pretty confusing to know how to open and utilize these files, so this article aims to break down the process and shed some light on the available formats in order to manipulate DVI files effectively.

TeX and DVI Files

TeX is a popular typesetting system created by Donald Knuth in 1978, primarily for dealing with mathematical and scientific documents. LaTeX, a macro package based on TeX, is commonly used to create such documents. When TeX processes a LaTeX source file, it generates a DVI file containing the output. DVI files can then be displayed on the screen, converted to other formats, or printed. For more information about TeX and LaTeX, visit the LaTeX Project website.

Viewing and Converting DVI Files

To open and view a DVI file, you'll need a DVI viewer. One widely-used viewer for Windows is MiKTeX, which comes with a built-in DVI viewer called Yap. For MacOS, MacTeX is a popular LaTeX distribution that includes TeX Live and TeXShop as DVI viewers.

Once you've installed a DVI viewer, you can open the DVI file directly with the viewer. You may also want to convert your DVI files to other formats such as PostScript or PDF, which are more accessible and wide-spread file formats. The DVI-to-PostScript (dvips) command-line utility can be used to convert DVI files to PostScript. After that, you can either view the PostScript file with a PostScript viewer, such as Ghostscript, or use a PostScript-to-PDF converter like ps2pdf to generate a PDF file that can be viewed using any standard PDF reader.

DVI Editors and Tools

Edit your LaTeX source files instead of modifying DVI files directly. After making changes to the LaTeX source file, recompile it with TeX to generate an updated DVI file. Some popular LaTeX editors include TeXstudio, Texmaker, and Overleaf (which is an online LaTeX editor).

DVI File Important Information

DVI files are a crucial part of the TeX typesetting system and widely used in scientific and academic communities for their flexibility and power in handling complex mathematical notation. However, these files are not meant to be edited directly. Instead, edit their corresponding LaTeX source files and then regenerate the DVI files from the updated sources. By understanding the formats and ways to open, view, and convert DVI files, users can now effectively work with this unique file type and harness the power of the TeX typesetting system.

How Can I Open DVI File on Windows

We researched and learned that the best way to open DVI file is to find a DVI file in question in Windows OS File Explorer and double click on it to launch the corresponding application.
If a DVI file is not opened in an application and you instead get a "Windows can't open a file" error message you should try looking for an application which can open the file in question.
If you know the application which can open DVI file then run it and see if there is a File->Open main menu option in the application.
If you don't know the application which function as DVI file opener then try to search online for "DVI viewer", "application to open DVI file" or "open DVI file" queries in the search engine you like.
Install the application you found and check if it can open DVI file

How Can I Open DVI File on Mac OS

We recommend to find a DVI file in question in Mac OS Finder and double click on it to launch the corresponding application.
If a DVI file is not opened in a Mac OS application and you instead get a "There is no application set to open the file" error message you can click on "Search App Store" in the error dialog and Mac OS will show you applications compatible with DVI file.
If you know the Mac OS application which can work as DVI file opener you can choose the "Choose Application..." option in the error box to associate the file extension and open DVI file in it.
If you don't know the application which can open DVI file then try to search for "DVI viewer", "application to open DVI file" or "read DVI file" queries in the online search engine you like.
Install the application you found and check if it can read DVI file

How Can I Open DVI File on Android

If you downloaded a DVI file on Android device you can open it by following steps below:

In the Android apps list on your Android device find "My Files" or "File manager" app and tap to start it.
Tap on "Downloads" folder inside the app.
You should see your downloaded DVI file in that folder.
Tap on the file. If Android device supports opening the file you downloaded it will open in the corresponding app.
If file does not open you can look for the corresponding app that can open the file by searching Android App Store for the "DVI".
If you cannot open the file with the apps from Android App Store it is possible that the file could only be opened on desktop platforms such as Windows or Mac OS. Try searching for "DVI viewer", "DVI file reader" online and see if any desktop applications can open it.
It is also possible that the file you downloaded is outdated and is no longer supported.

How to Open DVI File on iPhone or iPad

To open DVI File on iOS device follow steps below:

We advies to open Files app on your iPhone or iPad device. You can find it by swiping down on the home screen and typing "Files" in the search bar.
Tap on the Downloads folder on the Files app home screen.
You will see all files that you recently downloaded. Tap on the DVI file to view it.
If you have the right app that can open it it will automatically launch and open your file.
If you don't have the app which can open it you need to serch Apple app store for "DVI". This way you can find apps which can open DVI files.
If this doesn't help it is possible that your file could be opened only by the desktop application. To find an app which can open it on desktop look for "DVI viewer" or "DVI file" online in your favorite search engine.

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