Is changing the file extension the same thing as converting?

[Lightworker]

I converted a ton of WAV to OGGs, but I am just curious, if changing the file type is the same thing as converting... then why do people use converters anyway if they could just right click on a file and rename the filetype?

[Keinart]

It's not the same, you are just changing the name, but it will still be a wav, ogg or mp3 or whatever at the end.

[Zetsubou]

It is not the same thing.

For text formatted files, like source code files, "converting" can indeed be as simple as changing the extension.
In those cases, it depends on the format of the contents.
For example, a valid .py file may or may not also be a valid .rpy file.

For binary formats like WAV and OGG, you cannot convert between them by simply changing the expression.

If you need a more in-depth explanation of file formats and format-shifting, use a search engine. There's plenty of information on the subject, but this isn't the place to find it.

[Lightworker]

Thanks!

[Shakezula]

The extension itself just tells your computer what type of file it is, and therefore what program to use to open it.

As text files are mostly the same - just bits of characters and spaces, the file extension is merely a decorator.

audio files are different, and the bits inside vary based on the encoding, compression, and meta tags.

you can convert your files to .ogg online using this website however: http://audio.online-convert.com/convert-to-ogg