What Is an AST File?

Most AST files are templates used by a spreadsheet or word processor program, but other formats use this same file extension

What to Know

  • Some AST files are templates used by Ability Spreadsheet or WordPerfect.
  • Others are color separation table files used by Adobe programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat.
  • An AST file could also be an audio file used in a Nintendo Wii video game like Super Mario Galaxy.

This article describes all the different file formats that use an AST file, plus how to open and convert each type.

What Is an AST File?

A file with the AST file extension is most likely a template file used by Ability Spreadsheet for creating multiple, similarly formatted Ability Spreadsheet (.AWS) files.

The WordPerfect word processor software also uses AST files as templates, but this program is more commonly associated with WordPerfect templates (.WPT).

If your file isn't associated with a template, it might instead be a separation table used by a few Adobe products for exporting data to the PDF format or to a different program. It looks to be an obsolete format, but you can read a little more information on it in the Adobe Photoshop File Formats Specification.

AST files in Windows 10 that open with Ability Spreadsheet

AST also stands for Audio Stream and may be used on Nintendo's GameCube and Wii video game consoles. AstroGrav simulation data files, ClarisWorks assistant files, and Technics SX-KN6000 Keyboard memory files all have the .AST file extension appended to their files as well.

How to Open an AST File

Ability Spreadsheet, a spreadsheet program that installs as part of the Ability Office suite, is the program used to open AST templates. It's kind of like a ZIP file that holds the file's contents, so you could also use a file unzipper (like 7-Zip) to open one, but doing this will just let you see the different components of the file and not actually use it with Ability Spreadsheet.

Corel's WordPerfect Office Suite is used to open template files made for that software.

AST files used with Adobe products can be opened in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Acrobat.

We're not sure what software, if any, can open Audio Stream AST files used with video game consoles. Something you might try is opening it with VLC, which is a media player known to support lots of audio and video formats. Another option that might work is to use ast_multi, but we don't have any information on how that command-line tool works.

The solar system simulation software AstroGrav opens AST files that are simulation data files.

ClarisWorks assistant files are kind of like templates that the AppleWorks office suite software (originally named ClarisWorks) uses to help build things like calendars, presentations, and business cards. You can open these files with Apple's AppleWorks software, but it's been discontinued since 2007 and may not run on your Mac. It's possible that Apple iWork can open these kinds of AST files, but we're not positive.

Technics Sx-KN6000 Keyboard memory files have something to do with that piano keyboard. We're unsure what program you need on your computer to use the file, if using it is even possible.

Considering the number of programs that support formats that use the AST extension, you may find that a program you have installed that opens the file isn't the one you'd like to use. In those cases, see How to Change File Associations in Windows for help on what to do.

How to Convert an AST File

Ability Spreadsheet can save an open AST file to a number of formats, like that program's own AWS format, Microsoft Excel's XLSX, XLS, and XLSM formats, and others like WK, DOC, TXT, PDF, and CSV.

WordPerfect can surely convert AST files, too, probably through the menu like a File > Save As option.

There probably isn't any way to convert Adobe color separation table files to any other format. Although it's used in a few Adobe products, we don't see it being functional under any format other than the one it's in.

The AstroGrav software can create a movie of a simulation and save it as an AVI or MOV video file. This is possible through Tools > Create Movie.

For ClarisWorks files, we recommend using the information from above to open the file (if you can) and see if there's an Export or Save As menu anywhere to be found. This is generally how that type of software converts files to other formats.

You might have luck using astConverter to save an AST audio file to some other format. The PlayStory AST to MP3 converter might be useful, too, but we haven't tried it ourselves.

AST files used with a piano keyboard surely need to remain in that file format and so shouldn't be converted.

More common file extensions can usually be converted much easier with a free file converter, but AST files in most of these formats aren't supported by those types of file converters.

Still Can't Open the File?

Two other file formats used by Photoshop include ASE and ASL, and MST and ASF are two non-Photoshop formats that look very similar to AST, but none of those file types can open in the same way as any of the AST files mentioned above.

If you can't open your file using these suggestions, be sure you're not misreading the file extension.

FAQ
  • How to edit a WII AST file?

    AST files contain music and are used in Nintendo Wii games like Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Traditional media players can't open and play these files, but you can convert them to other formats like MP3 and WAV.

  • What is an AST in Python?

    AST stands for "abstract syntax tree." An AST is a representation of code shaped like, you guess it, a tree. It allows a computer programmer to see the structure of source code.

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