Files with the .LST extension usually contain lists of data, saved in pure text form or in binary form.

Files with this extension don’t follow one standardized format, as they are used in different ways by different programs, which apply different encoding formats to files with the same extension. Good examples of programs that use LST files are Microsoft Visual Studio and various text editors. The data contained in LST files can be a list of files for installation by an installation wizard, a spreadsheet or a database that has been exported from a different program. If the LST file cannot be opened using a text editor, rendering it unreadable, it means that the text has been encoded in binary form and can only be opened using the right software.