“file content” vs. “file contents”

Question

I am aware of the difference between content and contents and usually the distinction is clear to me. However I am wondering whether file content or file contents is more correct. On the one hand, the content of a file is a finite sequence of bytes, hence contents would be appropriate. On the other hand, those bytes represent some entity (an image, for example), to which I would refer as the file's content. Is this distinction correct, or am I complicating things too much?

Answer 1

You are correct. "Content" (without the S) implies there's some kind of meaning; not just a string of bytes. If you refer to thefreedictionary.com, the first definition that's NOT shown as synonymous with "contents" is "the substantive or meaningful part"; which in this case is the entity represented by the bytes.

Answer 2

The general usage is File contents (when referring to something contained)

Google Ngram also shows that File contents has an edge over file content