What is a binary file?
A. A binary file is a file the bytes of which may contain any of the 256 different possible binary values. We usually distinguish a binary file as any file that is not a text file. A text file is a file that contains only printable characters (usually in the form of words and numbers), plus certain control characters (carriage return, tab etc). There are many types of binary files. Executable files (.EXE, .DLL etc) are binary files. Database files and even word processor documents are normally binary files. To edit a binary file you need a binary file editor such as Hex Edit. See the Hex Edit “Introduction to Binary Files” help topic for more information.
Related Questions
- Why does a record-oriented file I copied from a non-HFS file to an HFS file using OPUT with the BINARY option appear as one long line when edited in HFS?
- I could see my_file.exe.backup file in the same directory where my original binary file is located. Would it be rather safe to store backups there?
- Can I join sections of the same binary file from two different groups or servers?
