catflap.org Online Dictionary Query

  binary file
       
           A file containing binary data,
          i.e.  arbitrary bytes or words, as opposed to a text file
          containing only printable characters (e.g. ASCII characters
          with codes 10, 13, and 32-126).
       
          On modern operating systems a text file is simply a binary
          file that happens to contain only printable characters, but
          some older systems distinguish the two file types, requiring
          programs to handle them differently.
       
          A common class of binary files is programs in machine
          language ("{executable} files") ready to load into memory and
          execute.  Binary files may also be used to store data output
          by a program, and intended to be read by that or another
          program but not by humans.  Binary files are more efficient
          for this purpose because the data (e.g. numerical data) does
          not need to be converted between the binary form used by the
          CPU and a printable (ASCII) representation.  The
          disadvantage is that it is usually necessary to write special
          purpose programs to manipulate such files since most general
          purpose utilities operate on text files.  There is also a
          problem sharing binary numerical data between processors with
          different endianness.
       
          Some communications protocols handle only text files,
          e.g. most electronic mail systems before MIME became
          widespread in about 1995.  The FTP utility must be put into
          "binary" mode in order to copy a binary file since in its
          default "ascii" mode translates between the different text
          line terminator characters used on the sending and receiving
          computers.
       
          Confusingly, some files produced by wordprocessors, and
          rich text files, are actually binary files because they
          contain non-printable characters and require special programs
          to view, edit, and print them.
       
          (2002-01-19)
       
       

  binary file
       n : (computer science) a computer file containing
           machine-readable information that must be read by an
           application; characters use all 8 bits of each byte

  binary file /bˈaɪnəɹi fˈaɪl/
  binární soubor

  binary file /bˈaɪnəɹi fˈaɪl/
  binarna datoteka, dvojčana datoteka

     二进制文件;   (泛指非文字文件,
  如程序、软件、图形文件和声音文件)