A binary file is any file stored on a computer or related media. Any and all computer data is stored in binary form — that is, it consists of ones and zeros. Computer files that have only textual information are simpler than other files, such as those that store images, for instance. Therefore, a distinction is often made between text files and all other file types, and the term “binary file” typically refers to the latter.
Computer data is often broken up into characters, and each is called a byte of information. The word “Hi” is broken up into two characters — “H” and “i” — which can be represented as numbers 72 and 105. These numbers are then stored in a computer file in binary form as 01001000 and 01101001.
Text files may contain textual characters such as H, i, period, space, symbols, as well as information such as tab placement and start of a new line. Formatting information can be coded in a text file, for example,