What is the difference between binary files and text files? [Full Info]

Text files and binary files are two types of data storage formats used in computers. At the user level, the main difference between binary files and text files lies in the fact that text files store data in a human-readable format, whereas binary files store it in a binary form, represented as zeros and ones.

When you open a text file, you can see data that makes sense to a regular human being. Similarly, if you open a binary file – typically an image or video file – in a text editor, you see gibberish. These files can only be understood when opened in an image or video viewer application, where they are translated into data that matters to us. Computer algorithms can understand these files.

Text files and binary files are integral parts of computer programs, working in tandem according to an application's requirements to ensure smooth performance on a computer. These files are present in almost all desktop and mobile applications to make software function correctly. In this article, we will briefly explore what these files are and the differences between them.

What is a binary file?

Let's explore how data is stored in binary files and processed by computers.

Binary files store data in sequences of bytes, which are composed of streams of bits grouped in sets of eight or sixteen. These files are primarily used to store custom data for applications, and sometimes they are employed to hold various types of data like images, audio, text, and more.

The developers who create these custom file formats design supporting applications that translate the binary information into something meaningful. For example, a binary file might store five audio recordings in a text format. If you opened that file in a text editor, you'd see a string of binary data that doesn't make much sense. However, if the developers created an audio player application that understands how to translate and play those binary data as sound, you could hear the recordings.

Binary files often contain header information, like .jpg or .png, indicating the type of data they store. The data in these files is encoded in 1s and 0s, making them more secure since this information isn't easily readable. Because they're stored in memory according to their bit size (akin to memory storage), they take up significantly less space.

The downside of binary files is that a simple error in the data can corrupt the entire file, and such errors are hard to correct. However, you can learn how to prevent data corruption beforehand. . To transfer a binary file from one computer to another, the file must undergo many internal changes and representations. Ordinary users should always have a convertible support system to view the data within a binary file.

What is a TXT file?

Text files store data in ASCII character format, comprising letters or any form understandable by humans. The data in text files is a sequence of characters, numbers, and other special symbols. Text files are simple and standardized, making them easy for anyone to understand and edit. Typically, they have file extensions like .txt or .c. Formats like JSON are also text files, containing code meaningful to those proficient in programming languages.

This image demonstrates an example of a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) text file. JSON is a lightweight data interchange format commonly used for transmitting data between web services and applications. In this example, the file contains an object (enclosed in curly braces {}), which consists of multiple key-value pairs. Each pair is composed of a key and its corresponding value, separated by a colon, with commas separating different key-value pairs.

Since they contain easily understandable data, they do not require auxiliary applications to view them. A simple text editor can open and edit them. And if errors occur, they are easy to identify and fix.

Text files are generally less secure than binary ones. However, data is less likely to become corrupted, as unexpected changes in the information can be detected and removed if needed. You will also find text files that support applications on your device, processed by system software alongside binary files. These are everyday files like Word documents, PDFs, and so on.

The main disadvantage of text files is that they take up more space, because text files save information in ASCII format, which is more space-consuming than a sequence of binary bits.

What is the difference between binary files and text files?

Text files and binary files mainly differ in the way they store information. In the table below, we'll highlight some key differences between binary files and text files.

These are some of the key differences between binary and text files, which help us understand them better.

Last Words

The simple difference between binary and text files lies in how they're encoded. Text files can be considered a subset of binary files that store understandable data. In contrast, the data in a binary file appears encrypted. While you can still view the contents of a binary file using a text editor, the information will look meaningless.

This difference in how data is encoded in text and binary files affects how the data is stored, processed, and viewed on a device.

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