binary compatible
Having the exact same data format, down to the binary level. That is, two files that are binary compatible will have the same pattern of zeroes and ones in the data portion of the file. The file header, however, may be different.
The term is used most commonly to state that data files produced by one application are exactly the same as data files produced by another application. For example, many software companies now produce applications for Windows and the Macintosh that are binary compatible, which means that a file produced in a Windows environment is interchangeable with a file produced on a Macintosh. This avoids many of the conversion problems caused by importing and exporting data.
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- binary file
A file stored in binary format. A binary file is computer -readable but not human-readable. All executable programs are stored in binary files, as are most numeric data files. In contrast, text files are stored in a form (usually ASCII) that is human-readable.
- binary format
A format for representing data used by some applications. The other main formats for storing data are text formats (such as ASCII and EBCDIC), in which each character of data is assigned a specific code number. Binary formats are used for executable programs and numeric data, whereas text formats are used for textual data. Many […]
- binary tree
A special type of tree structure in which each node has at most two leaves. Binary tree are often used for sorting data, as in a heap sort.
- bind
(1) To assign a value to a symbolic placeholder. During compilation, for example, the compiler assigns symbolic addresses to some variables and instructions. When the program is bound, or linked, the binder replaces the symbolic addresses with real machine addresses. The moment at which binding occurs is called bind time or link time. (2) When […]
- binder
(1) A tool that combines two or more files into a single file, usually for the purpose of hiding one of them. Commonly associated with Trojan horses, where the Trojan is bound to a real file, such as a text file that opens with Notepad or other program. The users believe they are opening a […]