What is the difference between text and binary?

We all use text and binary to store information, but have you ever stopped to think about the differences between them? In this article, we'll explain what text and binary data are, and how they differ.

Text data is any data that is in a readable form by humans. It is typically composed of letters, numbers, symbols and other characters that a computer user can understand. Commonly used examples of text are words in sentences or numbers in CSV spread sheets used for statistical analysis. Text data can also contain embedded codes for formatting or structuring the content, such as HTML tags.

Binary data on the other hand are strings of 0s and 1s that are interpreted by computer systems as instructions to perform specific tasks. This type of data is typically used in computers to run programs and store information. Audio files, images and videos are made up of binary data since they all consist of blocks of 1s and 0s that computers can read as instructions or commands. Binary files do not require specific software applications to open them since they are understood directly by the computer system itself due to its native binary language.

The main difference between text and binary lies in how humans interact with the two types of data formats. Text formats often require an application program such as a word processor or spreadsheet in order to properly view the contents since they need to be translated into human-readable form through an application program before they can be understood by readers while binaries are translated directly into human-readable language from its native code without requiring any additional software application. Additionally, text files typically contain smaller amounts of information compared to binary files due to their ability for more efficient storage using codes such as XML tags for structured formatting along with shorter lines for easier readability by humans.

In conclusion, there are many differences between text and binary when it comes down to their respective uses in computers today. Text is stored in human readable encoded formats which require applications before the contents can be viewed by users while binaries consist of 1s and 0s instructions which can understood directly by computer systems without requiring any additional programs or applications. The amount of information stored also differs greatly between different types of files due to their varying levels of efficiency when being stored digitally on a computer's hard drive or external storage drive like USB flash drives or SD cards

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