General > General Technical Chat
Why do people call an executable file (.exe) a binary file?
jpanhalt:
--- Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on April 25, 2020, 06:51:15 pm ---
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome
"literal interpretations and miscomprehension of nuance"
etc etc
--- End quote ---
Of course, Asperger's is the diagnosis de jour for any child with behavior problems. "Hey, it's not a behavior problem, it's a disability."
m98:
--- Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on April 25, 2020, 08:07:57 pm ---Or that kilo means 1024 in computers? Like wtf? I bought a kilo of strawberries and only got 1000 grams so I went back to the store and demanded my 24 grams because LOL why not
--- End quote ---
That's kibi, not kilo. But asking for one kibigram of strawberries would probably be an interesting experiment.
rsjsouza:
--- Quote from: m98 on April 25, 2020, 09:16:37 pm ---
--- Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on April 25, 2020, 08:07:57 pm ---Or that kilo means 1024 in computers? Like wtf? I bought a kilo of strawberries and only got 1000 grams so I went back to the store and demanded my 24 grams because LOL why not
--- End quote ---
That's kibi, not kilo. But asking for one kibigram of strawberries would probably be an interesting experiment.
--- End quote ---
Please don't restart this discussion... There's already a lot at:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/microcontrollers/kilobyte/
Brumby:
--- Quote from: LeoTech on April 25, 2020, 02:10:55 pm ---To bad we ain't a group of pshycoogists. This would be one hell of a case study in human behavior. From both sides I might add. You guys might be veterans filled with experiences, but are very narrow minded and quick to jump to conclusions about others - especially stereotypes and prejudies - as am I.
Just one last remark, stop the name-calling for crying out loud, stop calling me a child, entitled and attention-seeking while at the same time conducting a discussion like someone half my age.
--- End quote ---
* You made a point.
* Your position is based on a literal interpretation, not the common usage.
* Responses were given that explain that the usage is well matured and that changing that usage (which is what you were advocating) would result in utter chaos.
* You still maintain your position regardless.
The normal approach that has been taken by countless people working in the software and related industries is to understand the usage, accept it and thus expand their comprehension of a long established environment. (I don't see how pointing this out is being 'narrow-minded' in any way.)
You have indicated this is not how you think things should be.
Hmmm...
Tell me what you would think of someone coming into an industry in which you have experience and telling you a term used globally for more than 50 years is wrong.
--- Quote ---Close the thread, nobody is gaining anything from this except lots of self-validation by putting down others and verifying their own tunnel-vision.
--- End quote ---
This is the sort of response I would expect from someone too embarrassed to openly accept a lesson from those trying to help - which, by the way, only got terse when you did not exhibit any appreciation for the answers.
--- Quote ---Which admittedly goes for me as well.
--- End quote ---
That's a response which will serve you well. I, too, try to observe that principle.
Nusa:
In common usage:
An "executable" is a file that's meant to be executed in a particular environment. If the environment is an interpreted language, the executable and the source may literally be the same file. A human-readable text file. Not a binary. So no, even the idea that an executable is always a binary is a non-starter, terminology-wise.
In the mathematical sense, "binary" has been around for centuries.
In the computer sense, "binary" was certainly around in the mainframe days, well before Apple and Microsoft even existed, to my personal knowledge. Like all non-specific words, context matters. In some contexts it might be better translated as "binary code" rather than "binary file".
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