Files that contain compiled computer code are referred to as binaries, sometimes used interchangeably with object files. However, any file can be encoded to binary format; including digital graphics, movies, or music.

Text-based computer languages like C and C++ are used to write programs that are subsequently compiled to binary form. This is because computers can only read the simpler language of binary digits: one or zero interpreted as on or off. Each digit or value is one bit of data. Eight bits of data equals one byte of information. A binary file viewed with a hex editor will display the file contents as continuous blocks of bytes, or the digital equivalent of the source code.

Online binaries are often associated with USENET, where worldwide subscribers can share programs and multimedia data. However, USENET was designed for exchanging text messages. For this reason, binaries must be encoded to a text-based system, then decoded on the receiving end, making it possible to exchange nontextual files over the network. The encoding and decoding of exchanged binaries is done automatically by embedded software within enabled USENET newsreaders.

In many cases binaries are too large to post to USENET, as the network has a cap limiting the number of characters allowed in any single post. Here the uploader can compress and divide a large binary file into slices or parts. One program that does a good job of this is WinRAR™. Individual parts are numbered sequentially and posted separately to the appropriate binary newsgroup. Anyone interested in downloading the file must download all parts to a folder where a program like WinRAR can reassemble the parts into the single, original file.

Not all newsreaders handle binaries with equal ease. Many are designed foremostly for handling text messages that make up the majority of posts to USENET. One should also note that binaries posted to USENET do not flow through a policing moderator, lacking any guarantee that a file or its contents are legal, or are being legally distributed.