What is the difference between .bin and .dat file?

Question

When writing to a binary file, when should I use .bin vs .dat? If I'm just trying to store information not meant to be read by humans, like item description/serial number pair, does it matter which one I pick if I'm just trying to make it unreadable from a text editor?

Answer 1

.dat is a more frequently used suffix for binary data. It doesn't matter what extension you pick, as long as you are on Unix or Linux based systems.

Answer 2

On a UNIX system, there is no difference. The extensions are interchangeable.

Answer 3

Let me give you some brief details about these files :

.BIN File : The BIN file type is primarily associated with 'Binary File'. Binary files are used for a wide variety of content and can be associated with a great many different programs. In general, a .BIN file will look like garbage when viewed in a file editor.

.DAT File : The DAT file type is primarily associated with 'Data'. Can be just about anything: text, graphic, or general binary data. Data file in special format or ASCII.

Reference: Abhijit Banerjee answered that question on quora

Answer 4

Sufixes can mean whatever you want them to mean... Those rules are more like guidelines than actual rules...

However, BIN seems like a short to binary, so a BIN file will likely hold data in binary form. DAT seems like a short to data, so a DAT file will contain information in whatever format the developer of the program that reads that file seems fit (ASCII, Binary, a mix of them, something else entirely)

Answer 5

If you do not put any extension, it makes it kinda hard for someone not knowing what the file's extension should be, to open the file. Additionally, with Unix or Linux, if you place a dot (period) before the file name, the file hides itself.