What Is Binary File Transfer (BFT)?

Binary file transfer is a fax-based protocol that transmits data files through various telematic services. It's like a file format, except it's for fax machines. Binary file transfer has been around since the late 1980s and is still used today. It's prevalent among telematic service providers who need to send and receive data files through their networks, including Teletex and Telefax Group 3 and 4. The syntax and semantics of binary file transfer are defined by ITU-T Recommendation T.4, which describes how the protocol should be implemented on computer systems that support fax modems. Binary files are the lifeblood of computer processing. They hold data types encoded in binary shape for laptop processing and storage. Binary documents are made of byte sequences in which the binary digits are grouped in eights. They may also comprise text, pix and compressed variations of different documents or sounds. A few binary documents have headers inside them. If they do now no longer encompass headers, they're referred to as flat binary documents. If they do not include headers, they are called flat binary files. Binary files store information on a disk drive or other storage device. Applications, such as word processing or photo editing programs, can open them. Binary files can also be stored on USB drives and other portable storage devices so users can take them wherever they go. Binary files are much like the sweetest, juiciest fruit you've tasted. They're delicious, but sometimes you have to translate them into a plain text format so that they can be read by computers that don't understand binary values. The trouble is, when you do this, the files become 30% larger! For example, if your file is 100 bytes long, it will be 130 bytes after being translated into plain text. That's almost like eating one more apple! Once your files are at their destination, they'll be converted back into a binary format so you can enjoy them again.